Ms Cleeland pointed to the Live4Life program in Benalla, which became a vital and trusted program, empowering young people to lead conversations about mental health, build resilience and support their peers through education, leadership and early intervention.
“Live4Life has proven that when young people are given the tools, the training and the trust, they can make a real difference in their own communities,” Ms Cleeland said.
“In Benalla Rural City, the program has reduced stigma, encouraged help-seeking behaviour and built a strong network of young leaders who are looking out for one another.”
Live4Life is a rural and regional youth mental health promotion and suicide prevention initiative that works with secondary schools, community organisations and health services.
It focuses on prevention and early support by training young people as mental health ambassadors, improving mental health literacy and strengthening community connections.
Ms Cleeland said the outcomes seen in Benalla made a strong case for extending Live4Life into areas of growing need across southern Hume and Mitchell Shire, where young people were facing increasing pressures but did not have consistent access to locally delivered mental health programs.
“We know there are pockets across our region where young people are doing it tough,” Ms Cleeland said.
“The success of Live4Life in Benalla shows what is possible when there is sustained investment in community-led, place-based mental health support.”
Ms Cleeland said she attended a Live4Life speaking event at parliament in November 2025, where young leaders shared first-hand how the program had changed their lives and strengthened their communities.
“Hearing directly from those young people reinforced just how important this program is,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Their confidence, honesty and leadership made it clear that this is a model that works and should be available to more young people across our region.”
Ms Cleeland said she would continue advocating for increased funding and the expansion of Live4Life.
“Every young person deserves access to strong, early mental health support, regardless of their postcode,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Live4Life is delivering real outcomes, and I want to see those benefits extended to more regional communities.”
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