Background:
Dial-A-Mum Inc. is a telephone support service, operated and funded by a group of trained volunteer Mothers. It commenced in 1979 after a pilot project demonstrated its viability, was first registered as a charity in 1980 (CSN 10440), incorporated as a Co-operative in 1984 and registered as an Incorporated Association in 2002. It was started by Dr Paul Finlayson, a psychiatrist in the Hornsby area, and his wife, Wendy, a Trained Nurse with qualifications in Midwifery, Psychiatric Nursing and a Diploma in Community Nursing & Community Development. Sadly for our service both our founders have recently died, but they have left a great legacy. Dr. Finlayson's work in the community was recognized as he received the Order of Australia shortly before his death.
Dr Finlayson's philosophy was that Dial-A-Mum is a way for Mothers to use their skills to help reduce the stress within our society. Historically, this has always occurred in times of war. This is a unique service because it is given by Mothers using their own phones from their own homes. The caller knows who she or he is telephoning in Dial-A-Mum. In other telephone services the phone can be answered by either male or female, single or married, parent or non-parent. In Dial-A-Mum we are a known quantity. The Mums do not call themselves counsellors but describe the service as "the listening ear that cares".
In order to get the backing of the professionals in the community the service was originally staffed by Mothercraft nurses but after a while the nurses reported that very few of their calls related to problems in that area. Dr Finlayson always felt that the need for people to talk to a Mum on a variety of issues, other than child care, would be obvious once the service was established. This proved to be the case and due to the service receiving a much wider range of problems it evolved into the service it is today, operated and funded by highly trained volunteer mothers. After the service started to receive calls related to grief and bereavement Dr Finlayson held a public meeting and instigated the launch of the Grief Support telephone support service that operates along the lines of Dial-A-Mum but as a separate organization.
Dial-A-Mum is one of the founding members of the National Association of Telephone Help Lines called Helplines Australia Inc.