First-of-its-kind group focuses on offering more resources to agricultural communities

PUBLISHED ON September 21, 2023

The Ohio Agricultural Mental Health Alliance (OAMHA) will focus on mental health in agriculture to ensure Ohio’s farmers, families and communities are better equipped to deal with stress. (USDA, Flickr/Creative Commons)

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — From weather, to rising prices and costs of doing business, to long hours, the weight of keeping the family farm in business can cause incredible amounts of stress and take a toll on a farmer’s mental wellbeing.

A newly created alliance will focus on mental health in agriculture to ensure Ohio’s farmers, families and communities are better equipped to deal with stress.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), Ohio Department of Health (ODH), Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), The Ohio State University (OSU), Ohio Farm Bureau (OFB), Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, and Farm Credit Mid-America make up the new Ohio Agricultural Mental Health Alliance (OAMHA).

The group’s first action is introducing a new, anonymous survey to seek feedback directly from rural communities.

“Ohioans look out for one another,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “This survey will provide valuable help to numerous communities. I urge our farmers and beyond to answer these tough but necessary questions. You won’t only be helping yourself; you’ll be helping your family and friends.”

“Farmer mental health is such an important issue that is often overlooked until we read about someone we know, or someone in the community, affected by tragedy,” said ODA Director Brian Baldridge. “Our goal is to lift up every farmer, family, and neighborhood and let them know we are here for them.”

The survey aims to gauge stress and how it’s being dealt with. OSU created the survey in partnership with OhioMHAS and ODH; working with OFB they utilized a pilot group to provide feedback.

“Farming communities face different types of stress than those in other occupations, and oftentimes our mental health counselors are unsure of how to handle questions and concerns related to farming,” said Cathann Kress, vice president for agricultural administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University. “This survey will help us all better understand the needs of our farming community and allow us to develop programming to meet the needs of all Ohioans.”

“Farm stress and mental health has been something that has been talked about in whispers for generations and it is time to turn up the volume about it,” said Adam Sharp, executive vice president of Ohio Farm Bureau. “This survey will not only shed light on what is causing stress and how those who are struggling with those stressors cope, it will also bring more awareness to this very important issue and help to provide adequate resources to our rural communities.”

OAMHA will use survey results to determine where resources are needed and help ensure support is available to communities in need.

“We know that Ohioans working in the agricultural industry experience many challenges that impact their mental health, yet, to date, we have very little data to guide our efforts,” said OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss. “This new survey is an opportunity for those in the industry to share their perspectives about their mental health concerns and have a voice in guiding the development of better support for the mental wellbeing of Ohio’s agricultural families.”

OAMHA encourages media, agricultural stakeholders, and all Ohioans to share the link or QR code below to help create awareness. In addition, ODA’s Got Your Back campaign offers information and resources for the agricultural community.  As food and agriculture make up Ohio’s number one industry – our farmers carry a heavy load. It is important to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.

It takes all of us to create a stronger Ohio.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides residents with one, easy to remember number to call when they or someone they know is in crisis. On average, more than 12,000 Ohioans per month who are experiencing or affected by suicidal, mental health, and/or substance use crises have used the lifeline to receive free, 24/7, confidential support and connections to local resources.

The link and QR Code below will take you to the survey:

https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9pHMUc1n2IMMkgm?Q_CHL=qr

— Ohio Department of Agriculture

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At a large university, it can be daunting to find your place among the thousands. Peer organizations provide a smaller circle for students to connect with each other, develop personally and professionally and make the most of their time on campus. In effect, student organization leaders have an important responsibility to mold the student experience for the better. 

As we kick off the new year, student leaders have the opportunity to help their peers build a strong foundation for success. In particular, studies show that mental health is a precursor for students to thrive academically. While in college, students are more likely to neglect components of their overall well-being, such as sleep, nutrition and mindfulness, which correlates to worsened anxiety, depression and academic struggles. 

Longhorn Wellness Center offers workshops, such as Mental Health First Aid, to equip groups with essential skills for intervention, mental health support and building a safer, healthier community at UT, but it’s up to an organization’s leadership to request these resources.

While building a strong relationship with crucial campus resources, student leaders can actually promote the well-being of the entire UT community by educating and training their organization members. Psychologists suggest that wellness practices cause a “ripple effect” — our words, actions and feelings affect those around us, who in turn impact people around them, and so on. This effect extends not only among peers but also across various facets of an individual’s life, including academic performance and contributions to student organizations.

