Social And Emotional Wellbeing Research Articles

Perceptions of Teenage Psychological Disorder

The twenty-first century brought unprecedented rates of teenage psychological disorder (PD), with conditions such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia reaching all-time highs. Young adolescents, despite having been recognized as a psychologically vulnerable demographic, are constantly excluded in their own mental health evaluations, and teachers in the American education system play a pivotal role in addressing this gap. Thus, in this paper, I specifically explore how high school students and teachers perceive teenage PD by examining their opinions on literary portrayals of mentally ill adolescents. This article thoroughly investigates this inquiry by utilizing quantitative, open-ended survey research followed by a thematic and comparative analysis. A total of 43 students and 24 teachers participated in the study, and I identified five recurring themes throughout their responses: the validity of teenagers’ struggles, PD’s relation to teenagers’ school life, PD’s relation to teenagers’ social life, trust in professional treatment, and the potential of recovery. My findings demonstrated that although both groups showed a mutual concern for the mental welfare of teenagers, there were stark differences between students’ and teachers’ perceptions of teenage PD. These results present a fundamental ideological dichotomy that must be bridged in order to help adolescents benefit from their schools, and an implementation of comprehensive mental health and social and emotional well-being (SEWB) training for all teachers may be the first step to achieving this goal.

Protective Factors against Self-Harm and Suicidality among Australian Indigenous Adolescents: A Strengths-Based Analysis of the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children.

Background: Understanding and encouraging social and emotional well-being (SEWB) among Indigenous adolescents is vital in countering the impacts of colonisation and intergenerational trauma. As self-harm and suicidality are considered markers of poor SEWB among Indigenous communities, we aimed to identify the individual-level and community-level factors protecting Indigenous adolescents from self-harm and suicidality. Methods: Data came from Footprints in Time—The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (waves 10 and 11), conducted among Indigenous families across Australia. A strengths-based analysis fitted multilevel logistic regression to explore associations with factors proposed as protective against self-reported self-harm and suicidality among Indigenous adolescents. Results: Our study cohort included 365 adolescents with complete data for the variables of interest. Adolescents had a mean (SD) age of 14.04 (0.45) years and a sex ratio of almost 1:1, and most were attending school (96.2%). Previous self-harm was reported by 8.2% (n = 30); previous suicidality was reported by 4.1% (n = 15). Individual-level factors protecting against self-harm and suicidality were being male, living in a cohesive family, and having low total Strengths and Difficulty Questionnaire scores (p < 0.05 for all). Residing in major cities compared with regional/remote areas was protective against self-harm (OR 5.94, 95% CI 1.31–26.81). Strong cultural identity was not found to be a protective factor against self-harm and/or suicidality in the sample. Conclusions: This study identified key individual- and community-level factors that can protect Australian Indigenous adolescents against self-harm and suicidality, particularly family cohesion. Identifying strengths for this at-risk population can inform prevention strategies, particularly for rural living adolescents with high distress.

Assessing mental health in Aboriginal youth

IntroductionThe assessment of social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) among Aboriginal people in Australia and elsewhere is complex and challenging task. A culturally appropriate tool for screening SEWB among Aboriginal adults known as the Here and Now Aboriginal Assessment (HANAA) has been developed and evaluated. The HANAA is based on exploring key domains of Aboriginal concept of SEWB and is based on a yarning process aimed to initiate a semi-structured interview that covers each domain. Over the last ten years the HANAA has been widely used by Aboriginal mental health service providers around Australia and elsewhere.ObjectivesThere have been multiple requests by service providers for a similar tool to be developed for young Aboriginal people. The aim of this study was to develop a youth version of the HANAA.MethodsA Working Group was established to guide the development of the youth HANAA. This work included discussion of assessment domains, prompt words and other adolescent specific considerations that were needed. The evlauation process was also discussed.ResultsThe adult version of HANAA was well accepted by participants. Reliability was good with kappa agreements between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal interviewers ranging from 0.5 to 1.0. Agreement between interviewers and treating clinicians on ecommended course of action was good.ConclusionsBased on the previous field test results, it is expected that the youth HANAA will also be a culturally appropriate and useful tool which can be used by a range of service providers with differing levels of mental health training to assess SEWB among young Aboriginal people.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Ngarratja Kulpaana: Talking together about the impacts of lateral violence on aboriginal social and emotional well-being and identity.

