Brain Health
and Healing

We provide personalised, evidence-informed, applied neuroscience programs using an ecological approach to improve holistic wellbeing.

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Our Programs

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The Yili Program

The Yili program provides a neuroscience informed model for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 10–17-year-olds who cannot have their needs met by current education systems. It provides social and emotional wellbeing,healing, education, training, and employment support and is delivered in the community and in youth detention centres.

Deadly Brains Playgroup

The Deadly Brains Playgroup is for children under 5 years old and their families. It is designed to strengthen children’s cognitive, social, emotional and communication skills as well as provide education and support to their parents. Lego Therapy is a key partof the Deadly Brains Playgroup, a well-researched form of facilitating development in children.'

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Workplace Brain Health

Our Workplace Brain Health program is for individuals and teams of employees who would like to understand their brain better and how to improve their Brain Health. Brain Health training has significant impacts on employee wellbeing including increasing productivity, innovation, and resilience while decreasing stress and anxiety.

The Yili Program

The Yili program provides a neuroscience informed model for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 10–17-year-olds who cannot have their needs met by current education systems. It provides social and emotional wellbeing,healing, education, training, and employment support and is delivered in the community and in youth detention centres.

Deadly Brains Playgroup

The Deadly Brains Playgroup is for children under 5 years old and their families. It is designed to strengthen children’s cognitive, social, emotional and communication skills as well as provide education and support to their parents. Lego Therapy is a key part of the Deadly Brains Playgroup, a well-researched form of facilitating development in children.'

Workplace Brain Health

Our Workplace Brain Health program is for individuals and teams of employees who would like to understand their brain better and how to improve their Brain Health. Brain Health training has significant impacts on employee wellbeing including increasing productivity, innovation, and resilience while decreasing stress and anxiety.

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Case Studies

Liam

The Yili Program

‘Liam’ is a 13-year-old young person who lives with his Mum and two younger sisters. Liam has four older siblings, two who are currently incarcerated and two who live out of home. Liam had not attended school in the 12 months prior to engaging with Yiliyapinya and had spent time in Youth Detention and was at risk of re-offending and being detained again.

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Amir

Deadly Brains Playgroup

When Amir and his mum Hawa joined Deadly Brains playgroup, both were hesitant to engage. Over a term, Amir's confidence blossomed, leading him to initiate play and choose activities independently. Hawa noticed significant language development in Amir. She values the unique content of the playgroup and now feels reassured about Amir's development.

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Gemma

Workplace Brain Health

A high school teacher ‘Gemma’ who participated in one of our 12-week Workplace Brain Health programs said it highlighted that her working memory was the key cognitive area needing improvement. During the program Gemma became aware of the strategies she used to compensate for her poor working memory, previously unrecognised to her.

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Collaborators & Funders

We are deeply grateful to our supporters. Our impactful work is possible due to the generosity and commitment of our partners, who provide services, expertise, and resources to improve the lives of young people and their families.

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    Home Home

    Hello

    Get in Touch:
    [email protected]
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    Our Board

    Sheryl Batchelor

    Founder and CEO, Yiliyapinya

    Sheryl is an Aboriginal woman with ancestral ties to Kunja. She founded Yiliyapinya due to a need for action in Brain Health and Healing in Australia. Sheryl has 30 years teaching, training and leadership experience in a variety of educational, community and health settings. She has been involved in projects that have measurably improved the memory, attention, brain speed and social skills of the most vulnerable children, youth and adults with severe learning and behavioural challenges arising from trauma, abuse, neglect, disabilities, and other causes. Sheryl is a certified trainer of various neuroplasticity programs and adopts a personalised approach with no one-size-fits-all. She has presented at conferences and delivered workshops around the world. Sheryl is an Adjunct Professor at the Queensland University of Technology School of Justice.

    Dr Bret McVinish

    Paediatrician

    Bret is a paediatrician with the Southern Queensland Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care and the Child Development Service- North. Bret trained in Community Child Health in Fellow and Registrar positions with the Child Development Service (part of the Child and Youth Community Health Service) and the Inala Indigenous Health Service at the Southern Queensland Centre of Excellence. He has a history in bringing about substantial changes in the Paediatric Medicine Unit, and also in the role of the Chief Medical Registrar while in the position of Chief Medical Registrar at Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital for 2 years. Bret’s contribution received the "Living the Values" Award from the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital Board Chair for his work. He has substantial training in general paediatrics as well as paediatric intensive care, in registrar and senior registrar roles. The experience Bret gained in General Paediatric Medicine and Paediatric Intensive Care, has given him complex and well developed skills in Pediatric medicine, Life Support, and Medical Administration and Education.

