MAARI MA ANNOUNCED FINALIST IN NATIONAL AWARDS
Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation has been announced as one of four finalists in this year’s National Dreamtime Awards for its work helping to improve the lives of Aboriginal people in western New South Wales.
It’s in the category Community Organisation of the Year and recognises its work in developing a program called Marrabinya in conjunction with Bila Muuji Aboriginal Health Service to implement the Commonwealth’s Integrated Team Care (ITC) program in the Western NSW Primary Health Network region.
Marrabinya, which comes from the Wiradjuri language and means ‘hand, outstretch the’, is a brokerage service that links Aboriginal people who have a chronic disease with the specialist care and services they need.
Aboriginal care link workers positioned through-out western New South Wales assist Aboriginal people to access and attend the care, services or aids they require as recommended by their GP.
Maari Ma Chief Executive Officer, Bob Davis, said being named one of four finalists from organisations through-out Australia is a wonderful achievement.
“We took over the program two years ago from previous ITC contractors who had 600 people accessing assistance.
“Since then more than 3,200 people have been assisted, with the total number of supplementary support services for these clients just falling short of 20,000.
“The success of Marrabinya is attributed to the hard work of our team at Maari Ma, and the ongoing advocacy by the Aboriginal care link workers across the Western region covering 440 thousand square kilometres.
“They are the link for their clients to access services and receive support for travel and other associated costs relating to their chronic health condition.
“They live locally and know their communities well, they understand the real barriers and socio-economic issues clients face, and they can provide a culturally safe and sensitive brokerage service for them.
“Access to appropriate health services is a key challenge to the prevention and management of chronic disease.
“This program is making a real difference to the health and well being of our people in this region”. Mr Davis said.
The National Dreamtime Awards, known simply as the Dreamtime Awards, are an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in sport, arts, academic and community.
The winners in each category will be announced in Sydney at an awards ceremony on November 16th.
ENDS
5th November 2018
Available for interview: Executive Manager, Marrabinya and Western Region Services, Donna Jeffries.
Mobile: 0439 204 125