Telephone and telehealth support is now available through the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Local services for the Mount Alexander (servicing Mount Alexander, Central Goldfields and Macedon Ranges) and Cardinia regions.
Mind is proud to be the lead agency for these new Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals. They are providing mental health and wellbeing support by telephone and telehealth to communities in these areas, with more services expected to begin soon.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals support Victorians aged 26 years and over to get mental health and wellbeing treatment, care and support closer to home. All support is free, voluntary and easy to access, and you do not need a referral from your doctor to access help.
These services have a ‘how can we help’ and ‘no wrong door’ approach, to enable more people to access the support they need in a timely way, including those who have previously been unable to find the right care or experienced barriers to accessing services.
John Bamborough is Mind’s General Manager – Locals (Lived Expertise). He says people in Mount Alexander and Cardinia are already reaching out for support for a variety of concerns.
“People in Mount Alexander and Cardinia are seeking mental health and wellbeing support for a range of factors, including loneliness, family violence, managing grief, relationships breaking down and the trauma of preparing for, and dealing with, the impact of extreme weather events,” Mr Bamborough said.
“It’s early days for these two Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals but we are already seeing a number of referrals and self-referrals coming through, so already there is good awareness of these services within community.
“Through our collaborative partnership model, Mind’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Local services are able to provide specialised, informed and understanding support for the broadest range of people and local community needs.”
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in Mount Alexander is delivered in partnership with Bendigo Health, and the Local Service in Cardinia is delivered in partnership with Monash Health. Our partner Thorne Harbour Health provides specialised LGBTIQA+ support to Mount Alexander and our other Mind-managed Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals in Dandenong, Melton, and Bendigo/Echuca.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals – recommended as part of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System – are funded by the Victorian and Australian governments.
To access these services, call the following numbers:
- Cardinia – (03) 5929 2600
- Mount Alexander – (03) 4492 9100.
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.