School of Public Health and Community Medicine

Building and evaluating Indigenous Youth empowerment and resilience programs

Associate Professor Melissa HaswellMuru Marri, 

School of Public Health & CommMedicine and

Leaders, Managers, Program Deliverers and Youth  from Six Outstanding Programs

We thank FAHCSIA for funding this project. 

Acknowledging the Traditional Owners of this Land,

and that it is a great honour to be here among these many great cultures & learn,

take responsibility and hence belong...

Also acknowledging the huge contributions of many in the work presented here.

Starting Point

Young people are essential for a healthy and vibrant

society Youth as Being:

Energy ideas enthusiasm expression joy love growth learning identity diversity future potential freedom change agents creative vision etc

Youth as Becoming:

Mothers fathers aunties unclesMusicians artists actors dancers champions

Doctors lawyers teachers professors engineers scientists Debaters challengers leaders awakeners

Sharers and builders of Knowledge

Ecological Model of Health:Developing our lens: are we seeing the whole picture?

Youth as a pivotal time:negotiating change

Five core youth transitions

Source: World Bank (2006)

6

HIGH/VERY HIGH LEVELS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS(a), by

Indigenous status—2008 (a) In the last four weeks.

Source: 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2007–08 National Health Survey

Youth can also be a very challenging time

Unfortunately, Youth can also be a dangerous time.

The proportional ‘gap’ in mortality between Aboriginal and non-Indigenous Australians begins at birth, and is already substantial by the teen age years.

Proportion of deaths(a)(b), Indigenous status(c), age group(d)and sex - 2007-2009 (ABS 2010).

Ecological Model of Health:How do we best inform the outer ring – our policy and practice?

Policy needs for youth social & emotional

wellbeing(the aims of our project)

How to connect the dots between the rhetoric and the reality?How to identity the ‘good stuff’ in programs?

– The right ingredients for their context– Capacity to be able to create and sustain– Ability to keep going despite the challenges

How can govt provide nurturing support for the good programs?How to help the good programs increase their voice in policy? How to help effective programs achieve their full potential?

Reviewing and extending the evidence and examining its

implications for policy and practice

Study Design

What did we find?What tools can we use?

Kids at high risk getting in with the wrong crowd

Lost in legal system

AngerVoicelessPlacing self at risk of harm and 

causing harm

Worrying about losing child

Increasingly isolate oneself

Turned off by services that don’t understand them or are unreliable  Mental health 

challenges

Negative trajectory Can’t see any good in 

self or society

Too shame to try

Serious family stressUnable to participate in previous activity Can’t see way forward

Negative cultural identity

SuicideCrime Drug

AlcoholSchool dropoutChild removed

Violence Incarceration

Unemployable Mental health illness

Familiar stories and situations faced by many Aboriginal youth, especially but not only, those experiencing substantial disadvantage.

The disempowered lens(culturally, socially, economically, educationally 

disadvantaged)

Statistics most often measure these most negative outcome measures of disempowerment.

Some examples of the intermediate and ultimate positive outcome destinations that programs seek to help people reach for that are sometimes, but not always achieved. But the 

picture is incomplete without considering the journeys between these two worlds that programs offer. There is an important incremental journey of empowerment that enables 

people to sustain changes in the face of a still disempowering environment. 

