ITHACA, N.Y. — Did you know that farmers are more likely than the general population to die by suicide?
NY FarmNet is continuing its collaboration with county Cornell Cooperative Extension offices and other ag related organizations this spring to offer free, full day, adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings. Farmers, agribusiness workers, and anyone who interacts with the agricultural community in New York is encouraged to attend. Trainings run from 8am to 5pm (unless otherwise noted), and lunch will be provided from a local eatery with a one hour break.
Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. You’ll build skills and confidence you need to reach out and provide initial support to those who are struggling. You’ll also learn how to help connect them to appropriate support.
After the course, you will be able to:
- Recognize common signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.
- Understand how to interact with a person in crisis and connect them with help.
- Use self-care tools and techniques.
The instructors for these courses are part of a recently trained cohort that work within the NY agricultural community. They include representatives from NY FarmNet, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Farm Bureau, Young Farmers Coalition, Black Farmers United NYS, and the NY Center for Ag Medicine and Health (NYCAMH). Please note that the adult MHFA content is not ag specific, although the instructors are.
Full day MHFA trainings scheduled for 2023 include:
- Tuesday, January 24th in Whallonsburg/Essex County
- Friday, January 27th via Zoom – 2 hours pre work, 6 hour session (9am-4pm)
- Tuesday, January 31st in Cooperstown/Otsego County
- Wednesday, February 8th in Herkimer/Herkimer County
- Friday, February 17th in Canton/St. Lawrence County
- Tuesday, February 28th in Lowville/Lewis County
- Friday, March 3rd in Albany/Albany County – 2 hours pre-work, 6 hour session (9:30am-4:30pm)
- Tuesday, March 14th in Jamestown/Chautauqua County
- Saturday, March 25th in Dover Plains/Dutchess County
- Friday, April 21st in Morrisville/Madison County
To register for one of these trainings, go to www.nyfarmnet.org/trainings or call 1-800-547-3276. These free sessions are made possible by funding from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food & Agriculture. They have invested nearly $25 million in addressing farmer behavioral health on a state by state basis as part of the Farm and Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) through state Departments of Agriculture.
This work is supported by 7 U.S.C. 5936, Section 7522 of FCEA of 2008, Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), Grant No. 2021-70035-35550, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
–NY FarmNet
Cornell University
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