PROJECTS

Farm Stress and Suicide Prevention Trainings

Removing mental health stigma and empowering recovery builds stronger communities and ultimately can save lives. We offer three different types of workshops that can be offered online or in person.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and Question-Persuade-Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention training courses teach individuals how to spot the signs of someone experiencing a mental health crisis and the steps to seek help. The Rural Resilience: Farm Stress Training participants learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and suicide, ways to effectively communicate with people under stress, and how to reduce stigma related to mental health concerns. If you are interested in attending the workshops, please visit our training page.

Military Veteran in Agriculture Peer Network

Military veterans are entering into agricultural professionals in increasing numbers. Due to this trend, the USDA started tracking data of military veteran-owned farms for the first time in 2017. Reacclimating to civilian life has unique challenges for many servicemen and women. We conduct targeted outreach to military veteran farmers across Georgia and will attend community functions and veteran events to share FRSAN /mental health resources.

Meet At The Shed Peer-to-Peer Farmer Network

Meet at The Shed™ is a place for men to share their talents and skills while forming new friendships. Based on a concept originally developed in Australia called Men's Shed, the chapters provide environments where men can work together on projects of interest. Research shows staying active, particularly as we get older, provides both physical and mental health benefits.

We will be starting our first Men's Shed in Union County Georgia.

Please visit our Men's Shed site to learn more and how to sign up.

Social Work Interns Supporting Farmers

Master of Social Work (MSW) interns are valuable community service resources who can contribute greatly to the support of Georgia farmers. MSW students are required to complete 312 clock hours at a human services organization for a generalist field practicum, and 600 clock hours at an agency for a specialization field practicum. We match MSW interns with qualified social work supervisors in local farm stress/mental health networks. The interns will provide mental health support for farmers and will train other community social workers on culturally responsive and evidence-based care for farmers and farm families. This partnership will expand the range of social work support available for farmers.

Extension Hubs for Farmer Support

Select UGA Extension offices will serve as one-stop hubs for farmers to access information and support related to stress and mental health. Specific services in each community hub will differ based on existing county services and community needs. Examples of services may include space for MHFA, QPR, and other training; space for support group meetings, individual counseling appointments, telehealth, and tele-mental health appointments; and other education and services to help farmers and farm families access community-based support. Stay tuned for updates.

Rural Farm Stress Summit - 2024 date coming soon!

The Georgia Farm Stress Summit will build on the work of that summit by bringing together Georgians interested in farm stress for a 1-day summit in Tifton, Georgia with the goals of sharing ideas and resources and planning for expanded collaboration around issues related to farm stress. The specific focus and content of the summit will be decided collaboratively by the FRSAN Georgia team, UGA Extension representatives, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Georgia Department of Agriculture representatives, farmers, and community professionals who support farmers and farm families. More information on how to register is coming soon!