Strategic Plan

PURPOSE

Maari Ma has existed for a decade now, more if the time leading to our establishment is counted. This Strategic Plan is for the Maari Ma Board to provide the direction for the Corporation over the next five years.

Much has been achieved. We have improved the access of our people to health services and their treatment by them. We have set up and run our own primary health clinic in Broken Hill and increased the employment of our people in health services.

In 2007 Maari Ma won the NSW Minster for Health Award for our Management Agreement with the Area Health Service under which Maari Ma runs local health services in our remote communities. We also won the 2007 National Excellence in Indigenous Health Award for the same program. Our chronic disease strategy was one of the first in NSW and continues to define our leadership in Aboriginal health. Our people talk about health more and they have higher expectations of health services, including our own.

But there remains much to do. We want to continue as leaders in developing the health of our people: especially in adult chronic disease, in maternal and child health and in social and emotional wellbeing. We know that we need to continue with very basic services without which our people do not access health.

We want to continue to define our relationships by respect and honesty, with our partners and with our communities. We want to attract more of our people to careers in health and to participation in our community activities. We want to partner with the leaders in Aboriginal health across the nation.

We also want to build on our leadership in health service development to explore other aspects of our healing.

As Aboriginal people we need to build on our knowledge of land, culture and family and to use that knowledge to provide opportunities for healing and building strength. We want to support our young people to understand and operate in the mainstream community, safe and secure in their knowledge of who they are and where they come from.

We know that we are the only people who can tackle our own problems and create our own future. Maari Ma wants to play its part in doing this.

 

VISION STATEMENT

Our Vision

Aboriginal people live longer and close the gap - families, individuals and communities achieve good health, well-being and self-determination, supported by Maari Ma.