|
The
Illinois Department of Agriculture and Southern Illinois
University teamed up for the Farm Family Resource Initiative (FFRI).
The program gives farm families a way to connect to resources to
get mental health help.
“The initiative has a lot of resources and the centerpiece of
our initiative is readily a 24/7 anonymous helpline,” program
director Karen Leavitt Stallman said.
In addition to the hotline, the program offers individual,
couple or group counseling sessions to farmers or their family
members. The initiative was launched in six counties in 2019,
but with funds through a USDA grant, the program has expanded to
all 102 counties.
During the last legislative session, the General Assembly
appropriated an additional $500,000 to ensure the program
remains operational in all 102 counties throughout fiscal year
2023.
To highlight the need for mental health assistance in farming
communities, Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello,
along with members from the SIU School of Medicine, U of I
Extension, local legislators and mental health professionals,
are traveling around the state to promote FFRI.
This week, they will stop in Urbana at the University of
Illinois, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Kankakee County U of I Extension
office at 2 p.m. that same day, and at 10 a.m. Wednesday at John
Deere headquarters in Moline.
"In just a few short years, the FFRI has already helped many in
our farming communities,” Costello said. “Providing confidential
access to mental health providers while also breaking down
stigmas in seeking help is critical for those working in our
state’s number one industry.”
To learn more about the program, go to www.siumed.edu/farm.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in Illinois
for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of experience in radio
news reporting throughout the Midwest.
|
|
