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John Prince (Social Compass), Steven Torres-Carne (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation)

This presentation reports on the co-design, implementation and concurrent evaluation of 'Our Men Our Healing', the first major healing program dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. It signifies greater recognition of the need for men's healing, and marks the beginning of what is hoped to be a national initiative Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men's healing enabled and led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men themselves.

The program which ran from 2013 to 2015 comprised pilot projects in three Northern Territory communities and involved a range of partners and collaborators. The evaluation team included two external consultants and the project officer for 'Our Men Our Healing'. In undertaking the evaluation, the team journeyed with each community (primarily but not exclusively with the men) from co-design to implementation.

There was extensive community engagement and consultation before the projects were implemented to assess local needs and strengths, gaps in existing healing efforts, and the ways the community wanted the men's healing project to work and what the expected outcomes should/would be. Co-design ensured community ownership and agency and a continued commitment to local needs, culture and knowledge systems. The healing program enabled the men to take ownership of the challenges and the solutions. As a result of the men healing and strengthening themselves and others, families and communities are also becoming stronger. Moreover, there is confidence that this change can be sustained.

The evaluation team listened to many individual, family and community stories and was honoured by the openness of the men, their families and communities. In 'translating' these stories into a form suitable for inclusion in a report for publication, the team sought to respect both the story and the storyteller.