The Yili Program®
Yiliyapinya's signature program for young people
The Yili Program® is Yiliyapinya's program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people aged 7–17, who are disengaged from school and/or recently exited youth detention.
Designed with Elders, young people and their families, and grounded in Indigenous knowledge, the Yili Program® takes a holistic approach which strengthens cognitive skills, emotional regulation and decision-making while nurturing culture, identity, and belonging.
The program activates neuroplasticity through therapeutic and relational practices supporting young people on their healing journey. Every activity is purposeful, contributing to the healing and rewiring of the young person's brain.
Meeting them where they are, and walking alongside them toward where they want to go.
When the right support meets the right time.
The Yili Program® delivers intensive, high-impact support — measured not by volume, but by the depth of change achieved for every young person who participates. These outcomes don't happen in sequence. They grow together.
Liam's Story
*Name has been changed to protect privacy.
"When young people are met with the right support, at the right time, within the right relationships, transformation is possible."
When Liam first came to Yiliyapinya, he was 13 years old and hadn't attended school in over a year. He had spent time in Youth Detention and was at significant risk of reoffending. At home, life was complex, and Liam wasn't spending much time there.
Liam was enrolled in the Yili Program with two clear goals: to rebuild his confidence and connection to learning, and to reduce the risk of him reoffending. From the beginning, staff worked alongside the whole family, providing wellbeing support, court assistance, transport and practical help like food hampers.
Through the Yili Program, Liam engaged in brain training, literacy and numeracy programs and Rugby League clinics, building cognitive foundations alongside physical confidence. He experienced things for the first time: bowling, visiting the Zoo, attending a Rugby League match. His Mum and sisters joined in too.
The engagement was immediate and sustained. Liam completed a 10-week TAFE Trade Try-Out program, discovering a love of painting and plastering. His attendance remained high throughout.
The change has been significant and lasting. Liam has not reoffended since joining Yiliyapinya. He now reaches out to staff when peer pressure becomes difficult — a sign of the trust, safety and genuine relationship that sits at the heart of the Yili Program.
He has joined his local football club, training twice a week and playing on weekends. What began as an activity has become a source of identity, discipline and belonging.
At home, things look different too. Liam is present, spending more time with his Mum and sisters. His Mum is grateful, not just for what the program has given her son, but for what it has given their family.
Liam's story is his own, but the patterns of change it reflects are ones the Yili team see consistently. When young people are met with the right support, at the right time, within the right relationships, transformation is possible.
Interested in the Yili Program®?
Whether you're a young person, a family member, a referral partner or a community organisation — we'd love to hear from you. Our team will be in touch shortly.
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