Program addressing mental health needs of Colorado farming communities
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(Colorado News Connection) In the past year, the Colorado AgrAbility Project added four behavioral health specialists to help the state's agricultural producers, workers and families who face unique stressors and health risks, including higher rates of suicide.
Chad Reznicek, behavioral health state specialist for the project, said stigma continues to be a barrier when it comes to seeking help for mental or behavioral health but he hopes farmers understand the equipment between their ears is more important than any high-dollar piece of equipment in their operation.
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"Because if things aren't going well there, it's really hard to be effective, efficient, resilient and creative in how you're addressing all these other factors that someone has to juggle while they are involved in agriculture," Reznicek pointed out.
For more than 30 years, the Colorado AgrAbility Project has helped farm and ranch families maintain their agriculture lifestyle in the face of physical challenges, limitations, and disabilities. After Colorado lawmakers expanded the project's scope in 2021, more than 1,500 people in rural communities have been able to connect with behavioral health care, stress management resources, and suicide prevention initiatives.
Farmers can access six free therapy sessions with counselors who understand the pressures facing producers, including volatile commodity pricing, drought and extreme weather events, pests and disease. Reznicek emphasized the sessions are anonymous and can be accessed remotely.
"We have providers that will be in their office talking to someone that's actually in the cab of their tractor, if that's what best serves them," Reznicek observed.
The project has conducted anxiety and stress management trainings for students, and workshops for the Colorado Young Farmer and Rancher conference and 4H groups. Reznicek added with farmers' average age now over 60, families can also get help as they face the challenge of creating succession plans.
"And that's great if you've got the time, the resources, the planning and the relationships to make that effective," Reznicek noted. "If not, it becomes incredibly stressful."
