Open Arms – Veterans & Family Counselling

What Open Arms – Veterans & Family Counselling does

Open Arms – Veterans & Family Counselling is a Commonwealth of Australia service administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) that delivers free, confidential mental health and wellbeing support to Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, veterans, and their families. Founded in 1982 by Vietnam veterans (originally as VVCS – Veterans & Veterans Families Counselling) and with eligibility expanded in 2017 to cover all current and former ADF members who have served at least one day of continuous full-time service, the organisation provides individual, couple, and family counselling alongside group workshops, peer support, online programs, and self-help digital resources. Headcount is reported at 1,001–5,000, with national coverage delivered through a 24/7 phone line (1800 011 046), offices in major city centres, outreach counsellors servicing regional and remote areas, and telehealth via HealthDirect's Video Counselling Console.

The service portfolio spans core counselling (face-to-face, telephone, telehealth), structured group treatment programs (Stepping Out, Managing Anger, Understanding Anxiety, Recovery from Trauma, Managing Depression, Sleeping Better, Managing Pain, Connected Couples), the Community and Peer Program staffed by lived-experience peer workers, and online programs including the Shoulder to Shoulder peer forums (delivered with SANE Australia since April 2025) and the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program (delivered with OpenGround since 2024). Digital self-help is anchored by ADF-adapted CBT tools (High Res SMART), complemented by extensive signs-and-symptoms and living-well resource libraries and a structured GP/health-professional referral pathway. Crisis support, suicide prevention resources, and cross-referrals to Lifeline and 1800RESPECT round out the offering.

The business model is non-commercial: all services are provided free of charge to eligible clients and fully funded through Australian Government appropriations. Revenue mechanics are not applicable; there is no pricing model, subscription, or fee structure. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, with self-referral as the primary intake mechanism supplemented by ADF medical officer referrals, GP referrals, web contact forms, ex-service organisation networks, and ForceNet. There is no venture capital, private equity, or public shareholding, and the organisation's status as a statutory government service — not a company in the conventional sense — means it sits outside typical PE/VC investment theses, though its operational scale, partner ecosystem, and digital program rollout make it a useful benchmark for government-delivered mental health service models.

Name

Open Arms – Veterans & Family Counselling

Legal name

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling

Website

https://openarms.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Open Arms – Veterans & Family Counselling is the Australian Commonwealth Government's free, confidential mental health service for ADF personnel, veterans, and their families, delivering 24/7 counselling, peer support, treatment programs, and online resources nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Counselling Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Individual and Family Services (6241), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Mental health counselling
• Veteran support services
• Telehealth counselling
• Crisis intervention services
• Peer support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Open Arms is administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) and fully funded by the Australian Government. All services — counselling, peer support, group programs, and online programs — are provided free of charge to eligible veterans and their families. There is no revenue generation or commercial model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Open Arms provides free, confidential 24/7 mental health counselling and wellbeing support to Australian Defence Force personnel, veterans, and their families. Services include individual, couple, and family counselling; group treatment programs and workshops; the Community and Peer Program; online programs (Shoulder to Shoulder forums and MBSR); self-help tools; suicide prevention resources; and crisis support delivered nationally via phone, in-person, and telehealth channels.

