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
“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.”