Published July 2023.
The Yellow Gum Healing ACE program piloted an approach to culturally adapt the Alcohol and Drug Cognitive Enhancement (ACE) program to improve outcomes for Aboriginal people.
‘Yellow Gum Healing’ is a metaphor for ‘brain regeneration’.
The program was co-designed with cultural advisors at The Glen, an Aboriginal alcohol and drug residential treatment facility on the NSW Central Coast. It aimed to:
- adapt the ACE program, so it was culturally appropriate and acceptable for Aboriginal populations
- test the delivery of the program
- provide recommendations for delivering ACE within Aboriginal populations across NSW.
Key learnings
The pilot highlighted the importance of developing programs in partnership with the Aboriginal community to ensure treatment options are appropriate and cultural values are incorporated.
The Yellow Gum Healing ACE program provides a model that can be used by other services to adapt the ACE resources in a way that reflects their local nation and culture.
The Glen continues to deliver the program within its service. For scale up and spread of this program, it is expected that further adaptations to the ACE program will be required, to recognise the centrality of culture to health and wellbeing.
Download the Yellow Gum Healing report (PDF 1001.9 KB)
Adaptations made to the ACE program for Yellow Gum Healing
- Smoking ceremony using yellow gum leaves at start of program
- Yarning circles
- Use of storytelling; a way for participants to go on a journey through storytelling in a way they could understand
- Walks through the bush
- References to Mother Earth throughout the program
- Use of culturally relevant examples and case studies, e.g. sporting examples
- Design of artwork (pictured), Yellow Gum
