title: The value of partnerships: lessons from a multi-site evaluation of a national social and emotional wellbeing program for Indigenous youth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the first three years of a national program to improve the social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous youth in remote and regional Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Combination of open inquiry and audit review involving investigation of process and outcomes, with a broad national overview supplemented by five in-depth case studies in diverse settings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Community development principles were applied at all 14 sites. There were many examples of collaborative, community-driven health promotion initiatives, with most progress observed where there were strong local partnerships. Within the range of activities, education sessions on alcohol and other drugs, mental health and violence were facilitated by program staff. There was a tension between community development and specific program delivery, with the balance reflecting the needs and capacity of individual sites, program staff expertise and contractual requirements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main lessons concern program design and resourcing and ways of working. Program staff at each site learned to be not too ambitious, but to work consistently with the community, establishing partnerships and engaging and training community members. Community and stakeholder capacity enhancement should be regarded as core, and evaluation built in. Activities directed at youth must be engaging and effective, and integrated with other programs and services.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Blignault
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haswell
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jackson Pulver
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004644:Emotions; D017144:Focus Groups; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008603:Mental Health; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population; D012924:Social Conditions; D012940:Social Problems; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Indigenous; program evaluation; social and emotional wellbeing; youth