Recruitment

Marrisa is a Complex Rehab Programme Manager

Marrisa Carroll is the Complex Rehab Programme Manager at CREST. She applied for the role to help improve mental health rehab services across West Yorkshire, aiming to reduce the need for people to be placed in hospitals far from home. With a background in nursing and project management, she values working closely with people and wanted to bring together professionals and those with lived experience to design better services.

Her job involves planning new services, running workshops, supporting teams, and making sure everything stays on track. She also checks in with case managers to understand where people are placed and helps with engagement work.

Marrisa admires CREST’s focus on building trust and hope with service users, especially those who feel stuck in hospital. Their approach helps people recover realistically and avoid repeated admissions.

Tristan is a Peer Recovery Support Lead

Tristan supports people moving from mental health hospitals into their own homes through CREST, working via Touchstone. They applied for the role because small acts like helping someone buy plates can make a big difference in helping people feel safe and settled after leaving hospital. Having lived experience themselves, they understand how overwhelming it can be to adjust to life outside.

Their day-to-day work involves supporting service users both in hospital and in the community, sometimes for up to five years. They help with practical tasks like applying for benefits, learning to cook, shopping, and using technology. In hospital, they also help people join groups and build confidence.

They admire CREST’s strong team spirit and the way colleagues support each other. In the future, they hope peer support becomes a fully embedded part of the service. To look after their own mental health, they rely on support plans, spend time with pets, play saxophone, and lead Scouts.

Laura is an Occupational Therapist Lead

Laura joined CREST after completing an MSc in Leadership and Management, looking for a role that combined leadership with meaningful recovery-focused work. The regional role offered the chance to shape a unique service within a supportive and collaborative team.

Day-to-day, they lead a passionate occupational therapy team, helping service users engage in meaningful activities that build purpose and a sense of belonging. They also manage the team and support the service’s growth.

They admire CREST’s diverse and skilled workforce, especially the way lived experience is valued. The team always considers how decisions will affect service users.

Looking ahead, they’re excited about expanding the team and welcoming new ideas that align with Trust values. To support their own mental health, they stay organised and make time for swimming, reading, and staying connected with family.

Michelle is a Consultant Forensic Psychologist

Michelle applied for their role at CREST because they believe people get stuck due to problems in the system, not because of who they are, an idea CREST shares. Their daily work is varied: arranging hospital visits, reviewing files, discussing training needs, and contributing to research.

They also support people in complex rehabilitation and feel encouraged to grow professionally. One area of interest is how CREST measures progress, recognising that small steps can mean big changes for service users. They admire CREST’s commitment to doing things differently and working together to find better solutions.

Looking ahead, they want trauma-informed care to be fully embedded across the service. To maintain their mental health, they rely on family life and appreciate that CREST treats staff as people, offering understanding and support.

Ash is a Co-production Lead

Ash applied for their role at CREST because it brings together their experience in mental health and working with people who use drugs and alcohol. They are interested in how language shapes relationships and want to understand different perspectives to build better connections.

What they admire most about CREST is the positive atmosphere and the sense of hope shared by the team. They enjoy working with people who are passionate about what they do.

Looking ahead, their main goal is to involve service users more in the work and make sure the processes are open and inclusive.

Matt is a Practice Development Lead

Matt’s role at CREST involves supporting team practice, helping new staff settle in, auditing documents, and checking processes to make sure the service meets high standards. In their previous job, they planned visits and supported people in the community, helping them stay well and access local resources. They trained as a mental health nurse and spent 13 years in a nurse-led accommodation service before joining the NHS in 2019. They moved to CREST in 2021, bringing experience in helping people transition from hospital rehab to community placements.

Outside of work, they enjoy cycling and have completed charity rides. They also used to play in bands, which helped build confidence in public speaking. A highlight was appearing on BBC1’s The One Show to talk about E-bikes with John Sergeant.