    Chris Emzin

    Senior Lecturer, Inspector of Police, Barrister

    Chris is an Aboriginal and South Sea Islander man born, raised and lives on Yugambeh country. Chris is a Senior Lecturer and Director, Indigenous Engagement within the School of Justice in the QUT Faculty of Law. Christopher holds a Masters and a Bachelors Degree of Laws and has been admitted to practice law as a ‘Barrister-At-Law’. He is also an Inspector of Police with over 35 years policing experience as a criminal investigator, prosecutor and legal advisor for the Queensland Police Service. He has held a range of operational, policy and senior management positions within the QPS including Acting Superintendent for Prosecutions Services. Chris is currently undertaking a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at QUT Faculty of Law. The thesis title is “Law Enforcement Policy & Practice impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Queensland.” In his role as QUT Senior Lecturer, Chris was Chair for the Embedding Indigenous Knowledges into Justice Curriculum Committee and also lead for the Indigenous Perspectives Working Party during the Bachelor of Justice Re-accreditation process. Chris is a member of the board of directors with Brisbane Youth Service and PCYC Queensland.

    Rebecca Hird Fletcher

    Researcher

    Rebecca Hird Fletcher is a proud GuriNgai and Awabakal woman. After completing a Graduate Diploma of Indigenous Health Promotion and a Masters in Public Health at the University of Sydney, Rebecca continued on a research pathway to work as a qualitative researcher at The Matilda Centre within the University of Sydney as part of the ‘Cracks in the Ice Project’, and the University of Queensland as part of the ‘Indigenous Mental Health Intervention Program-Youth Project.’ She is currently a PhD candidate and Vice Chancellors Indigenous Doctoral Research Fellow at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Her current research centres on the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young peoples who experience detention utilising Indigenous Research Methods. Rebecca facilitates art circles with young people which enables ongoing relationships contributing to research collaboration and on-the-ground connection, but at the end of the day she simply enjoys hanging with the young peoples and being able to contribute to Community.

    Jonna-Susan Mathiessen

    Company Secretary, Minter Ellison

    The well recognised law firm MinterEllison provides Yiliyapinya with high quality secretariat duties for our Board under their Pro Bono program. MinterEllison's Pro Bono program is part of their Social Impact strategy and has been developed to improve access to justice and engage people across the firm to address complex social challenges.

    Sheryl Batchelor

    What Do We Mean by Healing?

    When we engage in certain activities regularly, we are literally re-wiring our brain, at a neuro-physiological level. This re-wiring means we can improve integral life skills like recognising and managing our emotions, controlling inhibitions, and better decision making. This neuro change coupled with holistic family and workforce-focused work means that profound healing can occur for the young person and the people in their eco-system. Healing our brains, healing ourselves and healing relationships.

    How Can We Help You?

    We provide three key programs for under 5 year olds, 10-17 year olds and adults in the workforce. Outside of our programs we also create tailored programs for specific groups in response to requests. We have a number of expert staff available for event presentations and speaking opportunities and we are establishing a Brain Health and Healing community of practice. Please email us via [email protected] if you'd like to know more.

    What Is Brain Health?

    Brain Health is a continuous state of attaining and maintaining the optimal neurologic function that best supports one's physical, mental, and social wellbeing through every stage of life (Rost et al, 2023). Essentially, it’s about ensuring your brain is working as best it can to support your holistic wellbeing throughout your life.

    Optimal Brain Health means brains are operating in the best way they can!
    Brains are built over time. We are not born with fixed brain power or capacity - we can shape and grow our brain regardless of what has happened in the past, this is the concept of neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganise itself and change in response to the environment and experience.

    With neuroplasticity programs and strategies, the brain can be strengthened by building new neural pathways – just like learning a new language or a musical instrument.

    What Do We Do?

    We improve brain health in a culturally responsive and contextualised way using tailored neuroplasticity programs.   Brain Health is improved by strengthening cognitive skills such as memory, attention and processing speed through engaging in scientifically validated therapies, counselling and healing activities.

    The Yiliyapinya team work not only with the individual child or young person but their caregivers, families, and the workers who surround the young person. We intentionally partner with the local community and ensure that our work is done in a person-centered, strengths-based, collaborative, and holistic way.

    Our three key programs are The Yili Program, Deadly Brains Playgroup and Workplace Brain Health.

    What Is Yiliyapinya?

    ‘Yiliyapinya’ means brain from Wankumara (Galai) Language.

