Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals

The Victorian Government is committed to establishing Mental Health and Wellbeing Local services across Victoria. These services are an important part of Victoria’s reformed mental health and wellbeing system.

They provide free treatment, care and support for people aged 26 years and over who are experiencing mental health or wellbeing concerns – including people with co-occurring alcohol and drug treatment and care needs.

Information for consumers, carers, families and supporters is on the Better Health Channel website, including an Easy English factsheet and pages translated in 10 different languages.

Current locations and providers

Below is a list of all the Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals currently providing support.

Note services are being stood up progressively, and service offerings vary across locations.

Visit the Better Health Channel for more information about each location.

• Bairnsdale and Orbost (servicing East Gippsland): Wellways in partnership with Gippsland Lakes Complete Health and Latrobe Regional Health
• Benalla, Wangaratta and Mansfield: Wellways in partnership with Albury Wodonga Health and Australian Community Support Organisation (ACSO)
• Bendigo and Echuca (servicing Greater Bendigo, Loddon and Campaspe): Mind Australia in partnership with Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative, Bendigo Health, Echuca Regional Health, The Salvation Army and Thorne Harbour Health Ltd
• Brimbank: cohealth in partnership with Clarity Health Care, Carers Victoria, Jesuit Social Services and the University of Melbourne
• Cardinia: Mind Australia in partnership with Monash Health
• Dandenong (servicing Greater Dandenong): Mind Australia in partnership with Monash Health, The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Inc. and Thorne Harbour Health Ltd
• Darebin: Neami National in partnership with Northern Health
• Frankston: Wellways in partnership with Peninsula Health and Mentis Assist
• Greater Geelong and Queenscliffe: Barwon Health in partnership with Wellways, ermha365 and Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative
• Latrobe: Neami National in partnership with Drummond Street Services, Uniting Vic Tas and Clarity Health Care
• Lilydale (servicing Yarra Ranges): Wellways in partnership with Eastern Health, Access Health and Community and Oonah Aboriginal Health and Community Services
• Maribyrnong: cohealth in partnership with Western Health
• Maroondah: Wellways in partnership with Eastern Health, Access Health and Community and Oonah Aboriginal Health and Community Services
• Melton (servicing City of Melton): Mind Australia in partnership with IPC Health, Thorne Harbour Health Ltd and Western Health
• Mildura (servicing Rural City of Mildura): Wellways in partnership with Mallee District Aboriginal Services, Mildura Base Public Hospital and Sunraysia Community Health Services
• Mount Alexander (servicing Mount Alexander, Central Goldfields and Macedon Ranges): Mind Australia in partnership with Bendigo Health and Thorne Harbour Health Ltd
• Port Phillip: Wellways in partnership with Alfred Health
• Shepparton (servicing Greater Shepparton, Strathbogie and Moira): Wellways in partnership with APMHA Healthcare Ltd and Goulburn Valley Health
• Whittlesea: Neami National in partnership with Drummond St Services, Uniting Vic Tas, Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, and Clarity Health Care
• Wyndham: cohealth in partnership with Mercy Health.

Support for bushfire-affected communities

While the immediate danger of the January 2026 Victorian bushfires has passed, the mental health impacts can last weeks, months or even years. Recovery takes time, and communities need ongoing support.

In response to the January 2026 bushfires, the Prime Minister and Victorian Premier announced $160 million to support impacted families, businesses and primary producers.

$4.9 million has been provided to expand the reach of existing Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals into areas affected by bushfires, providing free mental health and wellbeing treatment, care and support for adults.

The expansion will be delivered from early 2026 until 30 June 2027. The expansion will support bushfire-impacted Local Government Areas (LGAs) without access to a Mental Health and Wellbeing Local, Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub or Head to Health Clinic.

• The Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in Greater Geelong Queenscliffe will extend services into the Colac Otway Shire.
• The Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in Benalla, Wangaratta, Mansfield will extend services into the Towong Shire.
• The Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in Shepparton (servicing Greater Shepparton, Strathbogie and Moira) will extend into the Mitchell and Murrindindi Shires.

These three Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals will offer:

• wellbeing supports provided by mental health support workers. Support will be available by telehealth, through face-to-face appointments or by staff visiting people in the community
• clinical supports, provided by mental health clinicians such as psychologists, will be available by telehealth and where possible through face-to-face appointments or staff visiting people in the community.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals will establish a physical presence in affected communities.

Services will be available Monday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm. Face-to-face appointments will be available at least three days a week.

The department will work closely with existing providers of Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals to ensure timely establishment of expanded services that deliver safe, high-quality, and coordinated care and support, aligned with the service model and responsive to local community needs. Locations for the services will be announced shortly.

Future locations

Planning work is underway and will continue for future locations of Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals. This work will be informed by insights from the establishment of existing Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals.

The Department of Health will provide an update on this webpage when information is available.

Transitioning support from a Hub to a Local Service

As the Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals are established, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs (Hub/s) in the same area will slowly phase down.

Information on how to support and work with consumers and their families, carers and supporters to manage the transition from a Hub to a Local Service is available on the Better Health Channel.

Consultation and engagement

The Royal Commission's Final Report described how Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals will provide clinical and wellbeing mental health supports that respond to individuals’ needs.

The Department of Health held a number of engagement and consultation activities in 2021 to guide the establishment of Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals. This included a broad public consultation survey, interviews and focus group discussions, as well as place-based focused consultations for each service zone.

People with lived experience and their families, carers and supporters gave valuable insights about the way they want to experience local services. We also heard from people working in mental health and alcohol and other drug services, other health and related services and the broader community.

Read more about our engagement activities on the Local Services Engage Victoria website.

Place-based engagement

The Department of Health encourages service providers to engage directly with their local communities to ensure the service is responsive to the diverse needs of the local community.

Service Framework

The Department of Health has developed a Service Framework for providers of this new service stream. It guides the operation and service delivery of Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals across Victoria. Note that the Service Framework is a live document and will be reviewed soon.

The Service Framework reflects the vision and findings of the Royal Commission. It was developed with valuable and diverse input from people with a lived and living experience of mental illness, as well as technical and clinical advice from the mental health and wellbeing sector.

The framework outlines the objectives, key operational principles, service features and functions, components of the service model and the workforce, data reporting and operational requirements for Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals.

Read the Service Framework on Local Adult and Older Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing Service - Service framework.