Source: WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
WESTERN REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL STRESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1024134
Grant No.
2020-70028-32731
Cumulative Award Amt.
$7,300,000.00
Proposal No.
2020-07631
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2020
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2025
Grant Year
2022
Program Code
[FRSAN]- Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network
Project Director
McMoran, D.
Recipient Organization
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
240 FRENCH ADMINISTRATION BLDG
PULLMAN,WA 99164-0001
Performing Department
Agriculture & Natural Resource
Non Technical Summary
This program builds on the 2019/2020 program activities WRASAP, expanding the network of partnerships into all States and Territories of Western Region. Goals track those of the USDA:Network with programs like AgrAbility, embedding behavioral health competencies into existing service delivery. Other collaborations: 4H, Western Dairy Producers, NIOSH Ag Centers. Continually identify new organizations to add to web of services, invite collaboration.Clearinghouse: Complete a baseline assessment of farm stressors and resources with respondents from each state/territory to ensure clearinghouse accurately reflects varied needs of diverse farming populations (Y1 farmers, Y2 ag workers). Ensure regional clearinghouse is publically available.Educate partners on program activity, results of surveys, resources developed, findings of evaluator and future plans; at conferences and quarterly partner meetings, program highlights published to clearinghouse website.Range of Services offered for farmers including: Farm Aid Hotline (extended hours), Rural Peer Assistance Network, Everyday Democracy, peer support groups, promotores outreach, mental health intervention curriculum development and QPR/MHFA trainings. Capacity to expand localized/intensive outreach activities throughout region.Based in Extension, this program adds to Extension's capacity to provide direct and culturally appropriate resources to farming communities. Acknowledging the diversity of the region and the changing needs of farmers, WSARP structure is flexible with mini-grants for translation, professional development and targeted outreach. Evaluator will review quarterly to inform delivery throughout 3 year program duration.Target Audience: All farmers/ranchers/farm workers in Western Region, including: historically underserved, veteran, aging and with disabilities.
Animal Health Component
33%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
34%
Applied
33%
Developmental
33%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
80560993080100%
Knowledge Area
805 - Community Institutions, Health, and Social Services;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3080 - Sociology;
Goals / Objectives
Western Region Agricultural Stress Assistance Program (WRASAP) has focused its objectives to meet the programmatic goals of the greater FRSAN program: coordinate a representative network, provide a clearinghouse of resources,educate network on existing resources and provide services (hotline, etc.).Goal 1. Grow WRASAP network throughout the Western Region; invite new stakeholders, align with existing networks, and develop best practices for building state networks.Activity 1.A. Host quarterly Network meetings to promote WRASAP activities and learn about existing resources. Aligned groups will be invited to inform members about services and explore collaborations (state health authorities, nonprofits, etc.). Includes developing introductory/informational material for promoting network as well as listservs and social media presence.Activity 1.B.1 Colorado AgrAbility Program will add a "Farm Stress Assistance" behavioral health expert to provide resources/trainings and assistance within Colorado and to other state AgrAbility programs in the region (AK,CA, CO, NM, UT and WA); embed stress assistance in workshop series.Activity 1.B.2 Collaborate with the National AgrAbility Project (NAP) to increase WRASAP reach and messaging. NAP will host 3 regional AgrAbility conferences and 1 National Training Workshop in the Western Region with a behavioral health track. Each conference will address farm stress and extend the WRASAP program activities to the greater AgrAbility network.Activity 1.C. Create a professional development tool for collaborators to identify and partner with grassroots community leaders in Latinx communities, commonly known as promotores. Agricultural workers experience various stressors and barriers to services. Targeted networking with promotores is the first step to addressing stress within these communities.Goal 2. Expand clearinghouse of resources initiated in FY2019 WRASAP to the entire Western Region and make the resource more publicly available.Objective 2.A To ensure clearinghouse and embedded resources accurately reflect farm stressors, WRASAP will establish a baseline understanding of agriculture-related stressors throughout the region as well as those resources available to address