Colonisation and oppression of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have resulted in intergenerational trauma and systemic health inequities, making culturally responsive, healing-informed approaches that uphold self-determination essential. This review aimed to identify and describe healing services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people affected by trauma, violence or abuse. A four-step search strategy located peer-reviewed studies, grey literature reports and organisational websites (2012-2025). Eighty services/programs were identified across Australia with 15 exemplars included. Most were delivered by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations spanning justice, family violence prevention, primary health care, and community services. All exemplars included culturally grounded components such as yarning, storytelling, and time on Country. Evaluations suggested improvements in wellbeing, cultural connection and family and community relationships, though evaluation approaches varied. Synthesis of 31 healing frameworks produced an umbrella framework encompassing three guiding principles and eight service elements, including culturally centred, community-led, and holistic approaches. Exemplar services are aligned strongly with this framework. Healing-informed, culturally-grounded, community-led and flexible wrap-around approaches support wellbeing, cultural connection, and relationships for those affected by trauma, violence and abuse. Findings provide an evidence-informed framework for designing, delivering and evaluating future services, highlighting the need for Indigenous-led evaluation.

Background/objectives: Hospital settings can be unsafe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, creating healthcare access barriers and perpetuating cycles of inequity. Healthcare service providers play a critical role in improving health equity. The Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future project (HPNF) delivered a training programme that aimed to improve service providers’ awareness, skills, and confidence in providing culturally safe, trauma-informed care. Methods: A mixed-methods evaluation assessed the acceptability and changes in self-reported knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) of one-day, face-to-face training sessions delivered at a large tertiary hospital in regional Victoria, Australia, from November 2023 to December 2024. Self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and practices were measured on a five-point Likert scale pre-training, post-training, and three months post-training. Participant perspectives were collected through evaluation forms and analysed using an inductive framework approach. Results: A total of 547 service providers participated in one of 38 training sessions. Responses to a KAP survey designed for this study showed positive changes in self-reported knowledge, attitudes and practice immediately after training that remained after three months among the smaller number of people that completed the survey. Participants expressed a need and desire for the training. Many highlighted new learning relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, Australian history, colonisation, and the neurobiology of trauma. Conclusions: Aboriginal co-designed face-to-face culturally safe trauma-informed training is highly acceptable for service providers. The HPNF training was followed by positive changes in service providers’ self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and practices in working in a safe and sensitive manner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Such training may contribute to changes in health service providers’ capability to provide culturally responsive and trauma informed care. This may reduce healthcare access barriers and contribute to closing the gap in health and wellbeing outcomes and improve health equity.