22 December 2010

Despite financial tough times in the health and disability sector, Pact has had a good year says Pact Board of Trustees chairman Bill Dunbar.

At the launch of Pact’s Annual Review this month Bill said it had been a tough year for funders but Pact had reorganised services so well that not only had we met our budget, but also improved services for clients.

"I think the executive team are to be congratulated for that; it’s a really great effort...It’s been one of the best ever years for Pact. We have a really strong executive team and probably the best support team that we’ve ever had...A heartfelt vote of thanks to all our staff for excellent work during the year and to my fellow trustees for their continuing support and contribution."

Bill also noted the Pike River Coal Mine tragedy, which affected a number of Pact families on the West Coast and the visit of Pact CEO Louise Carr and senior clinician educator Katie Wilsher who travelled to the coast to offer their support.

CEO Louise Carr says the past year has had her thinking about leadership and how it was demonstrated within Pact. She was impressed by a quote from Barry Doublestein, the chairman of the Institute for Leadership in Medicine in the United States.

"Leadership is about taking people to a place that they would not go on their own. It is about disrupting the core and upsetting the status quo."

Louise said Pact has shown leadership this year, particularly in promoting an alternative approach to the development to mental health services in the southern region.

"We’re actively promoting what we term MH3, a community-based readily accessible mental health service open to anyone who may feel the need for some support.

"Why MH3? We believe MH1 was the time of institutions, MH2 is what we have now and MH3 is where we want to go. To do this we need to overcome the inertia that we believe has set into the sector. We have to be brave to do this and we have taken our inspiration from those brave souls who fought to have the institutions closed all those years ago."

Louise talked about how she and her ARC colleagues brought Roberto Mezzina to New Zealand (see story page 13) to talk about the mental health model used in Trieste, Italy.

Louise says that with leadership constantly to the fore within Pact’s services she very proud of her team of leaders at all levels of the organisation.

"I’m privileged to work with a talented, committed bunch of individuals who are all too happy to challenge the status quo with a can-do attitude."

Director of operations Donald Shand talked about his visit to Ireland this year to attend the IIMHL (International Initiative Mental Health Leadership) conference. He said he came away from that conference knowing that Pact was streets ahead of those who considered themselves to be the leaders.

"In mental health terms New Zealand is simply well out in front of the pack. There is still a lot of work to do and we can’t afford to sit on our laurels and pretend that what we’ve done in the past is sufficient but it’s interesting to think that, in Ireland for example, they are still closing institutions."

Donald passed on his "sincere thanks" to his management team and their staff for the great job they’ve done.

"It’s been a very impressive year. "

Director of corporate services Paul Chamberlain says the infrastructure his team takes care of is not considered very exciting.

"But it gets a lot more exciting when it’s not working."

He says other than issues with IT systems in Southland, which are being addressed, he had "a zero report" for the year.

"Nothing went wrong and everything was achieved ... There have been changes through the year and by and large it all went pretty smoothly. "