identified stressors. The Baseline workgroup will be tasked with gathering data via two different versions of a survey (version 1 for producers, version 2 foragricultural workers).Activity 2.A.1 Administer survey which identifies work-related stressors and existing organizations and community-level resources to address farm stress (Y1 agricultural producers, Y2 agricultural workers).WRASAP partners in 13 States and 4 territories have agreed to facilitate in recruitment. Follow-up phone interviews with 6 survey participants from each state/territory. Stressors and resources identified to address stressors will inform/populate clearinghouse of resources.Activity 2.B To increase utility and establish WRASAP as truly regional, clearinghouse will move from localized, state-specific host to a generalized platform. Clearinghouse will have a searchable list of organizations which address farm stress and resources for service providers such as webinars and print materials. Clearinghouse will link to and promote existing resources from partner organizations.Goal 3. Educate internal and external partners on program activities and how to access resources.Activity 3.A. Internal and external partners will be informed of program activities and how to access resources through the Network workgroup quarterly meetings and listserv emails. Led by PI, quarterly program updates will be sent to internal and external partners.Activity 3.B. National AgrAbility Project will host a regional conference annually and a National Training Workshop in this region in Y2; added to the national event will be a day of programming specific for WRASAP partners. In such a vast region and with many partners, this may be the best attended, in-person partner event for sharing program activities, results of surveys, resources developed,future plans, etc.Goal 4. Provide a range of services and targeted outreach for farmers or people working with farmers to address stressors and behavioral health. As stated, the needs of farmers in this region vary; partners agree that there is no single solution for these varied needs. Services provided under this goal are arraged to maximize reach and impact, while remaining flexible enough to adjust course based on evaluation data and participant feedback.Activity 4.A. Extend Farm Aid's farmer resource call line by 5 hours M-F to meet the needs of Western Region farmers. Remote Farm Aid call line operators will work out of the PI's Extension office answering calls, making referrals, and ensuring Farm Aid referral network reflects resources identified by WRASAP and its clearinghouse. Farm Aid is able to address stressors such as production issues as wellas behavioral health impacts of excessive stress.Activity 4.B. Provide a series of community outreach campaigns, peer support groups and educational trainings throughout program duration, evaluate methods and expand throughout region, as appropriate. 5 large scale outreach efforts will address stigma, build behavioral health competencies, offer support for stress-affected agricultural communities, and increase resilience of rural communities.Activity 4.C. Offer mini-grants for Professional Development, Translation and Outreach, which allow partners to build capacity/extend program outreach in a manner which reflects baseline assessment findings and the changing needs of diverse farmer populations. Mini-grant allocation will prioritize named partners within this proposal (letters of commitment) and require an action plan and accompanyingbudget justification to be submitted and approved by WRASAP leadership team prior to funds being expended and activities taking place. Allocations and expectations to reflect spirit of FRSAN RFA and USDA guidelines.
Project Methods
Performance Assessment Oversight. The Learning and Performance Research Center (LPRC) at Washington State University will work with the PIs to provide consultative, evaluative, and analytical support in relation to the project through a rigorous and comprehensive Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (PMEP) for the project. PMEP includes formative measures to assess progress toward attaining the goals and objectives of the proposed project. Such continuous monitoring and evaluation of the project operations will allow foreffective internal self-monitoring and planning and will: (a) ensure that the project is demonstrating results under the objectives of the project and (b) assist FRSAN's performance monitoring. Additionally, PMEP will include summative measures to assess project impact at the individual level. Two key indicators that will be used to measure project impact and performance are: (a) farmers' and ranchers'connection and use of USDA programs such as the Agriculture Mediation Program, and (b) farmers' and ranchers' connection to other government programs and resources. These indicators are unique to the context and program environment and will be key components of impact. Data will be collected twice a year throughout the project in quantitative from and will consider applying a growth model to modelresource use variability across groups and programs.

Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:All farmers/ranchers/farm workers in Western Region, including but not limited to principal farm operators, multi-generational, new and beginning farmers, ethnic minority farmers and agricultural workers (including Asian/Pacific Islander, Latinx/Latin American indigenous and Native American Nations), aging and veteran farmers, farmers and farmworkers with disabilities and 4-H youth. WRASAP activity across the Western Region aims to address farm stress and suicide prevention in ways that are culturally and geographically appropriate and thus relies on a network of stakeholder organizations to inform and magnify outreach. This includes Land Grant Universities and Extension systems, State Departments of Agriculture, commodity organizations, Farm Bureau offices, state health organizations, NIOSH Ag Safety Centers, National AgrAbility Project, Farmer Veteran Coalition and others. Information below illustrates targeted outreach relative to each WRASAP program Goal Network: WRASAP program partners include the National AgrAbility Project as well as the 6 State AgrAbility Programs inthe Western Regions. The National AgrAbility Project hosted a Regional AgrAbility Conference August, 2021 with a specific focus on farm stress and suicide prevention. Additional focus on veteran farmers and the landscape of services available to support this population. Clearinghouse: Clearinghouse resources are publicly accessible with a majority of entries geographically relevant the Western Region. Additionally, users can search clearinghouse for resources relevant to farming populations such as: New and beginning farmers, Farmers and Ranchers in Tribal Nations, Hispanic/Latinx Farmers and Farmworkers, Veteran Farmers, farmers with disabilities and others. The Y1 Baseline Survey of Farm Stress targeted ag producers/principle farm operators across the Western Region. Acknowledging the barriers to survey distribution and response in the 4 Territories (internet access, farmer recruitment, language/translation), WRASAP PI team facilitated trainings and info sessions for partners in Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands and Micronesia. This includedmethods for survey distribution and the suicide prevention training, QPR. Education: Networking meetings and WRASAP newsletter aim to inform ag stakeholders to issues contributing to farm stress, the landscape of resources and WRASAP program activities. Additionally, the monthly WRASAP Partner meetings host a guest speaker, topics have ranged from research on intervention programs in veteran communities, pesticide exposure and mental wellness, history of AgrAbility and priorities of federal funding. Direct Services:Promotion for the Farm Aid Hotline targeted to both farmers, ranchers and stakeholders across Western Region. Farmstress.us, program website, targeted to both farmers, ranchers and stakeholders across Western Region Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional Development opportunities were provided for both WRASAP Team members and Professional Development grant applicants, both inside and outside the WRASAP Team. Examples include: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) "Train the Trainer" training Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR)"Train the Trainer" training MHFA training available to WRASAP team members QPR training available to WRASAP team members How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Farmer survey results are available online to WRASAP Network members athttps://farmstress.us/members/evaluation/ Results of subaward projects are presented at various conferences throughout the Western Region, and also at the Quarterly Network Zoom Meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goal 1: Grow WRASAP network throughout the Western Region • Continue to host quarterly Network meetings to promote WRASAP activities and learn about existing resources • Colorado AgrAbility Program "Farm Stress Assistance" program will continue • Continue collaboration with Naitonal AgrAbility Project (NAP). Goal 2: Expand clearinghouse of resources initiated in FY2019 WRASAP to the entire Western Region and make the resource more publicly available. Upgrade database platform to improve data management and access • Pilot clearinghouse expansion to include media resources • Release Extranet platform for partners: features to include media toolkit, archived meetings and newsletters and trainings/curriculum developed by WRASAP partners, as appropriate • Annual website evaluation embedded into program evaluation plan • Continue to tailor format layout and content based on current events and user feedback and analytics Goal 3: Educate internal and external partners on program activities andhow to access resources. • Program activities and resources available on farmstress.us • Quarterly newsletter to inform internal and external partners about WRASAP and relevant activity. • National AgrAbility Project Regional Conference to be held in Hilo, HI, October 2023 Goal 4: Provide a range of services and targeted outreach for farmers or people working with farmers to address stressors and behavioral health. • Continue to offer resource and referral support to those calling Farm Aid hotline • Share relevant user data with WRASAP • Continued expansion of Western Region specific resources for Clearinghouse

