Creating Excellence in mental health care

Open Excellence funds independent research and innovative programs that improve mental health care outcomes.

Rethinking
Mental Health Care

Americans annually spend over $100 billion on mental health care that leaves many people unsatisfied. What would an investment in mental health care excellence make available?

The time has come for systemic change; a transformation in the values, philosophies, treatments and delivery of services which address mental health challenges.

What if we began with radical humility?

We open the door to life-changing discoveries by engaging in authentic dialogue, sharing what we know and being honest about what we don't.

Being Human

People struggle and suffer in many ways, yet labeling these as “medical” issues isn’t always helpful. There are other ways of thinking about mental health challenges.

Out of Balance

A one-size-fits all approach doesn’t work. Medications are overprescribed, while those with complex challenges often struggle to get the help they need.

System Failure

Standard interventions often fail to produce lasting results primarily because they treat symptoms rather than address the underlying root causes of suffering and distress.

Hyped & Hidden

Medical literature is often compromised via ghost-written articles, studies that overstate pharmaceutical efficacy, and failure to report negative trials and adverse events. 

Learning to Listen

We are complex bio-psycho-social beings who react uniquely to mental health challenges.

A paradigm shift to person-centered care, which respects the values and strengths of the individual and their community, is needed to revolutionize mental health outcomes and reach our human potential.

"Open Excellence is a breath of fresh air. In the current atmosphere of pharma-controlled take-a-pill mentality, Open Excellence leads us all to challenge that paradigm, leading the way to mental health care that is safe and honest."
Bonnie Kaplan, PhD
Donor, Researcher, SAC
“Open Excellence offers the opportunity to explore effective treatments that do not carry the long-term risks associated with many of the commonly prescribed drugs.”
Sandra Steingard, MD
Past Board Chair

A new Paradigm

Mental health is about more than treating illnesses, it is about reaching our human potential.

We are co-creating a mental health care system that helps people live full, satisfying lives of their own design.

Lived Experience

People with lived experience must be at the center of all research, policies and practices. "Nothing about us without us."

Open Dialogue

A round table approach that includes the many voices in a person's life to find meaning and improvement together.

Whole Human

We are complex bio-psycho-social systems. Everyone deserves to be respected, heard, understood, cared for and cared about.

Positive Psychology

How do we thrive as individuals and communities? Positive psychology can help us become our best selves.

"Open Excellence empowers those of us who have dealt with mental crises, to see our experiences as valid and meaningful, and ourselves as equally as worthy of respect and full moral status as anyone else -not despite- but because of our lived experiences."
Zelda Menard

Create The Change

Every donation is a mission-critical investment in the future of mental health excellence. Leave a legacy that will change lives for generations to come.

01

Explore

Browse our innovative initiatives and programs that are improving mental health outcomes.

02

Donate

Become a supporting partner to fund and promote excellence in mental health care.

03

Track

Receive initiative updates and success stories that illustrate the impact of your investment.

"Open Excellence is always informative about cutting-edge research and practice in mental health care. I am glad this organization exists, because I haven't found this approach anywhere else."
Rev. Barbara F. Meyers

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