bill walmsley

I started my career with social welfare as a residential social worker at Holdsworth school Wanganui.In 1988-1990 I completed a diploma of social work. I continued to work as a field social worker for the Child ,Youth and family service. I was later employed as a practice consultant and site manager for the wanganui brach of Child youth and family service.I later moved to Whakatane for a two year period and I was employed as a supervising social worker for the Whakatane child youth and family office.

I have been employed by the WDHB for the past sixteen years, woking in a clinical social work role in the Boards Child & Adolescent mental health service. My role involves the assessment of children and youth who are considered to have a moderate to severe mental health condition. I have continued to study and I have qualifcations in Cognitive behavior therapy and mental health services. My skills and knowledge are the ability to provide mental health assessments within my scope of practice as a social worker and individual and family therapy skills. I was appointed manager of CAMHS for a two year period and I went back to clinical work following a restructuring that happened for the mental health service. I find my current role to be challenging and demanding while at the same time very rewarding when clients make a good reccovery

Activities and Societies: I took the opportunity to upgrade my diploma in social work to a degree doing a years bridging course at the Wananga in Porirua. This was an enlightening bicultural experience by learning in the Wanaga style and there were two other Pakeha ettending the course, I experienced for the first time what it was like to be the minority culture. It was at times personally challenging and well worth the experience. I think I have a better understanding of the Treaty and bicultural issues.