The Yukon government released its long-awaited social inclusion and poverty reduction strategy Monday, after having initiated the development process in 2009.

"In very simple terms, this strategy is a blueprint for how we as a government will go forward,” Health and Social Services Minister Doug Graham said at a press conference Monday.

"How we'll work together to improve and better co-ordinate our programs and services within government, within all the departments.

"We basically want to change the way that we do business.”

The strategy incorporates three goals, to improve access to services, reduce inequities, and strengthen community vitality.

To achieve these goals, the strategy lays out six guiding principles. They range from understanding the Yukon's unique conditions and population diversity to delivery of services with a client-centred approach.

Ross Findlater, a co-chair of the community advisory committee involved with the strategy's development, is particularly excited about the principles.

"It allows the community and NGOs...to have very specific measures with which to hold themselves and government accountable in the future,” he said.

The initiatives focused on prevention are also a step in the right direction, Findlater said.

"Prevention, as most of us know, is a lot less expensive than the back end when we're building facilities to support and house people that have not been able to succeed to this point.”

He noted government initiatives focused on early childhood education and development are of particular importance.

Graham said the Departments of Health and Social Services and Education have created a task force to examine current initiatives in this area to determine any gaps.

A key aspect of the social inclusion strategy moving forward will be more collaboration among government departments, breaking down the "silos,” as Findlater put it.

"It's not only the strategy itself but the development of the strategy forced us to look at things in a different manner, and it was really interesting to see the interaction between departments when they're all sat down in a room and they have to look at the problems and the opportunities that are available to the whole government,” said Graham.

Included in the strategy are social indicators that will be used to measure the success of initiatives.

The indicators include such measures as income distribution, high school graduation rates, unemployment rates, life expectancy measures, and voter participation.

They were developed through the results of three research studies conducted by the Yukon Bureau of Statistics early in the development of the strategy.

Jan Stick, the NDP critic for Health and Social Services, said today the strategy is a good overall vision.

One thing she said it's missing is timelines.

She is pleased to see that there will be continued involvement by the community advisory committee.The committee's exact role into the future has not yet been determined.

Stick also noted that while the strategy includes current initiatives it doesn't outline next steps.

"The work done to date is just the beginning; the implementation plan will involve a cross government workshop,” Graham said in closing his prepared statement.

"We want to bring together other departments to work on identifying future initiatives and prioritizing areas of greatest need.”

Moving forward, Health and Social Services will continue to take the lead in implementing the strategy through the office of strategic social initiatives and a new executive director position.

Graham said the department has provided funding for the office and the position to the tune of $250,000 and any further consultation.

Any additional funding will be attached to specific initiatives, the minister said.