Sarah Kervin

• Provided individualised, goal-oriented care to patients experiencing a severe and enduring mental health challenges, primarily psychotic disorders.
• In 1:1 sessions, I have developed skills in graded exposure and behavioural activation as well as advanced knowledge in accessing community resources, meaningful activity and other social or financial needs.
• Successfully managed own caseload of up to 10 individuals seen weekly, while also co-running a Home Holistic Review Clinic, co-facilitating two psychoeducation groups, performing venipuncture, and attending multidisciplinary team meetings and formulations.
• After one year in my post, I independently began a Hearing Voices Group which included writing a Standard Operating Procedure, creating leaflets, managing referrals, and planning and facilitating group sessions. Now operating on a monthly basis, each session centres on pre-established topics with psychoeducation incorporated.
• For the past six months, I have acted as a co-facilitator to the Mentalization Based Art Therapy group supporting individuals who have a range of personality difficulties. I have strengthened my ability to manage distress and dynamics within group settings as well as gained invaluable knowledge of biopsychosocial influences on personality disorder and productive therapeutic approaches.
• Refined skills in managing mental health crises, through assessing mental state, supporting patients to safety plan or implement effective coping strategies or distraction techniques, or seeking hospital admission if necessary.

- Independently led small groups of 2-4 young adults with a range of learning disabilities and/or neurodevelopmental conditions.

- I successfully communicated with service members and their families to build individualised care plans and highlight goals which were then considered when risk-assessing and organising skill-building daily activities.

- I enhanced my client awareness and diligence through learning to de-escalate and redirect from conflict when lone working in unpredictable community environments

- As a member of a larger team, I was able to improve verbal and written communication skills through feeding back daily reports and escalating concerns.

• Co-occuring with my MSc in Mental Health in Children and Young People, this role focused on nurturing children’s social and emotional development through cultivating a safe and explorative learning environment.
• I developed my creative approach through leading small groups in art projects and large groups of up to 60 children in team-building versatile activities.
• Worked to increase children’s understanding and naming of emotions through weekly wellbeing talks and activities to encourage emotional comprehension within the After School Club daily.

As a Cocktail Bartender and part-time Duty Manager, I strengthened my leadership and problem solving skills within both my team and customer-facing roles, through quick decision making in the fast-paced environment and striving to create positive customer experiences in managing any issues with empathy and proactivity.

• As a medical assistant volunteer, I worked as a member of a multidisciplinary team, supporting vaccine rollout and administration to over 50 patients daily, performing venipuncture, conducting lab tests and sitting in on mental and physical health clinics.
• This opportunity allowed me to expand and question my knowledge of cross-cultural healthcare

• Under a team of Developmental Psychologists, I attended morning meetings discussing biopsychosocial risk and protective influences on daily patients and then observed neurodevelopmental assessments such as the ADOS and BAYLEY III in children 0-3 years old.
• I developed skills in taking patient histories through completing initial intake interviews with primary caregivers, expanded knowledge in typical and atypical development, formulated individualised case plans and importantly, contributed to fostering empathetic and professional spaces to have sensitive conversations relating to diagnosis and next steps.