Who we are

The Mackay Women's Centre is an incorporated, non-government, community-based organisation, managed by a local committee elected annually from the membership. The Mackay Women's Centre services the city of Mackay and the surrounding region.

What the service does

The service will:

• Provide emotional and practical support to women with health and/or wellbeing issues, pregnancy, parenting and/or violence concerns
• Provide crisis responses, general support, information and referral, and short-term counselling to women
• Develop and facilitate programs, workshops and activities that promote the Centre's desired outcomes of Well Women, Safe Women, Smart Women and Creative Women
• Develop and/or acquire appropriate resources covering women's health issues which are distributed and/or lent out free of charge
• Facilitate programs for young women to assist with their parenting and coping skills
• Provide assistance to establish, facilitate and accommodate support groups for women
• Acquire and disseminate written material providing information to women regarding health and well-being, pregnancy and parenting, and domestic and family violence
• Support and resource service providers in relation to any aspect of pregnancy, parenting, and health and wellbeing
• Assist in the acquisition and dissemination of appropriate resources covering the range of issues relevant to women affected by health issues, pregnancy and parenting issues, and violence issues
• Assist with the development and facilitation of training programs for professionals and community service workers to enhance their expertise in health and well-being, pregnancy and parenting, and intervening with people affected by violence
• Assist in the provision and dissemination of information and resources to families, professionals, community services workers, students and the general community
• Identify and address barriers hindering women's access to adequate and appropriate healthcare and well being strategies
• Try to identify and work to address policy and procedural barriers impeding women and children's access to safety
• Provide advocacy for women when necessary in order to achieve positive outcomes for them with other agencies
• Provide and distribute emergency relief – material goods, clothes, baby needs and food vouchers (when funding is available)
• Provide pre and post abortion and pregnancy options counselling
• Transport women with pregnancy and baby issues (interagency support only – i.e. hospital, crisis response agencies, child protection, legal and advocacy services)
• Provide free pregnancy testing and counselling on result