Dr. Robin Tutor Marcom Director NC Agromedicine Institute
INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND
Stress is inherent to farming but has become compounded over the past decade for reasons including catastrophic weather events, global market competition, labor issues, lawsuits, rise in input costs, regulatory and environmental pressures, intergenerational farm transfer tension, development encroachment, property taxes and more. COVID-19 added new stressors caused by interruptions to the food supply chain, challenges in maintaining a healthy workforce and increased isolation. Findings from a 2020 survey conducted by the American Farm Bureau indicate that farmers/farmworkers: ➢ who think that social isolation impacts farmers’ mental health has increased 22% since 4/2019 ➢ are 10% more likely than rural adults to have experienced feeling nervous, anxious or on edge during the pandemic (65% vs 55%)
Dr. Susan Jakes Program Leader – Community & Rural Development NC Cooperative Extension
FRSAN-NC NCDA&CS will pass through FRSAN-NC funds to the NC Agromedicine Institute (‘the Institute’). The Institute in partnership with NCDA&CS, NC Cooperative Extension and CareNet, Inc. will use funds to: ▪ Develop and implement farm specific curriculum on recognition and management of farm stress related conditions and emotional impacts for farmers, ranchers and their communities ▪ Provide access to Mental Health First Aid and other behavioral health training, as appropriate ▪ Partner to care for NC’s diverse farm community ▪ Increase access to behavioral health (BH) and Farmer to Farmer peer support services for farmers of color, veterans, farmworkers, and their families ▪ Establish a Care Circle Model for farms in crisis ▪ Set up and activate a farm crisis and resource line
▪ Establish a counseling internship /pilot counseling services in Cooperative Extension offices ▪ Support cost of behavioral health services for farmers, ranchers, and their families ▪ Coordinate activities with Southern Region – Farm & Ranch Stress Assistance Network (SR-FRSAN)
Current Activities
➢ say that it is important to reduce stigma about mental health in the agricultural community (87%)
FRSAN-NC will compliment activities already underway by the Institute:
USDA-NIFA Funding
▪ Behavioral health services for un-/under-insured farmers, farm family members and farmworkers
Opportunities to be Involved Help to build and expand FRSAN-NC by: ▪ Taking care of your own health and wellness first ▪ Sharing what training and tools are needed for Agents and others supporting farmers, farm families & farmworkers in your county ▪ Sharing contact information for behavioral health care providers in your county that have a background in agriculture ▪ Helping to identify providers and farmers of color that would like to partner with FRSANNC and Farmer to Farmer ▪ Participating in shared training opportunities for Agents and CareNet, Inc. providers ▪ Participating in a FRSAN-NC workgroup to establish care circle model for farms in crisis ▪ Being willing to pilot counseling services in your county office ▪ Hosting behavioral health training for staff, farmers, farm families &/or others ▪ Publicizing existing and new behavioral health resources as they become available ▪ Making referrals for free counseling services and Farmer to Farmer
For more information, contact:
➢Institute can help to identify provider if one is not available
Section 7522 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, 7 U.S.C. 5936, authorizes USDA-NIFA to establish a Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN). The purpose of the FRSAN Program is to establish a network that connects individuals who are engaged in farming, ranching, and other agriculture-related occupations to stress assistance programs. The establishment of a network that assists farmers and ranchers in times of stress can offer a conduit to improving behavioral health awareness, literacy, and outcomes for agricultural producers, workers and their families. FRSAN includes four regional networks: south, west, northeast, and north central. South region coordinated by University of Tennessee and includes 13 states and 2 territories. In 2021, FRSAN made $500,000 available to state departments of agriculture to expand activities within their own states. Funds have been awarded and are pending for NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA &CS) to establish FRSAN-NC.
➢If individual already has a provider, payment arrangements can be set up with that counselor
Dr. Robin Tutor Marcom tutorr@ecu.edu 252.744.1008
➢Payments go directly from the Institute to the provider – no confidential information is shared about purpose/content of counseling
Dr. Susan Jakes susan_jakes@ncsu.edu 919.515.9161
➢Counseling can take place in-person or via telehealth
▪ Training for behavioral healthcare providers who are not from an agricultural background to help them understand the ‘culture’ of agriculture
▪ Mental Health First Aid or other similar training for Cooperative Extension Agents, farmers, farm family members and staff from other organizations supporting farmers
https://www.ncagromedicine.org/programagriculturalstress.php
▪ Farmer to Farmer Peer Support Program ➢ Provides a trained peer farmer for any farmer requesting someone to talk to ➢ Farmers can be self-referred or referred by another farmer, family member, Cooperative Extension agent, behavioral health provider or other individual ➢ Farmers are screened by Institute Nurse to determine current status and whether referrals are needed for other services (e.g., crisis, behavioral health, primary care, financial, etc.)
➢ Peer is matched with farmer based on similarities in demographics and commodities
Funders
