Biography

A twenty year veteran of the health and human service field in British Columbia, Canada, Peter has spent the majority of his career working in First Nations communities. In this regard, his experience is rooted in a combination of community development and clinical social work practice. He has been instrumental in supporting rural and remote communities by creating a range of sustainable services such as twenty four hour crisis intervention teams, on Reserve day care and early childhood development programs, and services for children, youth and elders. He was responsible for initiatives such as the Nlah7kpmx Community Healing Gathering, instigated through community process and designed to address ongoing intergenerational effects of the residential school system on families. His research interests include health care for elders and youth residential facilities, with a mind to the provision of integrated services within a community development framework.

Peter has also held key management positions with a number of not for profit organizations, assisting staff and Boards of Directors to develop capacity to steward complex organizations on behalf of their respective communities. Moreover, Peter has participated on local boards and committees as well as regional, provincial and national advisory committees. He has an extensive background in policy development and implementation in addition to acting as a liaison between different levels of government and communities. Peter served as the Executive Director of a First Nations Child and Family Services agency located in the interior region of British Columbia, and acted as a Child Welfare Practice Specialist for the Government of the Northwest Territories. He also completed his Masters of Social Work Degree from the University of British Columbia in May, 2005.

Most recently, Peter is working with Vancouver Coastal Health as the Regional Leader for Aboriginal Health Planning. This position puts him in the forefront of emerging urban and rural health issues and positions him to play a key role in working collaboratively with community partners developing strategies to address these problems.