Product overview

Open Arms – Veterans & Family Counselling is Australia's leading mental health service for veterans and their families, offering a comprehensive portfolio of free, confidential support services. The core offering centers on 24/7 counselling (individual, couple, and family) delivered face-to-face, by telephone, and via telehealth, supported by staff who understand military culture. The portfolio includes group Treatment Programs and Workshops (Stepping Out, Managing Anger, Understanding Anxiety, Recovery from Trauma, Relaxation and Stress Management, Managing Depression, Sleeping Better, Managing Pain, and Connected Couples); the Community and Peer Program providing peer support; and online programs including Shoulder to Shoulder forums (SANE Australia) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) via OpenGround. Digital self-help is provided through High Res SMART tools, while extensive educational resources cover signs/symptoms and living well guidance. Crisis support is available 24/7 via 1800 011 046, and GPs can refer clients through a structured referral pathway.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Arms Counselling Free, confidential 24/7 mental health counselling for veterans and their families, providing individual, couple, and family counselling via face-to-face, telephone, and telehealth channels. Counsellors have military experience and understand veteran culture.
• Treatment Programs and Workshops Group treatment programs and workshops including Stepping Out (civilian transition), Managing Anger, Understanding Anxiety, Recovery from Trauma, Relaxation and Stress Management, Managing Depression, Sleeping Better, Managing Pain, and Connected Couples.
• Community and Peer Program Peer support service where Community and Peer Workers with lived experience of military service or military family life walk alongside clients to provide support and connect them with resources. Includes peer support, community engagement, and co-delivery of group programs.
• Shoulder to Shoulder Online Forums Peer-led online forums delivered by SANE Australia offering anonymous, 24/7 accessible spaces for veterans and families/carers to connect and share experiences. Forums are moderated by mental health professionals.
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program Free, evidence-based 8-week online program designed to support mental health and wellbeing of veterans, families and carers. Delivered by OpenGround with weekly 2.5-hour online group sessions, individual check-ins, and guided mindfulness practice.
• Self-Help Tools (High Res SMART) High Res SMART (Self-Management and Resilience Training) treatment tools based on ADF CBT-adapted program. Includes tools for stress management, emotional regulation, problem-solving, and building resilience fitness.
• Suicide Prevention Program Suicide intervention and awareness training including signals and risk factors identification, suicide awareness resources, and getting help services.
• 24/7 Crisis Support Line 24-hour crisis and brief support counselling available 24/7 via 1800 011 046 for veterans and their families.
• GP and Health Professional Referral Service Referral pathway allowing GPs and health professionals to refer clients to Open Arms counselling services, with coordination with the client's broader treatment team.

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) pilot program reported improved self-awareness, better coping and emotional regulation, stronger capacity to manage mental and physical health, and improved personal relationships
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SANE AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSANE Australia delivers the Shoulder to Shoulder peer-led online forums for veterans, and for families and carers, in partnership with Open Arms. These anonymous, 24/7 moderated forums provide peer connection and mental health support pathways. The forums are co-designed with the veteran community and trauma experts.
• OpenGroundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpenGround is a mental health charity that delivers the free Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) online program for veterans, families and carers. Open Arms funds this 8-week program as part of its digital mental health offerings, with courses delivered nationally over 3 years.
• Phoenix AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhoenix Australia — a national centre for war-related trauma — is referenced in connection with the Shoulder to Shoulder forum co-design and as a partner in the veteran mental health ecosystem. Open Arms participates in forums co-designed with Phoenix Australia.
• LifelineminorOthersOpen Arms cross-references Lifeline (13 11 14) as a crisis support partner for general mental health crises beyond the scope of veteran-specific support. Clients may be referred to Lifeline for broader crisis support.
• 1800RESPECT (National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Service)minorOthersOpen Arms cross-references 1800RESPECT for sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling. Clients requiring specialist family violence support are referred to 1800RESPECT.
• Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)coreOthersOpen Arms is administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) and fully funded by the Australian Government. DVA provides the operational funding, governance oversight, and policy framework within which Open Arms delivers veteran mental health services.
• Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS)minorOthersDMFS (formerly Defence Community Organisation) provides services to Defence families including the FamilySMART and KidSMART programs. Open Arms cross-references DMFS for additional family support services and collaborates on the broader Defence family ecosystem.
• Relationships AustraliaminorOthersOpen Arms refers clients to Relationships Australia for family dispute resolution, mediation, and specialist family violence programs. This is a complementary service relationship for issues outside Open Arms' core scope.
• GMR (Georges Memorial Research / research partner)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA pilot study led by GMR in partnership with the Department of Veterans' Affairs is testing a peer-led mental health program for ADF veterans. Preliminary findings suggest the program is feasible and acceptable for veterans living with trauma.
• Mental Health First Aid AustraliaminorOthersDVA funds mental health and suicide prevention training programs through Protect / Mental Health First Aid Australia, which Open Arms directs veterans and the community to for broader mental health literacy training.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ADF Mental Health All-hours Support Line: Operated by the Australian Defence Force, the ADF Mental Health All-hours Support Line (1800 628 036) provides 24/7 mental health support specifically for serving ADF members. It is directly comparable to Open Arms because both deliver confidential military-aware mental health support to the ADF community and are publicly promoted side by side as crisis pathways.
• OpenGround: OpenGround is a mental health charity that delivers the free Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) online program funded by Open Arms. It is directly comparable because it delivers evidence-based group mental health programs to veterans, families and carers through the same funding channel and is co-branded with Open Arms as part of its online program portfolio.
• SANE Australia: SANE Australia is a national mental health charity that delivers the Shoulder to Shoulder peer-led forums in partnership with Open Arms and provides broader mental health support across complex conditions. It is directly comparable because it operates in the same mental health service delivery space, shares the veteran-serving partnership, and provides moderated peer support models that overlap with Open Arms' Community and Peer Program.
• Phoenix Australia: Phoenix Australia is the Australian national centre of excellence in posttraumatic mental health, with deep focus on veteran and military-related trauma. It is highly comparable to Open Arms because both specialise in veteran and trauma-focused mental health support, share a regulatory/government mandate, and collaborate directly on co-design of interventions such as Shoulder to Shoulder forums.

