People in Castlemaine can now access free, face-to-face mental health support at the new Mount Alexander Mental Health and Wellbeing Local.
Located at 141 Cornish Street, Castlemaine, the new site, officially opened by Victorian Speaker and State Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards on Friday 26 June, is one of the Mount Alexander Mental Health and Wellbeing Local’s satellite locations. Other locations in Kyneton and Maryborough are set to open soon, expanding access to support across the region.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals support Victorians aged 26 years and over to access mental health and wellbeing care and support closer to home. All supports are free, voluntary and easy to access, with no referral required.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in Mount Alexander is delivered by Mind in partnership with Bendigo Health and Thorne Harbour Health. Together, we provide psychosocial support and clinical support that helps people in distress to manage daily activities, rebuild and maintain connections, engage with education and employment, and participate fully in the community.
Supports are available by phone and telehealth, through outreach services, and in-person by appointment.
Mind Executive Director of Operations in Victoria, Belinda McCullough, said the service has already made a strong impact through telephone and telehealth supports, which have been available since February 2026.
“We know how important it is for rural and regional communities to have access to mental health and wellbeing support closer to home. Equally important is ensuring these services are staffed by people from the communities they support – people who understand local experiences and challenges,” Ms McCullough said.
“Since this service commenced earlier this year, we’ve supported people experiencing anxiety and stress related to cost-of-living pressures, housing affordability, employment pressures and natural disasters such as bushfires and floods. We’re also seeing people seek support for depression, loneliness and social isolation.”
Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals have a ‘how can we help’ approach, making it easier for more people to access support in ways that work for them – particularly those who may previously have faced barriers to finding the right care.
At the Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in Mount Alexander, community members can access a multi-disciplinary team that includes a Lived Experience Team Leader, Peer Practitioners, Community Mental Health Practitioners, Social Workers, Clinicians and specialist LGBTIQA+ staff from Thorne Harbour Health. Peer Practitioners are specially trained to draw on their own experiences of distress and mental health challenges to support others.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in Mount Alexander is connected to the Greater Bendigo, Loddon and Campaspe Mental Health and Wellbeing Local, operating through a hub-and-spoke model that expands the range of support options available to community members.
This means people in Mount Alexander, Central Goldfields and Macedon Ranges can also access group programs, allied health services and specialist staff.
Mind is proud to be the lead provider for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals in Melton, Dandenong, Greater Bendigo, Loddon and Campaspe, and Cardinia.
To find your nearest Mental Health and Wellbeing Local call 1800 332 501 or visit the Better Health MHW Locals page.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals are not crisis services. In an emergency which is life-threatening or where there is immediate risk of harm to anyone, call Triple Zero (000). For 24-hour crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islanders can also call 13 YARN on 13 92 76. 13 YARN is a 24/7 national crisis telephone service staffed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.