Kids at high risk getting in with the wrong crowd

Lost in legal system

AngerVoicelessPlacing self at risk of harm 

and causing harm

Worrying about losing child

Increasingly isolate oneself

Turned off by services that don’t understand 

them or are unreliable 

Mental health challenges

Negative trajectory

Parent with skills and possibilities

Reengage with health services

Restored identity as good parent and capable person

Accessing support Finding talent

Reengaging with community and school

Chasing aspirations

Completing education and training

Employment

Stepping out of poverty & dependence

Diversity contributing to 

society’s resiliencePride in 

citizenship

(RE) Engagement with cultural expression & 

identity

Can’t see any good in self or society

Too shame to try

Can see own 

strengths and gain confidence

Serious family stressUnable to participate in previous activity

Can’t see way forwardNegative cultural 

identity

SuicideCrime Drug

AlcoholSchool dropoutChild removed

Violence Incarceration

Unemployable Mental health illness

Kids at high risk getting in with the wrong crowd

Lost in legal system

AngerVoicelessPlacing self at risk of harm 

and causing harm

Worrying about losing child

Increasingly isolate oneself

Turned off by services that don’t understand them or 

are unreliable Mental health challenges

Negative trajectory

Parent with skills and possibilities

Reengage with health services

Restored identity as good parent and capable person

Accessing support Finding talent

Reengaging with community and school

Chasing aspirations

Completing education and training

Employment

Stepping out of poverty & dependence

Diversity contributing to 

society’s resiliencePride in 

citizenship

(RE) Engagement with cultural expression & 

identity

Can’t see any good in self or society

Too shame to try

Can see own 

strengths and gain confidence

Serious family stressUnable to participate in previous activity

Can’t see way forwardNegative cultural 

identity

Healing.  Recovery. Empowerment Regaining inner peace & sense of self capacity

WITNESSING ABORIGINAL LEADERSHIP

MENTORING & ROLE MODELLING

TRANSFORMATIVE RELATIONSHIPS

SAFE HEALING SPACE

CREATIVE FUN SPACE

EFFECTIVE YOUTH PROGRAM

SuicideCrime Drug

AlcoholSchool dropoutChild removed

Violence Incarceration

Unemployable Mental health illness

CELEBRATING ABORIGINALITY

Common active elements offered within the six 

empowering youth programs studied shown in arrow

• Transformative relationships• Creative fun space• Celebrating Aboriginality• Mentoring and role modelling• Safe healing space• Witnessing Aboriginal leadership

Notjustwhattheydo‐ HowtheydoitCriticalEffectivenessFactors:Commonelementsthatmakethingshappenatthe

Youth:ProgramInterface

① Working from strengths ② Developing relationships first③ Generating positive feelings④ Being non‐judgmental, learning from mistakes⑤ Setting rules and boundaries⑥ Modelling openness, honesty, hope and trust⑦ Modelling reliability and consistency⑧ Maximising opportunities to make choices⑨ Celebrating small achievements, using these as leverage⑩ Facilitating connection to culture

How do we know a Program has these qualities?

Critical Success Factor ToolsC:

How can we know a Program is working effectively with

Participants?T:Tree of Empowerment; six steps pathway to empowerment

The GEMThe Growth and Empowerment Measure

“Its like a tree – there is a foundation (seeds, roots), then the energy and self‐esteem to look after yourself (trunk), so you can grow – the more you grow the bigger it gets… on the branches (of the tree) are education, job opportunities, housing”.

How do you see your relationships with other people? Please tick ONLY ONE box below that best describes the way you see your situation.

Are youpartly this

& partly that?

If so, please tick box

Are you here? If so, please tick

Box

Are you here? If so, please tick

Box

Are you here? If so, please tick

Box

Are you

here? If so, please tick

Box

Are youpartly this

& partly that?

If so, please tick box

Are youpartly this

& partly that?If so, please

tick box

My life is now rich and happier because of many

good relationships.

My relationships

give me peace and harmony in

my heart.

I am able to preserve this peace in my

home and family, even when we

disagree.

I have made a lot of progress in improving

my relationships.

I think a lot about listening

and talking sensitively to

people.

I seeimprovement

in the way people

respond to me.

I am gaining an understandingof my difficult relationships.

I have started to think about how to make them better.I think more

about what I’m saying.

I still have a lot of work to do to

improve my relationships.

I feel completely

trapped in my relationships.I am dealing with things

like: kids out of control, anger and fighting, gossiping, bullying.

Most of my relationships are harmful, not healthy.

