A West Lothian officer has won an award for his work in mental health.
Mark McIlwraith, team manager of the Adults With Incapacity and Mental Health Officer Team for West Lothian Council, is the latest recipient of the Wilma MacDonald Mental Health Officer of the Year Award.
Scottish Association of Social Workers (SASW) set up the award in honour of Wilma MacDonald, a mental health officer who worked in the East End of Glasgow for many years. Wilma died in 2010.
Mark received his award at the Scottish Association of Social Work Mental Health Officers Conference in October 2019 in recognition of his work in West Lothian.
He said: “It was a great surprise and privilege to receive this award. Working in mental health can be extremely rewarding in addition to providing challenges but it is all about how we deal with these obstacles to provide the best solutions for service users and it is a role I am proud to fulfil.
“The spotlight is on the topic of mental health arguably more than ever at the moment so it is important that work continues to expand our understanding and minimise the stigma of mental illness.”
Executive councillor for social policy, Angela Doran said: “I’d like to offer a belated congratulations to Mark on his award. He is part of an outstanding social work service in West Lothian and his commitment and ethic towards his work really does make a positive impact on the lives of others.
“Mental health is quite rightly at the forefront of discussions regarding the impact of the coronavirus and we are lucky that we have professionals such as Mark working in West Lothian to help local people through this crisis.”