Lateral violence occurs when oppressed group members take out their anger and frustrations, due to their experiences of oppression, on members of their own group. It is common among Indigenous people, including Aboriginal Australians. Limited literature exists on the holistic impacts of lateral violence on Aboriginal Australians. This study investigated the impacts of lateral violence on Aboriginal social and emotional well-being (SEWB) and identity. Seventeen Aboriginal knowledge-holders (53% males, 47% females) participated in either a yarning circle or individual yarn. Knowledge-holders were aged from 18 to 65 years. Yarns were analyzed using thematic analysis and yarn summaries. Themes identified included: (a) influences of lateral violence on SEWB (subthemes: mind and emotions, body, family and kinship, community, culture, Country, and spirit); (b) lateral violence and identity (subthemes: "genuine" Aboriginal and confidence in identity); and (c) interconnected influences of lateral violence on identity and SEWB. The influences of lateral violence were found to encompass all domains of SEWB. Lateral violence also impacts Aboriginal identity and creates notions of an (in)authentic Aboriginal person, which can further undermine Aboriginality and SEWB. As a population who already experience poor SEWB, the additional negative consequences of lateral violence further deteriorate the SEWB of Aboriginal Australians. Lateral violence must be addressed urgently. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding Aboriginal Models of Selfhood: The National Empowerment Project's Cultural, Social, and Emotional Wellbeing Program in Western Australia.

Culturally safe and responsive interventions that acknowledge Aboriginal models of selfhood are needed. Such interventions empower Aboriginal peoples and communities by increasing self-determination over individual and community social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB). In response to this need, the National Empowerment Project developed the Cultural, Social, and Emotional Wellbeing Program (CSEWB). The CSEWB aims to strengthen SEWB and cultural identity and subsequently reduce psychological distress in Aboriginal peoples. An Aboriginal Participatory Action Research approach ensured community ownership and engagement. Seven research questions and a culturally modified adaption of the Most Significant Change technique informed a thematic analysis of the evaluation content. Aboriginal adults (n = 49; 53% ≥50 years, 66% female, 34% male) from three Western Australian urban communities participated in the program evaluation workshops. Participants reported the benefits of enhanced SEWB and reduced psychological distress. This research reaffirms the need for culturally safe programs that acknowledge social determinants of health and are guided by the SEWB framework. Long-term commitment from the government is needed to support such programs.

A community-based systems dynamics approach for understanding determinants of children's social and emotional well-being.

We report on our application of a community-based systems dynamics modelling approach to identify key factors affecting children's social and emotional well-being (SEW). Using a group model building process with 31 stakeholders in 2 communities in British Columbia, Canada, we constructed two causal loop diagrams composed of 250 variables, 534 connections and 63 feedback loops. Feedback loops, systems complexity, and prominent systems level variables illustrate the interconnectedness of multilevel determinants influencing children's SEW. The community-based models highlighted areas for place-based intervention planning that require collective community action and intersectoral commitment toward common objectives for practice and policy on SEW.

Influence of Parental Involvement on Secondary Level StudentOutcomes

This review examines research on the influence of parental involvement onsecondary level student outcomes. The review considers the positive and negativeeffects of parental involvement on students’ academic achievement, social andemotional wellbeing, and educational aspirations. The review also examines thefactors that may affect the effectiveness of parental involvement, such as familybackground, cultural values, and school context. The review finds that parental involvement can have both positive and negative effects on secondary student outcomes, with the most beneficial results seen in families with high levels of parental involvement and positive parent-child relationships. The findings suggest that parental involvement has the potential to improve academic achievement, social and emotional wellbeing, and educational aspirations of secondary level students, however, there are various factors that can influence the effectiveness of parental involvement.

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Information: Progress, Pitfalls, and Prospects.

