About Us

About Us

The Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA) is the leading authority for Aboriginal health in Western Australia. AHCWA exists to support and act on behalf of 24 Member Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) across the state, offering support, advocacy, and influence; building capacity; and strengthening the Sector to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people and their communities.

Central to this work is striving to support and promote the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector Model of Care, a model that is built around the delivery of comprehensive, holistic, and culturally secure primary health care services. AHCWA’s vision is for Aboriginal people to enjoy the same level of health and wellbeing as all Western Australians. This vision is pursued by enhancing and promoting the ACCHS Model of Care as best practice primary health care for Aboriginal people and communities, and supporting and strengthening Member Services to achieve excellence in the delivery of health care services.

AHCWA leads and influences the state and national Aboriginal policy agenda as determined by its Member Services, and works to grow and advance the capacity and capability of AHCWA and its Member Services for long-term sustainability.

Constitution

AHCWA operates under its own constitution that defines its objectives and identifies three distinct areas of network operations.

Strategic Plan

AHCWA's Strategic Plan has been developed in alignment with the National Agreement on
Closing the Gap. At the heart of this agreement are four Priority Reforms that address
the underlying enablers of inequality and set a new standard for how government and
Aboriginal organisations work together.

Vision and Mission

AHCWA envisions that Aboriginal people enjoy the same level of health and wellbeing as all Western Australians and promotes the ACCHS’ Model of Care to empower Aboriginal people to achieve health equality.

Model of Care

AHCWA's organisational values are centred in culture, integrity, passion, collaboration, accountability, and resilience.

Aboriginal Community Controlled Model of Care

As the peak body for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services across Western Australia, AHCWA exists to support its Member Services in delivering comprehensive primary health care effective for Aboriginal people and their communities. Strength in culture, community control, and self-determination underpin everything AHCWA does, with the understanding that when services for Aboriginal people are led and delivered by Aboriginal people, the outcomes are always better.

Organisational Values

AHCWA’s organisational values are centred in culture, integrity, passion, collaboration, accountability, and resilience.

Culture – Acknowledging and understanding the importance and diversity of Aboriginal culture in all that we do.
Integrity – Working with personal and collective integrity whilst striving to achieve service excellence for our Members and community.
Passion – Exhibiting passion, positivity and commitment in all that we do to inspire and empower all people, Member Services, and communities to reach their potential.
Collaboration – Fostering and contributing to shared objectives through inclusiveness and engagement with our Member Services.
Accountability – Being accountable to all our Members, stakeholders, and the community.
Resilience – Embracing challenges and harnessing opportunities to empower our communities for self-determination.

AHCWA Membership

AHCWA exists to support and act on behalf of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in Western Australia. ACCHS are legal entities with at least 75 per cent Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander directorship and membership, who deliver comprehensive primary healthcare in Western Australia to the community that controls them. You can apply for AHCWA Membership or find out more by downloading the following forms.

AHCWA Membership Application Information Sheet

AHCWA Membership Application Form

AHCWA Membership Flowchart

AHCWA Constitution

Learn More & Donate

You can donate to AHCWA here.

In order to support a stronger Aboriginal community controlled sector, and to deliver on its commitments under the National Agreement, the Western Australian Government has funded AHCWA to establish a second formal Aboriginal community controlled peak body. As the targets of the National Agreement aim to close the gap in outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians in many socio-economic areas, the new Aboriginal community controlled peak body has a social services focus.

You can find out more about the ACCO Social Services Peak Body here.