The ODDESSI trial was the largest RCT ever into a new model of mental healthcare in the UK. Beginning in 2017 It followed 6 Open Dialogue teams over 5 years, comparing them to treatment as usual. The results are due for publication in August 2025 and we can be sure that whatever the outcome there will be implications for Family Therapy. The webinar will present the results and give an opportunity for some lively discussions.  

About the Speakers

Russell Razzaque

Russell Razzaque is a London based psychiatrist with twenty years' experience in adult mental health. He is currently a consultant, clinical director and head of research at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. Russell's special interests and particular fields of research are mindfulness and Open Dialogue and over the last 11 years he has been coordinating the national NHS Open Dialogue training and the clinical lead for the national multi-centre trial on Open Dialogue – ODDESSI – across several Trusts in England. He also published the book, "Dialogical Psychiatry".

Val Jackson

Val Jackson trained as an Occupational Therapist working in NHS mental health services in the UK and overseas. She qualified as a family therapist in 2001 working in the Leeds Early Intervention in Psychosis Service where she led an Open Dialogue trial. Open Dialogue just made sense to her and she has campaigned widely for its introduction in the UK ever since. She completed the 3 year OD trainer course in the UK and she has been a co-facilitator and tutor on the Peer-supported Open Dialogue, Systemic practice and Relationship skills course (POD) since its inception in 2014, helping to train NHS staff involved in the ODDESSI trial. Val took the lead in the AFT accreditation process for the POD course at Foundation level.

Rachel Bannister 

Rachel Bannister is co-founder and Chair of the charity Mental Health - Time for Action Foundation which campaigns for fully funded, holistic and compassionate mental health care services. Rachel is a passionate advocate of Peer Supported Open Dialogue (POD) and completed a PGCert in 2024. She works as a POD practitioner for NELFT. Rachel is a former patient rep on the RCPsych General Adult Faculty and Addictions Faculty She has also worked as carer rep for the Trent Division Executive, RCPsych Council and is currently a carer rep for the Quality Eating Disorders Network (QED) and patient rep for the Addictions faculty. Rachel has spoken candidly about her experience caring for a daughter with mental ill health and the struggle to access safe and effective care on many media platforms including a Channel 4 documentary, BBC Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4 today and PM. Rachel had also written about her own personal struggles with depression and addiction to prescription benzodiazepines in the British Medical Journal.

Registration Open Soon