Greater together: Griefline grows reach and impact through merger with SANE Australia

Australia’s leading digital mental health provider for complex mental health support, SANE is pleased to announce this merger will bring Griefline’s extensive services, history and expertise into SANE – strengthening the delivery of critical services relied upon by Australians.

Griefline’s seasoned expertise in grief, loss, and bereavement represents an important new way to reach Australians who might otherwise miss out on essential mental health support – many of whom are impacted by grief as part of their mental health recovery journey.

The merger sees Griefline’s essential support become part of SANE’s sector – leading digital psychosocial services, with Griefline CEO Kate Cahill remaining in an advisory capacity to support the transition period.

Rachel Green, SANE CEO said: 

“SANE and Griefline have shared history, strong alignment in service principles and complementary values. We know from our SANE community that grief can play a big part in the story of someone’s mental health – not just loss, but grief around a diagnosis itself and the lost opportunities from a life they might no longer lead.

“Global research shows that up to one in five people experience significant impacts on their mental and physical health following the death of a loved one. By welcoming Griefline into SANE, we gain deeper expertise in grief, loss, and bereavement – enhancing our ability to support Australians affected by complex mental health challenges.

“We’re excited to bring Griefline’s specialist knowledge in-house to complement our existing compassion-led digital-first model. This merger also opens up a more seamless referral pathway for people navigating loss to help them access broader mental health support. SANE’s investment in innovative digital programs will also allow us to explore future opportunities to scale grief support in Australia.”

SANE and Griefline share close strategic alignment, with both organisations guided by
compassion and lived experience at the heart of all what they do to deliver support services and advocacy for their communities for nearly 40 years.

In joining forces, the move supports the government’s objectives to streamline the digital mental health sector, helping reduce duplication and increase efficiency while strengthening national capacity to deliver high-quality, accessible mental health support.

SANE is committed to maintaining Griefline services, supporting all Griefline staff who are transferring to SANE and supporting the incredible Griefline volunteers who are an integral part of the support Griefline provides to continue into the future.

Kate Cahill, Griefline CEO said: 

“This merger strengthens our ability to scale new services efficiently, expand access to grief support, and amplify the collective impact of our two not-for-profit organisations.

“For our Helpline and service users, their experience will continue unchanged. The Helpline number remains the same, and our community will continue to be supported by our experienced and compassionate volunteers to help people through their darkest times as we have for almost 40 years.”