CYBERABILITY: Evaluating the Smooth Sailing After Scams adjustment program for scam victim-survivors

Treatment Condition: Smooth Sailing After Scams Program The Smooth Sailing After Scams (SSAS) condition includes education (Cyberability online training) and group psychosocial intervention. For the CyberAbility online training, individuals will be asked to start and finish the training in their own time for around 1-2 weeks prior to commencing the SSAS program. The CyberAbility training includes educational content and interactive activities addressing key cyberscam-related topics, including 1) What is a Scam, 2) Scams and Brain Injury, 3) What are Red Flags, 4) Romance Scams, 5) Gaining Access Scams, 6) Tips for Increasing CyberAbility, 7) Stopping a Scam, and 8) Finding the Silver Lining. The training includes videos, interactive activities, and a workbook to support learning and application of cybersafety strategies. The CyberAbility training was previously co-designed as an education program to prevent cyberscams and is available as free online training through cyberability.org.au/free-training. Individuals will be asked to keep a copy of their completed workbook. Evidence of completion will be provided at the end of the first and second week by submitting a copy of the completed workbook section (e.g., PDF, scanned document, photograph, or screenshot), or by presenting the completed section to the research team (e.g., via videoconference or in-person). Following completion of the CyberAbility training, participants will commence the SSAS psychosocial intervention. The intervention will follow the SSAS Manual to guide clinician decisions and treatment delivery. This treatment manual was extensively co-designed with cyberscam survivors with acquired brain injury (ABI), caregivers and clinicians. Fifteen cyberscam survivors with acquired brain injury (ABI), caregivers, clinicians and service provider took part in eight 2.5-hour hybrid focus groups delivered over a period of eight weeks, to co-design the treatment manual. Participants were presented with draft content on recommended intervention approaches and priorities based on our previous scoping research with these stakeholder groups. They were invited to provide feedback and generate ideas throughout each group. Additional meetings were held with the research team to refine and integrate the ideas into a structured intervention manual. Following these meetings, eight more meetings were held with clinician and service provider participants to discuss and gather more feedback on the structured manual. Four steering committee meetings with industry stakeholders from the brain injury and cybersecurity sectors were also held to provide strategic advice on the intervention content, and promotion and sustainability plans. The SSAS manual was developed specifically for this program and provides guidance for delivery of the psychosocial intervention. The manual, including intervention handouts and session materials, was designed for this program. The SSAS manual was initially developed for individuals with ABI, and has been piloted and can be used with individuals affected by a scam who do not have a cognitive disability. The SSAS intervention focuses on four topics addressing cybersafety, finances, emotions, relationships and lifestyle. Sessions involve supporting participants to process their scam experiences, develop practical coping strategies, rebuild confidence and enhance their ability to engage safely online. Participants will be grouped based on the presence or absence of a cognitive disability (e.g., individuals with acquired brain injury will be in the same group vs individuals without cognitive disability). Participants without a cognitive disability will complete 8 sessions, and participants with a cognitive disability will complete 10 sessions. Each session will run for approximately one hour. The first session intervention will be in a 1:1 format; subsequent sessions will be delivered in a small-group format. The intervention is individualised and conducted collaboratively with the participant and their close other where required. Sessions will involve provision of brief information through short videos and handouts, semi-structured group discussions among participants, facilitated by the therapist and lived experience facilitator (i.e., Scambassadors), and exploration of practical strategies to implement between sessions. Videos used during SSAS sessions may include resources developed specifically for the SSAS program as well as publicly available videos from external sources such as news reports and online media channels (e.g., Channel 7 News, YouTube), where relevant to support discussion and learning. The intervention will be delivered by a multidisciplinary team of clinician participants (comprising neuropsychologist, clinical psychologist, general psychologist, provisional psychologist, occupational therapist and/or speech pathologist). Clinicians will see participants in-person or online based on their needs. Of note, there may be instances where researchers need to break protocol and schedule a person to be seen 1:1. For example, the person may be distressed and require urgent 1:1 input. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis. For individuals who attend sessions via videoconference, handouts will be delivered via email or hardcopy post depending on the participants preference. Strategies used to monitor adherence to the intervention include session attendance checklists, audio-visual recording of sessions to allow for analyses of treatment fidelity and regular clinical supervision with therapists by the project lead.