News

Community gets on board with MDAS

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 06:15:00

Robust growth in client numbers and stronger community engagement with the Mallee’s peak Aboriginal body have been identified as key achievements in a review of the organisation.

The review, by consulting firm Rapid Impact, looked at the outcomes since the Mallee District Aboriginal Services laid down its first strategic plan four years ago and was delivered at the board’s recent annual strategic planning session.
A 33 percent increase in the number of clients receiving health services with MDAS was a key finding, with almost 4000 individual clients now registered at Mildura, Swan Hill and Kerang.
Family Services delivered by MDAS had also grown from under 2000 client contact hours in 2013 to almost 9000 hours in 2017.
Among other highlights in the review:
• A 50 percent growth on programs delivered
• Development of a new Early Years Model, with exception al outcomes
• 200 percent increase in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health checks
• 96 percent growth in episodes of service within health (68% Swan Ill and Kerang; 115% Mildura)
• 45% increase in the number of Koori Staff
• Improved board governance, with MDAS a national finalist in the National Indigenous Governance Awards
MDAS chief executive Rudolph Kirby said the review vindicated the hard work of staff across the organisation in building the trust of community in delivering health and family services.
“It is only by delivering services the community feels safe to engage with that we can achieve these sorts of results,” Mr Kirby said.
“Services that are culturally-appropriate are the starting point, and that’s why we’ve concentrated on building our numbers of Koori staff, in particular,” he said.
“We’ve focussed on building structures and services within the organisation that are robust, ethical and that are part of a wrap-around philosophy, so that there’s ‘no wrong door’ for people accessing the support they need.”
MDAS Chairman Keith Hampton said the review was a welcome indication that the organisation was on the right track to making inroads into the disadvantage gap for Aboriginal people in the Mallee.
“We wanted to stop the process of parking the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff and we’ve focussed our attention on leading the way in becoming an organisation that will make change possible for our mob,” he said.
 

“We’ve known from the beginning, when we started this process more than four years ago, that we had a lot to do.  We still have a lot to do.
“But we have made a good start and people are engaging with us to access all of the services and support we have available.
“That will start to benefit people in the long term with the benefits that better health and lifestyle choices bring – but more importantly it invests in turning around the opportunities and outcomes for the next generation.”