Young people in the Goulburn Region are set to access empowering and earlier intervention mental health support. 

The William Buckland Foundation, managed by Equity Trustees, has announced a $2.5 million, four-year investment in GRODC. This is a landmark moment — a growing recognition that communities, not systems alone, hold the answers to transforming youth mental health.

For those new to GRODC, this is a whole-of-community initiative bringing together health, education, youth and community services across the region. Rather than adding more disconnected services, GRODC strengthens how existing organisations work together — placing young people and the people who matter most to them at the centre of decision-making. At its heart is the Open Dialogue Approach: an evidence-informed way of working that prioritises listening, relationships and shared decision-making.

Training is already well underway, with 35 professionals from across the region — psychiatrists, peer workers, school wellbeing teams and youth housing staff — learning together to build a shared approach to supporting young people.

This investment is a vote of confidence in what this community is building together. And we’re only just getting started.