    Yiliyapinya is an Indigenous led, not for profit organisation focused on Brain Health and Healing for children, young people, their families, and the workforce.

    We provide personalised, evidence-informed, applied neuroscience programs using an ecological approach to improve holistic wellbeing.
    We aim to close the gap in learning and earning outcomes of people who have experienced adverse life circumstances, including toxic stress, underpinned by scientifically validated brain health approaches.

    We deliver learning and development initiatives that increase Brain Health to support more productive and responsive employees and community members.
    We advocate for Brain Health and Healing to be recognised as the game-changers they are and to elevate this focus into policy and practice throughout Australia.

    Thousands of children and young people have participated in our programs and our numbers continue to grow.
    We have supported over 2000 adults in the workforce to understand and/or improve their brain health.

    Yiliyapinya was awarded the Queensland Child Protection Week Award and the Queensland Mental Health Week Award in 2023.
    Our work contributes to breaking the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage, improving holistic wellbeing, preventing crime, enhancing workforce capability, and creating a better quality of life for all.

    The Yili Program

    “Thank you for allowing us parents to join in with our kids - doing something fun for once. We could never afford to go bowling together even though it is just down the road from home. ”

    The Yili program is Yiliyapinya’s signature work. It provides a neuroscience informed and sustainable program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 10–17-year-olds who cannot have their needs met by mainstream or alternative education or training programs. It provides social and emotional wellbeing, healing, education, training, and employment support. The program involves ‘on-site’ activities for those in the community as well as ‘off-site’ based activities for young people in detention. We support young people to transition to school, training or employment.

    The Yili Program was designed with the Elders, young people and their families and is delivered by Indigenous Teachers and support staff. It is informed by a unique combination of practices including neuroscience research and leading scientific innovations in Brain Health; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family and community ways of being, doing and learning; systems thinking and community co-design; and place-based delivery by a connected, collaborating community of organisations and individuals that have a deep understanding of the young person’s context.
    Linking with existing educational, employment and support programs, The Yili program focuses on aligning social benefits of community with culture, wellbeing, and educational outcomes. Indigenous Aunties, Uncles and Elders, play a major role in designing and delivering cultural activities as well as the mentoring of our young people.

    Aligned with the Closing the Gap framework, the Yili program is a strengths-based program, focused on working with the community and engaging the young people to have agency of their learning and health outcomes. Our Yili Program is not time based or linear – rather it is person-centred. How long the ‘program’ runs is different for each young person, depending on their own circumstances and goals. In this respect, the Yili Program is more of an ‘approach’ to healing rather than a defined ‘program’.

    Below shows the Yili operating model. The core of the Yili model is the healing process for the young person. All program approaches and activities contribute towards the healing and rewiring of the young person’s brain. The Yili model addresses gaps in current service provision and integration, and it sits across multiple systems including youth justice, education and child protection.

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    Liam

    The Yili Program - Case Study
    Reduced Offending Behaviors
    Positive Role Models & Wellbeing
    Stronger Families & Communities
    Active Family & Social Participation

    Liam is a 13-year-old young person who lives with his Mum and two younger sisters. Liam has four older siblings, two who are currently incarcerated and two who live out of home. Liam had not attended school in the 12 months prior to engaging with Yiliyapinya and had spent time in Youth Detention and was at risk of re-offending and being detained again.

    Liam was enrolled in the Yili program to encourage learning through interests and to build confidence to re-engage with school and/or other education or training opportunities. Another key objective was to help reduce the risk of Liam reoffending.

    Yiliyapinya staff worked with and supported the family with their wellbeing, court assistance, transport, and food hampers. Liam is a very polite and respectful young man and always willing to give 100% effort.

    Liam has engaged in a variety of activities since enrolling at Yili including Rugby League clinics, Lego building, Virtual training, Brain training, and a polymer clay workshop. Liam has had opportunities to experience new activities for him such as bowling, visiting the Zoo, attending a Rugby League match, and going to the trampoline park. His siblings and Mum have engaged in some of these activities too.

    Liam has had a high attendance rate and really enjoys participating in the Yili Program. He completed a 10-week TAFE trade Try Out program with Yili and particularly enjoyed painting and plastering.

    Liam has been involved in some of our positive and prosocial programs and activities, such as the Mentoring Program and has not re-offended since being involved with Yiliyapinya. Prior to engaging with the Yili program, he did not like being at home but since starting at Yiliyapinya he has been spending more time at home with his family and his Mum is very thankful for that.

    Liam’s family have also been involved in our positive and prosocial programs and activities including the homework club.

