Press Release

Burgess Mental Health Professional Appointed to Iowa Office of Consumer Affairs Committee

Charlotte Ellwanger, peer support specialist at Burgess Mental Health, was recently appointed to the Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) Advisory Committee for District 1.

OCA, according to www.iowaofficeofconsumeraffairs.com, “Serves as an advocate for Iowans to identify services, navigate bureaucracy, and find a voice in the establishment of mental health policy. OCA supports adults and children with mental illness, enhancing opportunities that can impact productivity, recovery, and the overall quality of life.”

Ellwanger will aid the Advisory Committee by contributing to ongoing statewide input and information sharing with the OCA. One of the roles of the Advisory Committee is to make the OCA aware of any challenges or opportunities that exist within districts of Iowa. This could include problems for mentally ill persons in accessing services, or perhaps providing information on a new program within local communities. In short, Advisory Committees and their members are the information gatherers of the OCA, which ensures that all parties are truly staying in tune with what is happening and what is needed across the state.

Advisory Committee members, like Ellwanger, can also assist the OCA or Department of Human Services (DHS) with communicating information back to service areas. This information might concern new programs and/or projects and also ways to become involved through committees for example. In conjunction with this, Advisory Committee members will be asked to learn more about the State Mental Health System.

Ellwanger is honored to serve, saying, “Being a part of the OCA Advisory Committee will allow me to share the accomplishments and struggles regarding mental health in our service area. Ideas exchanged between the committee members will then improve the quality of care I can provide through the Peer Support program at Burgess.”