Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling
Oxide Interactive worked with Open Arms, a mental health service for veterans and their families, to uplift their digital platform. Our approach centred on evidence and empathy, ensuring the website became a safe, accessible space for all users.
Purpose
Open Arms exists to connect Australian veterans and their loved ones with timely mental health support, aiming to reduce stigma and barriers to care. The program seeks to foster resilience and wellbeing across the veteran community.
Challenge
With Open Arms expanding from Vietnam veterans to all Australian service members and families, the website needed to support a wider range of mental health journeys. Our task was to identify practical pathways for improvement, balancing trauma-informed design with clear, audience-driven navigation.
We delivered a trauma-informed digital pathway that connects veterans and their families to timely mental health support.
Highlights
- Insights from veterans and clinicians shaped a safer, more accessible space for those navigating mental health challenges.
- Simplified sign-up and clear calls to action encourage people to take the next step towards support.
- The new site adapts to different needs and devices, meeting users wherever they are in their journey.
Evidence-led discovery process
Our approach began with deep listening - consulting veterans, families, and clinicians to surface real needs. Multiple user testing rounds revealed where the website could better connect with people, ensuring every recommendation was grounded in lived experience and practical evidence.
Safer, simpler pathways
We streamlined the site’s structure, reducing cognitive load and clarifying next steps. This made it easier for users to find support at any stage of their mental health journey, creating a more welcoming and accessible entry point for help.
Trauma-informed design choices
Every design and content decision was filtered through a trauma-informed lens. This meant careful choices in imagery, language, and navigation - removing barriers and supporting a sense of safety, especially for those reaching out in moments of vulnerability.
Future-focused recommendations
Our insights report provided Open Arms with not just immediate fixes, but a clear direction for ongoing improvement. This roadmap supports their ongoing digital transformation, ensuring the service can adapt to changing needs and new opportunities for impact.
