With mental health continuing to be a growing topic in the media and society, Southern Illinois University’s School of Medicine has decided to join the conversation. In order to help eliminate the stigma around mental illness, the school has created multiple new resources specifically geared toward farm families within its Farm Family Resource Initiative. This initiative provides a range of resources to assist farmers and farm-related issues that include mental and physical health needs. This includes a helpline for farmers, ongoing outreach, educational programs and training to rural clients, and partners working to improve the health and safety of farm families.
In 2019, the late Senator Scott Bennett identified the need to focus more on mental health for Illinois farm families. This need was based on his own agricultural background and feedback he had received from the farmers in the area. Jerry Costello, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture and former U.S. Representative for Illinois’s 12th congressional district, supported Bennett, and the two discussed what that would look like.
The Farm Family Resource Initiative (FFRI) started piloting in 6 Illinois counties and eventually received increased legislation (thanks to Bennett). With this support, FFRI received money through the Illinois Department of Agriculture that allowed them to expand the program to all 102 counties in Illinois.
Karen Stallman, Agriculture Resource Specialist and Program Coordinator for the Farm Family Resource Initiative at SIU Medicine acknowledged the improvements the FFRI made due to this increase in legislation. She said, “The FFRI now serves every county in Illinois, and we were able to add a 24/7 helpline, text line, email option, Telehealth counseling sessions, a monthly blog, support groups, a podcast, and more.” The FFRI has also been able to expand its events and programming with government assistance. In 2022, they held a Mental Health Summit and three community forums that addressed farm succession. When asked why SIU wanted to be involved in this initiative, Stallman said, “The SIU Medicine team cares so much about outreach and helping the community, and this initiative to help Illinois farm families is quite an important piece of the puzzle.”
Even with the expansions they have recently executed, they already have more plans in place to continue to broaden their reach with this initiative.
Stallman said, “We are growing little by little to address the mental health stigma and issues in farm families. We have a new blog post and podcast episode posted on our website each month, and we are currently looking into a pilot program with long-term care facilities.” This new pilot program is designed to help assisted living staff offer care for farmers who end up in long-term care. “This can be a difficult transition for farmers who have worked hard for their entire lives,” Stallman noted.
The FFRI is genuinely making a difference in farmers’ lives. Since the initiative came to life in 2019, there has been much positive feedback from farmers who call the helpline and use the provided resources and families who appreciate the acknowledgment of this need. Stallman said, “I always ask people what’s more important, tractor maintenance or farmer maintenance? There are a lot of stigmas surrounding mental health, but it’s important to realize that farmers not only have to maintain physical health for their job but mental health as well. I live on a farm, my family farms, and I know how difficult it is to reach out for help. Farmers are good at caring for crops, equipment, and livestock; but often neglect caring for themselves.” The team at SIU Medicine cares deeply about their surrounding communities and is continuing to advance the progression of this initiative to reach farmers and farm families across the state.
For National Farm Safety and Health Week (September 18-22), the FFRI encourages people to participate in the suggested mental health activities related to each of the daily topics for National Farm Safety and Health Week 2023. A list of these activities is located on their website at https://www.siumed.edu/farm/events-and-webinars.
If you or someone you know is a farmer and may need mental healthcare, visit the official FFRI website at https://www.siumed.edu/farm, or text 1-833-FARMSOS. This will also give you access to the 24/7 helpline, many mental health resources, information on training programs, relevant blog posts, and a podcast based on topics from feedback the FFRI receives. The FFRI will also begin holding Suicide Bereavement Support Groups in January 2024 at no charge to participants.
