Evaluation of a culturally safe social and emotional well-being programme: a protocol

Transgenerational trauma continues to have detrimental impacts on Indigenous Australians. However, Indigenous Australians have always recognised that the healing from colonisation’s traumatic policies lies within culture. As such, there is an urgent need for community-driven culturally safe, well-being support, particularly for Indigenous young people. The development of an adventure-based Indigenous therapy programme aims to support and improve emotional and social well-being for Indigenous young people in North Queensland. We aim to evaluate this novel programme using validated and modified mental health tools and yarning. Analysis of the data will measure the direct impact of the programme; how past traumas influence the healing process and assess the use of modified culturally appropriate mental health tools. An evaluation with culturally appropriate recommendations will be produced from the analysis. Importantly, a strengths-based approach will be followed to identify levels of resilience and positive cultural experiences existent in communities.