Engage in ways to support and grow the Open Dialogue approach for communities in Australia

The lived experience of our founding funder

“The Grant Family’s story is a personal one but our family’s interest in the Open Dialogue Centre is practical.” 
by John Grant

At 21 years old, our son was diagnosed with schizophrenia. My late wife and I had no idea about what lay ahead for our son and our family. We found ourselves dealing with a complex system of care, often feeling excluded from his care.

As a philanthropist we can see that with funding, training pathways and engagement, Australia can embrace much better outcomes in mental wellbeing. The Open Dialogue Centre is focused on enhancing services through networks and partnerships and a willingness to innovate. That’s why the Grant Family Philanthropy is a founding funder of the Open Dialogue Centre.

Why this matters now

Supporting organisations to embed Open Dialogue has the potential to transform mental health care across Australia.

Supporting organisations to embed Open Dialogue has the potential to transform mental health care across Australia.

Our systems are under strain

The increasing strain on Australia’s mental health system means too many people are falling through the gaps between early intervention and crisis responses.

The traditional approach is not fit-for-purpose

The reliance on mental health teams to make decisions related to assessment and treatment is holding back healing for people in distress.

People’s support networks are often left out

Families, friends and peers are often excluded from the recovery journey when they could be in a position to provide valuable perspectives and support.

Who can Open Dialogue help

When a person experiences an unfamiliar, distressing or stressful period in their life, it may be for the first time, or it may be recurring.

When a person experiences an unfamiliar, distressing or stressful period in their life, it may be for the first time, or it may be recurring.

They may hear voices, identify a feeling that is unpleasant, or family and friends may have concerns before the person is able to identify or articulate their experience.

Regardless, these experiences can be frightening and upsetting, not just for the person in distress, but for their friends and family members who can feel helpless, powerless and often excluded from the mental health system.

Seeking help is often loaded with fear, shame or guilt, and people rarely fit into a clear treatment pathway. They are often caught between an early intervention or crisis response and fall between the gaps.

If the support or services provided are not responsive, appropriate or delivered with some form of continuity, this period of time can have significant consequences on a person in distress. It can also impact their family, friends and the system itself.

Open Dialogue can provide people with a regularity of support with a chosen network that meets their needs, in a comfortable environment. This could be at home, in a calm place, or while in hospital.

Get involved as a supporter or find out more

We invite interest from new supporters as we expand the potential for Open Dialogue to meet the increasing demand for new approaches in mental health care.

We invite interest from new supporters as we expand the potential for Open Dialogue to meet the increasing demand for new approaches in mental health care.

Become a Corporate Partner

Grant Family Philanthropy and Relationships Australia NSW invite new company members to support us in expanding our work across Australia.

Support a project

We are seeking support for one-off projects or pilots with organisations interested in implementing Open Dialogue.

Stay engaged

Support our cause and change efforts, align with a new movement in mental health or become a strategic partner.

Learn more about how we create change in the delivery of mental health care

Partner Testimonial

St Vincent's Curran Foundation

Shanthini Naidoo, Chief Executive Officer
Open Dialogue Centre - St Vincent's Curran Foundation

“We value our partnership and relationship with the Grant Family Charitable Trust greatly. I am hoping there will be some good opportunities on the “implementation” side to establish a new relationship with the Open Dialogue Centre. It’s a very exciting initiative and I am so glad that what we were able to support in its infancy is now being developed further.”

Scroll to Top

If you’re interested in supporting the centre in a program, or to become a member like John, please fill in your details below and our Executive Chair, Keith Bryant, will contact you.

Becoming a Corporate Partner

Join our two founding members Grant Family Philanthropy and Relationships Australia NSW, by becoming a Corporate Partner of the Open Dialogue Centre. Corporate Partnerships with the Centre are most suitable for philanthropic organisations and foundations, and for larger NGOs who are interested in actively contributing to the social change that the Centre is trying to achieve.

Becoming a Corporate Partner will involve making multi-year financial contributions to the Centre. It will also provide you and your organisation the opportunity to become involved in the corporate governance of the Open Dialogue Centre.

Your annual financial contribution will be used to support and grow the operation of the Open Dialogue Centre. This will ensure that we are able to engage with a broader range of health, welfare and education organisations. It will enable the Centre to advance the knowledge of Open Dialogue, to collaborate with organisations to support long-term implementation of Open Dialogue, and to support our Centre of Excellence Partners in evaluating the impact of Open Dialogue on outcomes.

If you are interesting in becoming a Corporate Partner of the Centre, or would like to learn more, please contact our Executive Chair, Keith Bryant, on keith@opendialoguecentre.org.au, or fill in your details below and Keith will contact you directly.

The Open Dialogue Centre is registered as a Charity with the ACNC and has deductible gift recipient status.

Support a Project

Join our list of financial funders by supporting a project or pilot close to your heart. The one-off projects we undertake with our Partner Organisations vary from piloting Open Dialogue in schools, targeting early intervention and prevention, working with Open Dialogue in indigenous communities, and inviting the Open Dialogue approach in more crisis focused mental health services.

If you are interested in funding a project or would like to learn more, please contact our Executive Chair, Keith Bryant, at keith@opendialoguecentre.org.au, or fill in your details below and Keith will contact you directly.

The Open Dialogue Centre is registered as a Charity with the ACNC and has deductible gift recipient status.