Echuca’s St Luke’s Anglicare will stop delivering mental health services in the Campaspe area from today.

In May, the Riv reported that the Victorian Government was making changes to the way community-based mental health support was delivered.

Mental Health Minister Mary Wooldridge announced the changes at the time as part of the recommissioning of $74million a year in Mental Health Community Support Services.

St Luke’s Anglicare and Mallee Family Care submitted a joint tender for the delivery of state-funded mental health services across the Loddon Mallee region last year, but were selected to only deliver services to its northern catchment — Mildura, Swan Hill, Buloke and Gannawarra.

That meant the Loddon Mallee southern catchment of St Luke’s — including Campaspe and Greater Bendigo — will no longer deliver mental health services.

In May, St Luke’s acting chief executive Lauren Bean said the announcement would significantly affect the organisation’s workforce and clients.

The Riv is seeking more information about who will now provide mental health services for those in Echuca-Moama.

Those who need access to mental health lawyers will also be able to access this in Echuca through a new outreach service.

On Wednesday this week, Ms Wooldridge announced Victorian Legal Aid would offer expanded mental health services across Victoria.

‘‘VLA provides specialist legal advice to people with a serious mental illness on a wide range of issues, as well as assisting with Mental Health Tribunal representations,’’ Ms Wooldridge said.

‘‘Previously individuals from Bendigo needing access to mental health lawyers would need to travel into Melbourne, however, our investment is expanding access to specialist mental health lawyers, including specifically in Bendigo and the Loddon Campaspe area.’’

This article first appeared on Riverrine Herald on 1 August 2014.