Our Services
At August Hendrie Advisory, we help organisations place lived experience where it belongs – at the centre of strategy, governance, policy and service design. We work alongside governments, health services, disability providers, universities, peak bodies and not-for-profit organisations to ensure lived experience is embedded in a way that is authentic, evidence-informed and capable of delivering meaningful, lasting change. Our approach moves beyond consultation to genuine partnership, helping organisations build systems that are more responsive, equitable and person-centred.
Our areas of particular expertise include mental health, suicide prevention, disability, healthcare, systems reform, governance, consumer leadership, psychiatric assistance animals, psychedelic-assisted therapies, complex co-design, and research and evaluation. Every engagement is tailored to the needs of the organisation, recognising that no two systems, communities or challenges are the same. Our focus is always on delivering practical, thoughtful and independent advice that creates measurable improvements for organisations and the people they serve.
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies
Psychedelic-assisted therapies represent one of the most significant developments in mental health treatment in decades, bringing new opportunities alongside complex clinical, ethical and governance considerations. Richard has been receiving psychedelic-assisted therapy as part of his own treatment since 2019, providing a unique long-term lived experience perspective on this emerging field.
In addition to his personal experience, Richard contributes to the governance and oversight of psychedelic-assisted therapies through leadership roles with leading institutions. August Hendrie Advisory supports organisations, health services and researchers to better understand the lived experience, governance, implementation and policy considerations surrounding psychedelic-assisted therapies, helping ensure these innovative treatments are introduced safely, ethically and with the consumer voice at the centre.
Lived and Living Experience Worker Supervision
Richard has held some of the most senior lived experience leadership roles in Australia, while also beginning his career as peer worker. This breadth of experience provides a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced across all levels of the lived experience workforce.
August Hendrie Advisory provides professional supervision for peer workers, lived experience practitioners, managers and executive leaders working across the mental health, health, disability and community sectors. Richard offers structured, reflective and ethically grounded supervision tailored to the unique needs of lived experience practice in the real world.
Supervision provides a confidential and supportive space to reflect on practice, navigate complex workplace and ethical challenges, strengthen leadership capability, maintain professional boundaries, promote wellbeing, and support sustainable, values-driven lived experience practice. Whether you are new to the workforce or leading lived experience strategy at an executive level, supervision is designed to foster growth, resilience and confident professional practice.
Co-Design
Co-design is one of the most overused terms in the mental health and disability sectors. Too often it is reduced to consultation, tokenistic engagement or a single workshop, rather than a genuine process of sharing power and decision-making. At August Hendrie Advisory, I strive to restore meaning to co-design by ensuring lived experience is embedded from the earliest conversations through to implementation, evaluation and continuous improvement. True co-design is not about asking people for their opinions - it is about working alongside them as equal partners to create better services, stronger organisations and more meaningful outcomes.
Governance & Culture
Strong governance and a healthy organisational culture cannot be measured by policies alone—they are reflected in how people experience your organisation every day. The true measure of governance is whether it creates trust, accountability, inclusion and psychological safety throughout the organisation.
Ask some simple questions... does your lived experience workforce feel genuinely valued and empowered? Are consumer, carer and lived experience advisory groups meaningfully influencing decisions, or simply being consulted? Do staff feel safe to raise concerns, challenge ideas and speak up without fear of repercussions? Are leaders modelling the culture they expect from others?
August Hendrie Advisory provides independent governance and culture reviews that combine lived experience expertise with governance knowledge to identify strengths, risks and opportunities for improvement.
We deliver practical, evidence-informed recommendations to help organisations strengthen leadership, embed lived experience and build healthier, more accountable workplaces.
Research and Evaluation
Research and evaluation should do more than summarise existing evidence or produce another generic report. While desktop reviews have their place, meaningful insight comes from understanding the unique context, culture and aspirations of each organisation. At August Hendrie Advisory, I take a deeper approach, combining evidence, lived experience, stakeholder perspectives and practical analysis to deliver research and evaluation that is tailored to your organisation's vision and needs. The result is not a report that sits on a shelf, but clear, actionable insights that support better decisions, stronger services and lasting improvement.
At August Hendrie Advisory, I undertake independent governance and culture reviews that look beyond compliance to assess how leadership, culture and systems operate in practice, providing practical recommendations that strengthen trust, accountability and organisational performance.
Speaking and Panel Facilitation
Richard Hendrie is a highly regarded public speaker, keynote presenter and skilled panel facilitator, known for delivering engaging, thought-provoking conversations across the mental health, disability, health, government and community sectors. His unique combination of lived experience, professional expertise and governance leadership enables him to bridge the perspectives of communities, professionals and institutions.
As the founder and host of the award-winning Talk on Tap series, Richard has built one of Australia's leading grassroots forums for meaningful lived experience engagement, bringing together consumers, carers, clinicians, researchers and decision-makers in genuine dialogue.
Whether presenting a keynote or facilitating complex discussions, Richard creates respectful, engaging and psychologically safe spaces that encourage honest conversation, practical insight and meaningful collaboration.
Grant Writing
Securing funding can be the difference between a great idea and a lasting community impact. Richard has successfully secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding for community organisations, sporting clubs and not-for-profit initiatives, with a strong track record of developing compelling, evidence-based applications.
Whether you're seeking government, philanthropic or community funding, August Hendrie Advisory can help identify opportunities, strengthen your project concept, prepare competitive grant applications and develop the supporting documentation needed to maximise your chances of success. Let AHA help you secure the funding your organisation needs to grow, innovate and make a meaningful difference.