Broad incumbents

• Legacy Australia: Legacy Australia is a national veteran support organisation providing services to the families of deceased and incapacitated veterans, including counselling, financial assistance, and welfare support. It is comparable to Open Arms because it serves the veteran family cohort (bereaved families) that Open Arms also supports, and both organisations sit within the ex-service organisation network that Open Arms cross-refers clients into.
• Lifeline Australia: Lifeline Australia is Australia's largest national crisis support and suicide prevention service, providing 24/7 phone counselling across the general population. It is broadly comparable to Open Arms because it operates the national crisis line that Open Arms cross-refers clients to and overlaps on crisis intervention, mental health referral, and 24/7 intake services — but at a much broader civilian scale rather than veteran-specific.
• Relationships Australia: Relationships Australia is a national provider of relationship support, family dispute resolution, mediation, and family violence services. It is comparable to Open Arms because Open Arms refers clients to Relationships Australia for family services beyond its own scope, and both organisations deliver counselling, family support, and referral pathways through a federated national network of offices.
• 1800RESPECT: 1800RESPECT is the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service funded by the Australian Government. It is comparable because Open Arms cross-refers clients to 1800RESPECT for family violence and sexual assault counselling and they overlap on serving vulnerable populations with confidential phone-based and online mental health support.
• RSL Australia: RSL Australia is the national peak body for Returned and Services Leagues across Australia, providing advocacy, welfare, and community support to veterans. It is broadly comparable to Open Arms because both serve the Australian veteran community, collaborate through ex-service organisation referral networks, and share the mission of supporting veteran wellbeing — though RSL is a member-driven advocacy and welfare organisation rather than a clinical counselling service.

Regional players

• Combat Stress (UK): Combat Stress is the UK's leading veteran mental health charity, treating veterans with PTSD and complex trauma through counselling, therapy, and residential treatment. It is a regional comparable to Open Arms because it is the closest international analogue — a specialist veteran mental health provider with national reach, government and charitable funding, and a focus on military-aware trauma treatment — but operating in the UK rather than Australia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OpenArmsSupport
• Facebookfacebook.com/OpenArmsVeteransAndFamiliesCounselling
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openarms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Open Arms – Veterans & Family Counselling