Community Representatives to Disability Committees

Tuesday 17 February 2009

Community Representatives Appointed to Otago and Southland DHBs' Disability Support Advisory Committees

Southland and Otago District Health Boards’ joint Disability Support Advisory Committees (DSAC) have appointed two community representatives from their respective regions to help advise on disability and elderly support issues.

Peter Wards, Chief Executive for Presbyterian Support Southland, and Heather Clay , Social Worker for the Wakatipu Community Mental Health Team, were selected onto the committees last week.

The role of the DSAC Committees is to advise their respective Boards on issues associated with the care and support of older people in the community, disability issues and support services, needs assessment and consumer issues in relation to disability support services.

Otago and Southland DHBs’ DSAC Chair Neville Cook said the two new members had been appointed to complement the existing skills of the Board members rather than their representation of any specific group.

“We are confident Mr Wards and Ms Clay will bring a tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience to the table and we are looking forward to engaging with them to support elderly and disability support services in both regions.”

As well as his role at Presbyterian Support Southland, Mr Wards has previously worked for New Zealand CCS and the Department of Social Welfare. He is currently an Age Concern Executive and has also served on various committees including six years as a member of Southland DHB’s former DSAC Committee and three years as a National Board member of Parent to Parent.

Ms Clay, who resides in Wanaka, moved to Otago from Canterbury in 2007 after 20 years with the Canterbury District Health Board, 15 of those as part of Community and Hospital based mental health services.

She currently serves as a Board Member of Autism New Zealand and Disabled Snow Sports New Zealand and also had involvement with the Special Olympics Organisation.

The Otago and Southland Disability Support Advisory Committees have joint meetings on a monthly basis alternating between Dunedin and Invercargill.

The next public meeting of the DSAC committees will be held on Tuesday, 17 March in Invercargill.

ENDS

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