Despite significant developments in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health information over the last 25 years, many challenges remain. There are still uncertainties about the accuracy of estimates of the summary measure of life expectancy, and methods to estimate changes in life expectancy over time are unreliable because of changing patterns of identification. Far too little use is made of the wealth of information that is available, and formal systems for systematically using that information are often vestigial to non-existent. Available information has focussed largely on traditional biomedical topics and too little on access to, expenditure on, and availability of services required to improve health outcomes, and on the underpinning issues of social and emotional wellbeing. It is of concern that statistical artefacts may have been misrepresented as indicating real progress in key health indices. Challenges and opportunities for the future include improving the accuracy of estimation of life expectancy, provision of community level data, information on the availability and effectiveness of health services, measurement of the underpinning issues of racism, culture and social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB), enhancing the interoperability of data systems, and capacity building and mechanisms for Indigenous data governance. There is little point in having information unless it is used, and formal mechanisms for making full use of information in a proper policy/planning cycle are urgently required.

Mental health promotion among resettled Bhutanese adults in Massachusetts: Results of a peer-led family-centred Social and Emotional Well-being (SEW) intervention study.

Family-centred interventions addressing sociocultural and emotional stressors promise to prevent mental health problems among refugees in the United States. Peer-led strategies are highly valued, as they engage communities and promote the sustainability of interventions. We assessed the effects of a peer-led family-centred Social and Emotional Well-being (SEW) intervention on preventive (coping, social networking and conflict resolution) and mental health outcomes (stress, anxiety and depression) among resettled Bhutanese adults in Massachusetts. We conducted a SEW intervention with a pre-intervention versus post-intervention (7-day) and follow-up (3-month) evaluation among 103 adults (50 families). The SEW is a culturally tailored 5-weekly session program that included health education, problem-solving and mind-body exercises to increase knowledge and skills regarding stress management and conflict resolution. We measured anxiety and depression using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 and stress using Cohen Perceived Stress scales. Health-promoting behaviours were measured using validated scales. We used paired t-tests for continuous and McNemar tests for categorical variables. Mean scores significantly decreased from pre-intervention to post-intervention and follow-up for stress by 15% and 13.9%, anxiety by 20.9% and 25.1% and depression by 18.7% and 20.4% (all p's<0.01). Mean scores increased from pre-intervention to post-intervention and follow-up for coping by 10% and 17.2%, and for community networking by 28% and 36.8% (all p's<0.01). Generalised estimating equations showed a significant reduction in stress, anxiety, depression and improved coping, self-efficacy, family and community networking scored from baseline to follow-ups (all p's<0.01). Our peer-led family-centred SEW intervention was associated with improved preventive and mental health outcomes among Bhutanese adults.

Exploratory Graph Analysis of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Children.

In Australia, one of the most frequently used measures for assessing social and emotional well-being (SEWB) of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children is the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Previous studies on state-level validations have indicated the problems associated with the original five-factor SDQ structure, especially in the dimension of Peer Problems. The aim of this study was to use a novel psychometric methodology, namely Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA), to evaluate the dimensionality of caregiver-informant SDQ version 4–10 years at a national level in Australia. Data for this study were retrospectively collected from two independent longitudinal studies: the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) and South Australian Aboriginal Birth Cohort (SAABC). The caregiver-informed SDQ version 4–10 years was applied across several study waves, including more than 4,000 responses. To conduct EGA, Gaussian graphical models (GGMs) were estimated using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator. About 2,500 bootstrap samples were also employed to investigate dimensions and item stability. The findings indicated robust evidence against the construct validity of the original five-factor SDQ structure. Future studies should conduct a direct external validation of the findings with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander parents/carers and community groups to develop the guidelines for future use of the instrument among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children in Australia.

Measuring Social and Emotional Wellbeing in Aboriginal Youth Using Strong Souls: A Rasch Measurement Approach.