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1. Grow WRASAP network throughout the Western Region Activity 1.A. Host quarterly Network meetings to promote WRASAP activities and learn about existing resources. Internal meetings with WRASAP partners Quarterly Network meetings Coordinate with AgrAbility programs National/State to streamline efforts Outputs: WRASAP All Team Meetings: Held monthly throughout the reporting period. Team members share information about progress on activities and discuss challenges and opportunities. WRASAP Quarterly Network Meetings: Include a broad array of individuals and organizations that have joined the WRASAP Network. People can sign up to attend these meetings at farmstress.us. Activity 1.B.1 Colorado AgrAbility Program will add a "Farm Stress Assistance" Behavioral Health Specialist to provide resources/trainings and assistance within Colorado and to other state AgrAbility programs in the region (AK, CA, CO, NM, UT and WA); embed stress assistance in workshop series. Outputs:Complete Activity 1.B.2 Collaborate with the National AgrAbility Project (NAP) to increase WRASAP reach and include behavioral health competencies within greater AgrAbility network. Activities: NM State AgrAbility & 1994 Conference, Albuquerque, NM WRASAP Program Coordinator Julie Jesmer attended National AgrAbility Project National Training Workshop held in Spokane, WA, Mar22-23. Dr Kuan Chen & Elvira Gisog of Univ of Guam hosted a table at the event Activity 1.C. Create a professional development tool for collaborators to identify and partner with grassroots community leaders in Latinx communities, commonly known as promotores. Activities: UC Davis continued to expand and support the Promotores Program Goal 2: Expand clearinghouse of resources initiated in FY2019 WRASAP to the entire Western Region and make theresource more publicly available. Activity 2.B. Clearinghouse will move from localized, state-specific host to a generalized platform; searchable list of organizations which address farm stress and resources for service providers. Outputs: Small grants applications: Q4 2022: 0 apps; Q1 2023: 13 apps; Q2 2023: 14 apps. Applicationss were closed after Q2, due to Small Grants funds having been spent, and time needed to allow small grants projects to be completed before end of NCE. Small grants awarded: 10 awarded by WSU (Outreach/Education and Translation categories) 12 awarded by MSU (Professional Development category) Events calendar including QPR training opportunities Website analytics available Goal 3: Educate internal and external partners on program activities and accessing resources Activity 3.A. Internal and external partners will be informed of program activities and resources through the Network workgroup quarterly meetings and listserv emails. Led by PI, quarterly program updates will be sent to internal and external partners. Activities: Network meetings and All Team Meetings serve to communicate program updates and findings, relevant resources Program, trainings, events and opportunities for collaboration. This includes QPR training and MHFA training WRASAP PI group attends FRSAN meetings with other regional programs Activity 3.B. National AgrAbility Project will host a regional conference annually and a National Training Workshop in this region in Y2; added to the National Event will be a day of programming specific for WRASAP partners. National AgrAbility Project National Training Workshop held in Spokane, WA, March 22-23. PD Don McMoran gave three presentations: WA State AgrAbility, 246 Attendees Total Farmer Health, 246 Attendees Working With Underserved Audiences, 246 Attendees Colorado State Univ, CO AgrAbility Project, RMFU (WRASAP partners) - Clinton Wilson, Chad Reznicek, Bob Fetch Promoting Resilience through SAMHSA's 8 Domains of Wellness Goal 4: Provide a range of services and targeted outreach for farmers or people working with farmers to address stressors andbehavioral health Activity 4.A. Extend Farm Aid's farmer resource call line by 5 hours M-F to meet the needs of Western Region farmers Resource available by