Scoping study and evaluation framework for the Far North Queensland Therapeutic Community (Mareeba): a report prepared by JCU for the Queensland Drug and Alcohol Council and Live Life Well Australia

[Extract] The Mareeba Therapeutic Community (TC) (hereon in known as the 'Mareeba TC') is a federally funded initiative of the Queensland Drug and Alcohol Council (QDAC) and is now under the executive management of Live Life Well Australia (LLW). The treatment service has been identified as being a highly needed service for Indigenous people of the Cape York Peninsula and North Queensland townships from Mount Garnet to Tully.\ud \ud The Mareeba TC is intended to make a long-term contribution to the social, economic and individual wellbeing of Indigenous people. The outcomes of the Mareeba TC will contribute to the evidence base of what works in terms of providing culturally appropriate drug and alcohol treatment services.\ud \ud The Mareeba TC will be modified for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A modified TC includes adaptations and programme adjustments to better suit a targeted client group. A researched, culturally sensitive and grounded evaluation framework is essential for continuous improvement, evidence-base practice and to ensure the long-term sustainability of the service.\ud \ud The scoping study presented in this report is the product of consultation and literature review. Sixteen interviews were conducted with primary and secondary stakeholders. Primary stakeholders included staff, clients, managers and members of the QDAC Advisory Group. Secondary stakeholders include members of the broader community who have an interest in the service but are not involved in its management. This includes people from the broader health sector, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities who will be impacted by the service. Researchers met with academics, AOD workers, and clinical managers of services, public servants and community-controlled service agents across Queensland, Northern NSW, Darwin, Alice Springs, Freemantle and Perth to generate a better understanding of the sector and to learn more about existing Indigenous-specific services.\ud \ud This report contains the findings of the scoping study and the over-arching structure of an evaluation framework, which is designed to help the service establish best practice and evaluate its performance against best-practice indicators. Importantly, this is not an evaluation of the current service. However, a thorough and rigourous synthesis of interviewee feedback and the literature has been undertaken to formulate a set of suggestions and opportunities for reflection. These suggestions are intended to guide the future service to deliver best practice. This report documents the strengths and opportunities that arise from the TC model to address Indigenous AOD harms. It also identifies key issues and challenges in the interests of enhancing opportunities and minimising risks to implementation of a modified TC model