“Many of us, particularly college students, go through periods in life where we deal with more stress or mental health challenges,” said Katy Redd, CMHC’s Director of Prevention and Development. “So what (LWC and CMHC) can do is come in and provide an opportunity to discuss facts, strategies and behavior. We’re really interested in asking ‘How is this (skill) going to work for you in your life?’”

Group workshops center on topics from self-care to helping a friend in distress. By partnering with LWC to practice these skills, student leaders promote the reach of mental health resources on campus, fostering a network of support.

“There’s a really beautiful connection piece that happens when the peers deliver workshops,” said Angelique Karditzas, Health Promotion Coordinator for LWC. 

By giving students the skills to handle crises, these workshops also have the potential to prevent them in the first place. Well-being strategies help students avoid the trappings of overachievement and hyper-performance, reminding them that they are humans first and students second.

“If you, as a student leader, find that your group could benefit from one of these workshops, I think it’s a really good leadership point to be proactive about giving your group this kind of information,” Karditzas said. 

Given that the brain is not fully mature until age 20 or later, most students don’t have the emotional regulation and behavioral control to cope with the stress of college. By empowering students to recognize and address distress, they can correct problems surrounding well-being before they become unmanageable. 

Within student orgs, improved student wellness shapes team members who are more confident, motivated and productive. Wellness should be at the core of leadership priorities, and LWC workshops offer an avenue for student leaders to fulfill that crucial need while promoting a supportive campus.

Jackson is a Plan II and journalism sophomore from Boerne, Texas. 

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Art pieces hang on the wall at North Star Child Advocacy Center in Parkersburg, W.Va.
(Photo by Kristen Hainkel)

Words of Affirmation encourage visitors at the North Star Child Advocacy Center in Parkersburg, W.Va.
(Photo by Kristen Hainkel)

A bright, sea creature and ocean themed mural greets visitors at the North Star Child Advocacy Center in Parkersburg, W.Va.
(Photo by Kristen Hainkel)

Art pieces hang on the wall at North Star Child Advocacy Center in Parkersburg, W.Va.
(Photo by Kristen Hainkel)

Children’s mental health has received more press coverage in recent years. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children who have died by suicide ages 5 to 11 has increased 15 percent each year from 2012 to 2017.

Dr. Patrick Ward of Ward Therapy Associates, LLC in Williamstown advised of various warning signs of decline in a child’s mental health:

¯ Dramatic changes in normal daily functions like sleep, eating, sexual behavior, socialization, or toileting.

¯ Social isolation

¯ Change in style of play

Words of Affirmation encourage visitors at the North Star Child Advocacy Center in Parkersburg, W.Va.
(Photo by Kristen Hainkel)

¯ Change in emotional stability or reactions to different situations

¯ Missing school more than usual

¯ Increase in complaints about pain such as headaches and stomach aches.

Ward said if a parent suspects a child is having trouble, they should have a conversation with them at a quiet time, such as bed time. Then the parents and child can talk to another adult in their life, such as a teacher, school counselor or family doctor.

“I receive referrals to see from school counselors and family doctors all the time,” he said.

A bright, sea creature and ocean themed mural greets visitors at the North Star Child Advocacy Center in Parkersburg, W.Va.
(Photo by Kristen Hainkel)

In extreme circumstances such as abuse or neglect, a local organization aims to make a painful process easier.

North Star Child Advocacy Center is a non-profit that partners together local law enforcement, mental health providers, and forensic interviewers under one roof to ensure a child doesn’t have to repeat their story multiple times.

According to Assistant Director Julie Nutter, once a referral is made to the center by either law enforcement or Child Protective Services, North Star staff conduct an intake interview. From there, a team of professionals composed of previously mentioned entities determine what treatment step is taken next.

Nutter said the Child Advocacy model is designed with the patient in mind.

“Prior to a Child Advocacy Center, a child would have to tell their story so many times. They get weary and their story could change. This model allows the child to tell their story one time. More of a conversation that they have with our ladies with a comfortable room.”

In order to avoid the need for intervention, Executive Director Greg Collins has taken a proactive approach.

“We’re trying to get more on the proactive side,” he said. “We’ve been going into schools in our county area and teaching kids about issues they may go through. We’ve noticed a high disclosure rate after these presentations.”

Collins added, “I come from a career in law enforcement. You have to get ahead of a crime in order to stop it. The more you go into schools, you can create awareness.”

According to Collins, 618 kids were referred to North Star Child Advocacy Center in 2022. 461 were from Wood County. Their service area includes Calhoun, Pleasants, Ritchie, Wood, and Wirt Counties.