    Liam has now joined his local football club and plays games on the weekend and trains two nights a week. The Yiliyapinya team encouraged him to do this and assisted by purchasing his boots and mouth guard. Liam is enjoying playing footy immensely.

    Liam wants to continue not to re-offend and reaches out to staff when the peer pressure is becoming too much for him. He now talks about not wanting to commit crime anymore and tries to keep busy doing prosocial activities with the support of the Yili Team and his family.

    Although each young person is unique, we see similar positive outcomes with almost all of the young people and families we support.

    Deadly Brains Playgroup

    “I developed a new appreciation that change is possible, rather than just accepting that this is how my brain works.”

    Deadly Brains Playgroup was born when Yiliyapinya partnered with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Brisbane to co-design a community program which was initially for children (0-4yrs) living with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their parents. This program is called the Deadly Brains Playgroup. The Playgroup has since evolved to welcome young minds and their carers with a range of cognitive and social backgrounds.

    The Deadly Brains Playgroup is designed to strengthen children’s cognitive, social, emotional and communication skills as well as provide education and support to their families. Lego Therapy is a key part of the Deadly Brains Playgroup, a well-researched form of facilitating development in children.

    This program promotes inclusion and engagement, providing the best start for children allowing them to move from surviving to thriving. Parents can network and feel supported, which increases their access to services as they feel the community cares and has the capacity to support and help with their children.

    Information topics for parents included in the Deadly Brains Playgroup are neuroplasticity, vision, hearing, motor skills, attention, language, reading, maths, music, emotions, and learning.
    The Deadly Brains Playgroup supports families in a way that is culturally grounded, holistic, and responsive to the needs of our children and carers. The playgroup supports children to grow up healthy, happy, and ready for school.

    Amir

    Deadly Brains Playgroup - Case Study
    Increased confidence
    Improved language skills
    Enhanced parental understanding about child development
    Strengthened parent-child interactions.

    When 2.5yr old boy Amir and his Mum Hawa first started Deadly Brains playgroup they were both reluctant to engage with other children and educators. Over a term of attending the playgroup Amir's confidence has grown tremendously and he now approaches other children and plays with them as well as selecting activities of his own rather than waiting on a parent to lead the engagement.

    Hawa has commented on how much Amir's language skills have developed over such a short time and how this has improved the quality of interactions she has with him. Hawa also felt strongly that the content of the Deadly Brains Playgroup was not something she was able to access elsewhere and has consistently mentioned she now understands and feels reassured about her child's development.

    Workplace Brain Health

    “I developed a new appreciation that change is possible, rather than just accepting that this is how my brain works.”

    The Brain Health for the Workforce program uses Brain Health science to boost the wellbeing and productivity of employees, and helps create a flourishing workplace environment.

    Our Brain Health is the key to our overall health – it’s the agent for all human actions and experiences. Building Brain Health is one of the most important things that we can do in relation to our wellbeing and in an increasingly stressed world is more important than ever.

    Brain Health training in the workplace has shown to have significant impact for employee wellbeing with multiple studies demonstrating a range of outcomes such as increased job safety, increased productivity, decreased stress and anxiety, increased memory and attention, and increased innovation and resilience. See the ‘Brain Training for the workforce research summary’ paper in our resources section for more details.

    Benefits of the Brain Health for the Workforce Program include:

    ⦁ Upskilling staff regarding how to maximise their own Brain Health helping to reduce the growing frequency of mental health issues within the workforce

    ⦁ Practical application of neuroscience, embedding this knowledge into the work environment

    ⦁ Promote a mindset of proactivity and prevention in relation to supporting Brain Health for staff and the people they support.

    Gemma

    Workplace Brain Health - Case Study
    Improved working memory
    Increased reflection
    Decreased impulsivity
    Better decision-making

    A high school teacher ‘Gemma’ who participated in one of our 12-week Workplace Brain Health programs said it highlighted that her working memory was the key cognitive area needing improvement. During the program Gemma became aware of the strategies she used to compensate for her poor working memory, previously unrecognised to her.

    Gemma also found the program helped her to pause and reflect more often and decreased her impulsivity within decision-making. She said “I talk less and listen more. I listen better now when people are speaking rather than making assumptions. I am less impulsive, interrupt less, and have improved in my ability to read a situation accurately.”

    When asked of her overall experience of the program Gemma responded with “The opportunity to walk this pathway with others, discuss the challenges, and work with a team that respected the vulnerability of engaging in learning together has been incredibly valuable.” Gemma indicated she appreciated that management invested in this particular professional development within a team, rather than individual context.

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