State Program Assists Farmers With Mental Health Issues

By Kevin Bessler, The Center Square:

Spring planting season can be stressful on farmers and now, an Illinois program designed to address mental health issues is getting a financial boost.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture and Southern Illinois University teamed up for the Farm Family Resource Initiative (FFRI). The program gives farm families a way to connect to resources to get mental health help.

“The initiative has a lot of resources and the centerpiece of our initiative is readily a 24/7 anonymous helpline,” program director Karen Leavitt Stallman said.

In addition to the hotline, the program offers individual, couple or group counseling sessions to farmers or their family members. The initiative was launched in six counties in 2019, but with funds through a USDA grant, the program has expanded to all 102 counties.

During the last legislative session, the General Assembly appropriated an additional $500,000 to ensure the program remains operational in all 102 counties throughout fiscal year 2023.

To highlight the need for mental health assistance in farming communities, Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello, along with members from the SIU School of Medicine, U of I Extension, local legislators and mental health professionals, are traveling around the state to promote FFRI.

This week, they will stop in Urbana at the University of Illinois, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Kankakee County U of I Extension office at 2 p.m. that same day, and at 10 a.m. Wednesday at John Deere headquarters in Moline.

"In just a few short years, the FFRI has already helped many in our farming communities,” Costello said. “Providing confidential access to mental health providers while also breaking down stigmas in seeking help is critical for those working in our state’s number one industry.”

To learn more about the program, go to www.siumed.edu/farm.

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