In the name of prevention, Ward provided a list of activities that intend to increase a child’s mental health:

¯ Limiting screen time

¯ Creating or listening to music

¯ Artistic expression

¯ Free play-unstructured play time that allows a child to be creative and self-directed

¯ Socializing with friends

¯ 15 to 20 minutes for undivided attention from parents

¯ Responsibility-Giving a child something they can accomplish

¯ Spending time outside

Ward said parents watching for their child’s mental health is important.

“I think it’s important because kids want to come to adults but don’t have the words to describe the challenges. They don’t have the insight into themselves yet,” he said.

He added, “children need to know they aren’t alone in their struggles.”

Collins added adults need to be mindful of who is in their child’s company.

“One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen in my career is parents are afraid to look at people they know suspiciously,” he said. “People think being suspicious makes you a bad person, but it doesn’t.”

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Health Solutions Adult Outpatient Medical clinic at 1304 Chinook Lane.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Pueblo organizations are stressing the importance of mental health while trying to break down the stigma often attached to seeking mental health services.

Health Solutions last weekend sponsored a Mental Health Awareness Block Party at El Pueblo History Museum and has been hosting other outreach activities this month to alert the community to the services it offers.

It’s all part of an effort to address mental health needs in Pueblo, which continue to grow post-pandemic, said Jason Chippeaux, CEO of Health Solutions.

The center also seeks to reduce stigmas associated with mental health services and loops education into that effort. Chippeaux said reducing stigmas are “critical” and normalizing the behavioral health system is a large part of Health Solutions’ focus.

“What’s at stake is what makes it so significant,” Chippeaux said. “Anything that creates a barrier between an individual needing care and getting care is problematic fundamentally because of the high-stakes nature of these illnesses.”

According to a 2021 survey from the Colorado Health Institute, 33.1% of Puebloans ages 16 or older who took the survey reported that their mental health declined after the pandemic started.

The same survey revealed that nearly one in four (23.9%) Puebloans ages five or older reported feeling “poor mental health” for a stretch of eight or more days over a 30-day period. That number has risen significantly since 2015, when 15.4% of those surveyed reported poor mental health.

Chippeaux feels the 2021 number could actually be higher, since the results only encompass individuals who participated in the survey.

“There certainly has been an increased need on the other side of the pandemic,” Chippeaux said. “The interest in our services and the volume of services that we are offering and number of clients we’re seeing is definitely increasing. That leads me to think that the need is growing, and we are certainly trying to grow along with that need to make sure that those in our community who need that care have that as an option.”

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Health Solutions, on average, sees between 550 to 600 clients daily through its different services and offerings, Chippeaux said. The center’s requests for services are now constant throughout the year, he said, compared to five to seven years ago, when that need was more seasonal.

Pueblo services, partnerships tackling mental health

One in five adults each year in the United States experiences a mental illness, according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, and nearly one in 25 adults live with a serious mental illness.

Health Solutions works closely with the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment to increase access to behavioral health resources to address those illnesses. The mental health services provider also has partnerships with Pueblo County School District 70 and Pueblo School District 60 that entail clinicians offering services in multiple schools across both districts.

Health Solutions also partners with the Colorado Department of Human Services to connect people to resources, Chippeaux said.

More: Health Solutions opens new center to promote early childhood development

“Health Solutions encourages individuals to engage in effective ways to reduce the burden of mental illness such as prevention, early identification and early intervention. This may also reduce the burden of other chronic conditions,” according to a Health Solutions news release.

Other agencies and community members have sounded the alarm on the need to expand local mental health resources. The city of Pueblo recently obtained a state grant that will bolster the Pueblo Police Department’s peer support group, and some D60 students last month protested before a school board meeting to plead for more mental health resources.

‘Mental health is health’

To reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, the phrase “mental health is health” has been used more prominently in recent years. The phrase seeks to show that mental health equally important to one’s physical health, which typically isn’t as stigmatized.

“Mental health is health,” Ron-Li Liaw of Children’s Hospital Colorado told Tribal Radio’s Sarah Flower during a 29-minute interview last month. “I think we are repeating this … there’s always been historically a lot of stigma around mental health, which makes it different to talk about.

“Our young people have a different vocabulary, language and comfort level in sharing their struggles and supporting each other and talking about mental health challenges and substance use, addiction issues and trauma in a way that our previous generations really (didn’t),” he said.

For more information about Health Solutions or its services, call 719-542-5647 or visit www.health.solutions.

To reach Colorado Crisis Services, call 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255.

Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @josuepwrites.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo providers raising awareness of the importance of mental health

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