Having called the Far North home for more than 30 years, Pietrina Dewaal is looking forward to her new role supporting those living with a disability in her community “families”. Despite having few actual relations in the area, she feels the region has accepted her into their “big family” and under her leadership, My Pathway will grow disability Supports services for people on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Cooktown, Wujal Wujal and surrounding areas.
Many in the region will already know Pietrina from her varied roles in employment services, and before that as a local security guard at community events. She will bring the experiences gained from these roles to her new position, and pair it with a passion she has developed for “making a difference in people’s lives.”
My Pathway Disability Supports Operations Manager Rae Bury said “We are thrilled to have Pietrina join the team, her connection to the Cooktown and Wujal Wujal communities is going to be instrumental in our ability to connect participants in these areas to tailored, valuable and culturally appropriate supports.”
“We searched hard to find the right person to lead our new teams, so to find ‘Trina with such strong connections to both communities is fantastic” Rae continued.
“We can’t wait to see the positive impacts she can create in people’s lives there!”
To grow her knowledge of the My Pathway Disability Supports program, Pietrina has been shadowing our Hope Vale team leader Farzana and her team for the last couple of weeks. Fast learning the intricacies of the role, she is excited to begin growing her own teams to deliver local supports.
Alongside the new Cooktown and Wujal Wujal teams, Pietrina will also manage the development of the brand-new Cooktown My Pathway Disability Supports Hub. Taking over the CDP art space at 94 Charlotte St, the space will grow into a convenient place for participants to gather, escape the heat and connect with each other and their supports. In time she aims to grow activities to complement those we run in the Hope Vale Hub. Activities such as cooking, arts and crafts and repair and maintenance are all on the scope to help participants develop and practice new skills and progress towards their individual goals. However, Pietrina was quick to point out that the supports her team deliver will be co-designed with participants, ensuring they are tailored to individual needs and desires.
This commitment mimics Pietrina’s own approach to the role, where she hopes to “be the difference for people in her communities” helping them to access the care and supports they need. Participants with NDIS plans (or eligible to receive one) and anyone interested in support roles are encouraged to contact Pietrina now to connect opportunities.
This story first appeared in the Cape York Weekly.
📸 thanks to Cape York Weekly.