Bill DeGaris
Bill DeGaris
Patron
Professional and personal experiences have led respected Mount Gambier lawyer Bill DeGaris to take on the role of patron for SMLC, in a first for the not-for-profit organisation.
The inaugural Board Director and Chair of the South East Regional Health Service Inc, Bill was also a Director and Chair of the Stand Like Stone Foundation and has been involved in various roles with Rotary International for more than four decades.
As the Founder of DeGaris Lawyers and a legal practitioner for 50 years, Bill witnessed firsthand how substance misuse frequently underpinned criminal offending, spiraling into further problems with housing, mental health and employment and frequently, recidivism.
Personal experience near the coalface of substance abuse gave Bill and his wife Lyn a bird’s eye view into the range of services, support and care needed for individual sufferers and their families.
“Alignment of services and continuity of care is crucial to supporting a person when they first need assistance. Dedicated ongoing programs and monitoring are vital.” Bill said.
Ultimately, Bill supports SMLC’s ongoing mission to bring a specialised AOD service model to the Limestone Coast.
“I admire the work SMLC are doing to address the serious social issues associated with substance misuse in our community,” he said.
“Anything SMLC can implement which helps families such as ours can only improve outcomes and strengthen our society.”