Currently, there are few robustly evaluated social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) measures available for use with Aboriginal youth in research, policy, and practice. As such, this study used a Rasch measurement approach to examine the psychometric properties of Strong Souls, a 25-item self-reported SEWB instrument, created for use with Aboriginal youth in the Northern Territory. Our sample (N = 154) included youth (15–25 years old) living on Whadjuk (metropolitan Western Australia; N = 91) and Kamilaroi countries (rural New South Wales; N = 63). Using Rasch modelling techniques, evidence for multidimensionality in the scale was observed, resulting in subsequent analyses conducted separately on two subscales: Psychological Distress and Resilience. The Resilience subscale did not meet the Rasch model assumptions, with poor person and item separation and reliability indexes suggesting the scale was not reliably differentiating between participants’ Resilience scores. The Psychological Distress subscale had mixed separation and reliability index results, with good construct validity implied but poorer ability to target the distress of participants. Our findings provide novel evidence demonstrating the functioning of Strong Souls in a contemporary sample of Aboriginal youth, suggesting further modifications of the instrument are required before it can be used with confidence as a reliable measure in this population group.

Evaluation of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander strengths based coaching program: a study protocol

BackgroundIncreasingly, strength-based approaches to health and wellbeing interventions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are being explored. This is a welcome counter to deficit-based initiatives which can represent a non-Indigenous view of outcomes of interest. However, the evidence base is not well developed. This paper presents the protocol for evaluating a strengths-based initiative which provides life coaching services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community housing tenants. The study aims to evaluate the effect of life coaching on social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of tenants in three Victorian regions.MethodsThe More Than a Landlord (MTAL) study is a prospective cohort study of Aboriginal Housing Victoria tenants aged 16 years and over that embeds the evaluation of a life coaching program. All tenant holders in one metropolitan and two regional areas of Victoria are invited to participate in a survey of SEWB, containing items consistent with key categories of SEWB as understood and defined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and key demographics, administered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peer researchers at baseline, 6 and 18 months. Survey participants are then invited to participate in strengths based life coaching, using the GROW model, for a duration of up to 18 months. Indigenous life coaches provide tenants with structured support in identifying and making progress towards their goals and aspirations, rather than needs. The study aims to recruit a minimum of 200 survey participants of which it is anticipated that approximately 73% will agree to life coaching.DiscussionThe MTAL study is a response to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and organisational requests to build the evidence base for an initiative originally developed and piloted within an Aboriginal controlled organisation. The study design aligns with key principles for research in Indigenous communities in promoting control, decision making and capacity building. The MTAL study will provide essential evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of strengths-based initiatives in promoting SEWB in these communities and provide new evidence about the relationship between strengths, resilience, self-determination and wellbeing outcomes.Trial registrationThis trial was retrospectively registered with the ISRCTN Register on the 12/7/21 with the study ID:ISRCTN33665735.

Social and emotional wellbeing among Indigenous Australian correctional officers

The workplace challenges of correctional officers have been well documented. Yet little is known about how such stressors impact the wellbeing of correctional officers from minority cultural-subgroups. This study explored Indigenous Australian correctional officers’ social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) when managing workplace adversity. Specifically, the study sought to identify culturally-specific stressors, protective factors and associated response tendencies to gain a more robust understanding of the factors that impact Indigenous officers’ wellbeing in the workplace. In total, 15 Indigenous Australian correctional officers from the Northern Territory participated in the study through focus groups or semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of participant data revealed that Indigenous correctional officers’ SEWB is influenced by four broad categories: cultural connection, morale, social functioning and somatic health. Results are discussed in terms of common themes, future research and implications for assisting the SEWB of Indigenous officers.

A systematic review of evidence-based psychological interventions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

ABSTRACT Objective Limited empirical literature exists examining the application of evidenced-based psychotherapies when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Further, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s view of Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) differs to Western ideologies of mental health. In the present study, a qualitative systematic review explored evidenced-based psychological therapies with Indigenous clients. Method A systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA framework. A total of 12 articles that met criteria for inclusion in the review were extracted through hand- and database searching. Therapies identified in the articles included Narrative Therapy (NT), Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance-based Therapies (ACT) and Multisystemic Therapy (MST). Results CBT was the most commonly reported therapy in the review. Three articles, rated lower in quality, also identified NT. Although limited in quantity, acceptance-based and strength-based therapies and MST were also identified as having cross-cultural applications. Conclusions While, CBT, ACT and MST have been used when working at the cultural interface with Indigenous people, further empirical evidence with outcome data is required. Such evidence is required to assess acceptability and suitability of such psychotherapies and for clinicians to provide culturally responsive practice when working with Indigenous people.

Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEW) Intervention for Mental Health Promotion Among Resettled Bhutanese Adults in Massachusetts.

Preventative behavioral interventions aimed at reducing mental problems among refugees are limited. We assessed the effect of a Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEW) intervention on health-promoting behaviors (coping, social-networking, and conflict-resolution) and health-outcomes (stress, anxiety, and depression) among resettled Bhutanese adults in Western Massachusetts. The study was a community-based SEW intervention with pre-posttest evaluation among 44 Bhutanese adults in Western Massachusetts. The SEW is a culturally tailored 5-week, once-weekly health-education, problem solving, and mind-body exercise program to promote stress management skills. We used validated scales to measure outcomes. Mean scores of mental problems decreased by 5.9 for depression, 9.0 for anxiety, and 5.0 for stress post-intervention (p < 0.01). Mean scores increased by 27.3 for coping, 10.6 for social support, and 20.4 for conflict-resolution. Mean social-network scores increased by 4.6 for family, 4.7 for friends, and 1.8 for community networks (p < 0.01). Our Bhutanese participants reported improvement in their mental health after attending SEW intervention.

A scoping review about social and emotional wellbeing programs and services targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in Australia: understanding the principles guiding promising practice

BackgroundMultiple culturally-oriented programs, services, and frameworks have emerged in recent decades to support the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) people in Australia. Although there are some common elements, principles, and methods, few attempts have been made to integrate them into a set of guidelines for policy and practice settings. This review aims to identify key practices adopted by programs and services that align with the principles of the National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Mental Health and Social and Emotional Wellbeing 2017–2023.MethodsA comprehensive review of electronic databases and organisational websites was conducted to retrieve studies of relevance. Twenty-seven publications were included in the review. Next, we identified promising practices through a collaborative review process. We then used the principles articulated in the above-mentioned framework as the basis to complete a framework analysis. This enabled us to explore the alignment between current scholarship about SEWB programs and services with respect to the principles of the framework.ResultsWe found there was a strong alignment, with selected principles being effectively incorporated into most SEWB program and service delivery contexts. However, only one study incorporated all nine principles, using them as conceptual framework. Additionally, ‘capacity building’, ‘individual skill development’, and ‘development of maladaptive coping mechanisms’ were identified as common factors in SEWB program planning and delivery for Aboriginal people.ConclusionWe argue the selective application of nationally agreed principles in SEWB programs and services, alongside a paucity of scholarship relating to promising practices in young people-oriented SEWB programs and services, are two areas that need the urgent attention of commissioners and service providers tasked with funding, planning, and implementing SEWB programs and services for Aboriginal people. Embedding robust participatory action research and evaluation approaches into the design of such services and programs will help to build the necessary evidence-base to achieve improved SEWB health outcomes among Aboriginal people, particularly young people with severe and complex mental health needs.

The social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous LGBTQA+ young people: a global perspective.

There has been scant exploration of the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of young Indigenous populations that identify as LGBTQA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Asexual +). Given the vulnerability of this cohort living in Western settler colonial societies, wider investigation is called for to respond to their needs, experiences and aspirations. This paper summarizes existing research on the topic highlighting the lack of scholarship on the intersection of youth, Indigeneity, LGBTQA+ and SEWB. The paper takes a holistic approach to provide a global perspective that draws on an emerging body of literature and research driven by Indigenous scholars in settler colonial societies. The paper points to the importance of understanding converging colonial influences and ongoing contemporary elements, such as racism and marginalization that impact on young Indigenous LGBTQA+ wellbeing.

