Our
Aim, Vision, Purpose + Principles
Primary Purpose:
Katherine West Health Board provides a holistic clinical, preventative and public health service to clients in the Katherine West Region of the Northern Territory of Australia.
Guiding Principles:
- That health and well being includes the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being of the person and the community.
- Work as a team Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal together.
- Commitment to our work and doing the best we can.
- Promote respect and trust.
- Respect for ourselves and others
- Respect for the autonomy of our communities
- Promote and maintain culture.
- Good and open communications, talking and listening.
- Moving forward carefully one step at a time.
- Looking after the head, heart, body and soul of our corporation and members.
- We will demonstrate strong leadership
Board’s vision:
‘Jirntangku Miyrta’ in English means ‘One shield for all’
Through our strong leadership we will grow. This growth will be driven by our people to encourage pride and empowerment within our communities.
Our Vision acknowledges the distinct and diverse identity of our people and their communities.
Our achievements will gain credibility through recognition by our communities and peers.
Katherine West Health Board aims to:
- relieve sickness, poverty and disadvantage among the Indigenous people of the Katherine West Region
- improve the health and well being of our members and communities
- develop strategic alliances and friendships between Aboriginal & “mainstream” or Government entities, agencies responsible for health related services in our region
- provide holistic health related services in our region that are required now or may be needed in the future including allied health therapies
- develop appropriate public health & education programs
- collate Indigenous health data and information to assist in the development of policy, advocacy & health intervention strategies
- be an advocate for our Communities and members to improve their health and well being
- receive and spend all grant funding ensuring accountability to funding donors & members
- provide assistance to member communities to enable self reliance & responsibility for their own wellbeing
- ensure member communities are involved in health planning, program development & implementation
- arresting social disintegration in our communities through the fostering and support of culturally appropriate health programs
- provide assistance to communities in finding solutions to drug & alcohol problems in communities
- promote information in the wider community about the special difficulties experienced by Aboriginal people as a minority within the broader community
- Promote the existing inequalities in the health status between Aboriginal people of the Katherine West Region and the wider Australian Community and the need for support from the governmental and other agencies in order for such problems to be over come
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promote community development, education, employment and training opportunities for member Communities, in particular the training and employment of local Aboriginal people chosen by the community to be Aboriginal Health Worker
- promote the role and function of Aboriginal Health Workers by lobbying for the advocacy of the following principles:
- that Aboriginal Health Workers be in charge of the delivery of health programs in Aboriginal communities
- that Aboriginal Health Workers be enabled to achieve a maximum degree of skill through ongoing professional development, education and training
- that non-Aboriginal health professionals employed by any service providers perform functions that assist and support the functions of the Aboriginal Health Workers rather than replace them
- the promotion of culturally appropriate methods of managing and preventing health problems in the region involving the recognition and support of the vital role of traditional health practitioners and birth attendants in the provision of primary health care services in our region.
Operate and maintain a Gift Fund to be known as “The Katherine West Health Board Aboriginal Corporation Gift Fund” in accordance with the requirements of the Australian Taxation Office”