Scenario11:Understanding&

improvingrelationships

Scenario2:Creatingsafetyforyourselfand

family

Scenario4:Having

confidenceinmakingchanges

Scenario7:Senseofknowingwho

youare

Scenario1:Abilitytodealwithemotionalpainandmove

forward

Scenario8:Abilitytospeak

outinthecommunity

Scenario 3:Responding to 

others who are not taking 

responsibility

Scenario  5:Engaging in learning

Scenario 6:Thinking about 

your own spirituality

Scenario 9:Being respected in 

workplace

Scenario 10:Dealing with judgment and 

criticism

Scenario 12:Community 

working together for change

GEM: 12 Scenarios

Just Surviving Growing effectively 

Flourishing to reach full potential

Effective but not growing

Able to keep up a small presence and continue doing good work 

despite major challenges

Able to provide, maintain and demonstrate positive impacts on a 

small number of youth

Working effectively and increasing in capacity and reach while 

maintaining effectiveness in helping youth move forward

Working well, growing in reach and scope and supported  to play its full potential role in youth development 

Not likely to be able to detect sustained impacts

Appropriate developed measures corresponding to program aims and 

process will detect positive outcomes for participation but not 

wider change

Appropriate outcome measures will detect positive outcomes on a wider number of youth participants, maysee slowing of negative trends 

Will observe significant change in SEWB among indigenous youth 

generally, and slowing, stopping and reversing negative trend

DEFIN

ITION

MEA

SURA

BLE 

IMPA

CT

YOUTH PROGRAM INTERFACE

Needs time to learn, is developing future plans and getting funding

Support leadership at multiple levels and provide  nurturing support 

understanding constraints.Recognise local knowledge about 

processes and avoid stress underfunding

Recognition from upper management levels, the community, 

stakeholders and fundersProvide essential support for expanding reach and capacity

Provide support  to reach full potential, encourage CQI mechanisms & qualitative 

measurement of impacts and sustainability in the long term

One off with little or no ongoing follow up, brief encounter 

Time to work with individual, peer groups, families and communities with the knowledge that this will 

secure permanent change

Minimal ripple effect on others who may push back any long term 

change

Family and friends can see the change in the youths’  lives, may reengage in school and set some 

goals

Growing numbers of families and friends can see the change in the youths’ lives, reengage in school and set some goals, less likely to 

lose momentum

Community is able to feel and be strengthened by  the change in 

youth, be proud and fully encourage their positive direction

SUPPOR

TRE

QUIRE

D

AMOU

NT 

OF 

CONT

ACT

RIPPLE 

EFFECT

Rudimentary staff, highly overworked, no protective buffer to cover unexpected changes, reliant 

on very stressed champion

STAF

F

Youth are engaged, enjoy themselves, unique experiences 

they wouldn’t have otherwise, may help the most severely affected out of crisis, become aware of different possibilities, get a taste of what 

healing is

Participants describe processes of healing, personal growth and 

empowerment, some will be able to describe clear translation of these changes into their life trajectory

Growing numbers experience healing, personal growth and empowerment and capacity to 

change life trajectory, some will not. Creates new awareness for 

opportunities to efficiently deliver outcomes and meet wider needs

Program is able to promote broader healing, personal growth and empowerment among a broad 

cohort of youth

DIRE

CT IM

PACT

Empowered workforce, can grow with demand and be proactive  in increasing impact. Workforce 

development mechanisms in place

Medium level of staff, stable and able to tolerate turnover  but too small to meet demand or extend 

reach

Sufficient and empowered staff, can expand with demand but busy and restricted in capacity to consider innovative ideas for new areas

Longer duration of contact, e.g. overnight camps or multiple short interactions, limited chance to reach into everyday  life, limited family interaction due to time 

constraints

Most effective programs are seriously struggling –there many factors that hold back their sustainability, growth and achievement of potential.

Multiple Layers of Critical Success Factors that Restrict or promote program 

impact and outcome.

Use of these tools

• Engaging, planning, communicating, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of Programs– Common active ingredients checklist (clearly articulating what we are doing) with community and program developers, etc.

– Critical Success Factors checklist (how are we doing this) with program deliverers 

– Baseline and follow up GEMs to capture both small and large steps in the empowerment journey

• Many opportunities may help reduce program vulnerability and push back sustainably on closing the gap.

For more information, please contact us at Muru Marri

M.haswell@unsw.edu.au

Website: https://sphcm.med.unsw.edu.au/content/muru-marri-redevelopment/our-research/research-projects/social-and-emotional-wellbeing