A STEP-UP Resilience Intervention for Supporting Indigenous Students Attending Boarding Schools Its Development and Implementation

Developing and nurturing resilience is critical to the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of Indigenous Australian adolescents and their continuing life trajectories. The attendance of many Indigenous adolescents from remote communities at boarding schools creates a need to prioritise and proactively create opportunities that build and nurture student resilience. This requires sustainable and multi-dimensional school-wide approaches. Despite this need, there are no documented SEWB or resilience building approaches for Australian Indigenous students who attend boarding schools. We describe the use of participatory action research to develop and implement a two-year STEP-UP intervention with boarding schools, designed to create supportive environments for improving psychosocial resilience and wellbeing of remote-living Indigenous students. The intervention consisted of three components implemented annually across eight schools: a site-specific STEP-UP action plan; staff capacity development; and an annual Schools and Communities Conference. Thematic analysis of a systematic literature review, documented action planning, conference group processes, resilience theory and survey findings from the associated broader resilience study resulted in the identification of six resilience building domains: valuing culture and identity; developing cultural leadership; nurturing strong relationships; building social and emotional skills; creating safe, supportive environments; and building staff capacity. These domains became the resulting framework for STEP-UP planning and enabled focused examination of practices and future planning. Learnings from the intervention process suggest principles to consider when designing interventions: utilising a strengths-based approach; design responsiveness; collaborative partnerships; institutional capacity; and sustainability. A resilience toolkit website was developed to enable knowledge translation and sustainability beyond the study.

Brief evidence-based interventions for universal child health services: a restricted evidence assessment of the literature

BackgroundUniversal child health services (UCHS) provide an important pragmatic platform for the delivery of universal and targeted interventions to support families and optimize child health outcomes. We aimed to identify brief, evidence-based interventions for common health and developmental problems that could be potentially implemented in UCHS.MethodsA restricted evidence assessment (REA) of electronic databases and grey literature was undertaken covering January 2006 to August 2019. Studies were eligible if (i) outcomes related to one or more of four areas: child social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB), infant sleep, home learning environment or parent mental health, (ii) a comparison group was used, (iii) universal or targeted intervention were delivered in non-tertiary settings, (iv) interventions did not last more than 4 sessions, and (v) children were aged between 2 weeks postpartum and 5 years at baseline.ResultsSeventeen studies met the eligibility criteria. Of these, three interventions could possibly be implemented at scale within UCHS platforms: (1) a universal child behavioural intervention which did not affect its primary outcome of infant sleep but improved parental mental health, (2) a universal screening programme which improved maternal mental health, and (3) a targeted child behavioural intervention which improved parent-reported infant sleep problems and parental mental health. Key lessons learnt include: (1) Interventions should impart the maximal amount of information within an initial session with future sessions reinforcing key messages, (2) Interventions should see the family as a holistic unit by considering the needs of parents with an emphasis on identification, triage and referral, and (3) Brief interventions may be more acceptable for stigmatized topics, but still entail considerable barriers that deter the most vulnerable.ConclusionsDelivery and evaluation of brief evidence-based interventions from a UCHS could lead to improved maternal and child health outcomes through a more responsive and equitable service. We recommend three interventions that meet our criteria of “best bet” interventions.

Integrating the Family Wellbeing Program Into Practice: A Conceptual Model

ABSTRACT The experience of trauma in childhood can have lifelong consequences. For Indigenous people the effects can be overcome through protective factors such as connection to family and country, and feeling empowered by having more control over their lives in the socio-political environment in which they are living. There is growing evidence for trauma-informed social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) interventions that foster a sense of empowerment and enable positive personal- and community-level outcomes. However, in the face of challenges such as short-term funding cycles, such programs are hard to sustainably implement and evaluate over time, even where they demonstrate promise. This article reflects on a successful experience of integrating the Family Wellbeing empowerment program into an existing child and family support organisation. It presents the essential elements for integrating a SEWB program as a conceptual model and highlights the implications for sustainable implementation of promising SEWB programs in new settings. IMPLICATIONS Integrating promising SEWB programs into the work practices of existing service organisations creates opportunities for longer term program sustainability and evaluation. Having Indigenous people leading the integration of SEWB programs has profound benefits in advancing knowledge and practice when working with Indigenous children and families. A conceptual model contributes to an area where more research and practice evidence is needed.