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• Interviewees from sites frequently described how a holistic approach to treatment provided positive results.
• Programs that were able to engage informal and formal institutions in communities, from law enforcement to local clubs, created extended systems of support for program clients that had positive impacts on program goals.
• Clinicians noted that storytelling and narrative therapeutic approaches were often quite effective, in part because these approaches fit well with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural practices.
• Making sure to staff programs with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff was critical.
• Family violence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders has been created by generations of trauma, social marginalisation and structural inequality.
• Many communities have seen programs come and go over the years (often due to inconsistent funding) and have experienced broken promises from government entities or other efforts to address local problems.
• Opinions on communication with PM&C — at both the national and regional levels — were inconsistent across sites.
• Interviewees criticised PM&C for its lack of knowledge about local communities and the contexts of implementation.
• At the outset, the national PM&C office could have made things smoother by clearly identifying the roles and responsibilities for the regional and national offices, and for the sites.
• Sites did, however, appreciate and praise the feedback they received on program design and development.
• PM&C may have had unrealistic expectations for site implementation.
• Data collection was extremely challenging for sites.
• Site staff expressed a desire for more meaningful contact with other sites.

Violence against women and children continues to challenge well-being in Australia, especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. In this report, the authors discuss their evaluation of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's (PM&C's) Third Action Plan (3AP) of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children, and specifically 3AP's Priority Area 2: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women and Their Children.

PM&C provided funding to 14 different service providers across Australia that work specifically on family issues in Aboriginal communities. Aboriginal communities are mostly located in remote and sparsely populated areas, creating challenges for service delivery. The 3AP funding was intended to help service providers deliver initiatives to address one or more of four categories: (1) trauma-informed therapeutic services, (2) men's behaviour change programs, (3) intensive family case management and (4) victim services through legal service providers.

This report is intended to guide the Australian government's future work in providing family violence services in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and to provide lessons to other organisations outside the federal government that may want to undertake similar work. Researchers conducted a thematic analysis of interviews with site staff and analysed site documentation to make recommendations stemming from the evaluation findings. The authors' recommendations can serve as a strong foundation for increasing funders' return on investment and creating long-term change in these communities across Australia.

• Chapter One

  Project Background

• Chapter Two

  Site Profiles

• Chapter Three

  Process Evaluation

• Chapter Four

  Outcome Evaluation

• Chapter Five

  Conclusion

• Appendix A

  Third Action Plan Program Logic Models

• Appendix B

  Initial Interview Guides

• Appendix C

  Process Evaluation Interview Guide

• Appendix D

  Site Information Requirements