Y1. Activities: WRASAP Hotline Reporting Sept1st, 2022 - Aug31st, 2023 Between Sept1st, 2022, and Aug 31st, 2023, the Farm Aid Hotline responded to 807 farmer cases nationally; 184 of these cases were in the WRASAP Region (23%); out of these, 10 farmers named Farm Stress and/or Crisis Assistance as a Submission Topic (5%). Cases by state: CA (65); WA (25); OR (20); CO (17); ID (10); NM (9); AZ (9); MT (8); HI (8); WY(6); UT (3); NV (2); AK (2) The Spanish Hotline responded to 23 farmer cases nationally; 15 (65%) of these cases were in the WRASAP Region (CA, OR, WA). The Hotline Team gave 1,057 referrals to organizations within the WRASAP region; gave 220 referrals to USDA (includes NRCS and SARE) programs; gave 63 referrals to FSA programs and FSA state offices within the WRASAP Region; and gave 118 referrals to Departments of Agriculture and University Extensions throughout the WRASAP region. Activity 4.B. Provide a series of community outreach campaigns, peer support groups and educational trainings throughout program duration, evaluate methods and expand throughout region, as appropriate. 5 large scale outreach efforts will address stigma, build behavioral health competencies, offer support for stress-affected agricultural communities, and increase resilience of rural communities. 4.B.1: Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) Activities: In the grant year Sept 1st2022 - Aug31st2023, AgWell a program of RMFU hosted or spoke at over 50 unique farmer rancher gatherings that reached over 1000 farmers, ranchers, ag workers, and ag service agents. This year we leaned into the data that shows "social connection" as the strongest protective factor against depression and other forms of mental illness. A few of the main ways we gathered farmers were through: Weekly online farmer meetups with as many as 8 and a core group of 4 for 25 weeks 3 Pizza 4 Producer events reaching 70 unique producers 40 Farmer Coffee connections reaching over 35 unique farmers in CO We also presented to over 100 Ag Insurance agents in CO, NM, and Wy on Ag mental health resources, and peer listening and referral skills One of our priorities was to support ag focused teens mental health programs. We created specific teen peer support activities and presented it to over 70 4-H student in Co. In Sept 2022 we hosted the first CO state wide Ag Mental and Behavioral Health Summit In August 2023 we partnered with the NM Department of Ag to host the first Ag Mental Health Summit in the state with over 40 participants, representing ag producers and Ag service agents. We partnered with Farm Aidand Agrability to host 2 Farmer Wellness Weekend Workshops in Washington state. The first retreat had 8 farmers the second one had 10. Over the year AgWell facilitated 22 Ag Mental Health Peer Support workshops. For over 500 agriculture producers and service agents. 4.B.2: Utah State University (USU) Activities:These activities and subaward were completed YR2. 4.B.3. UC Davis Extension & AgrAbility Activities:Offer programming to Promotores networks. 4.B.4 and 4.B.5: YR3 deliverables 4.C. Offer mini grants for Professional Development, Translation and Outreach, which allow partners to build capacity/extend program outreach in a manner which reflects baseline assessment findings and the changing needs of diverse farmer populations. Activities: Small grants awarded: 14 awarded by WSU (Outreach/Education and Translation categories) 17 awarded by MSU (Professional Development category) Outputs: The small grant program helps distribute funds into communities where local organizations can have more impact.

Publications

  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Le, T. (2022, January 2). Column: university of hawaii project sows seeds for isles ag future. Honolulu Star Advertiser. Retrieved September 19, 2023, from https://www.staradvertiser.com/user-access/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.staradvertiser.com%2F2022%2F01%2F02%2Feditorial%2Fisland-voices%2Fproject-sows-seeds-for-isles-ag-future%2F.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Baruchman, Mi. (2022, November 22). At a pizza party for mental health, WA farmers find community amid stress. Seattle Times, pp. 11.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Lyte, B. (2022, December 29). Half of hawaiis younger farmers battle depression. heres what researchers are doing. Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved September 19, 2023, from https://www.civilbeat.org/?p=1531731&utm_source=Civil+Beat+Master+List&utm_campaign=c758d04432-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_12_29_04_58&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-c758d04432-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=c758d04432&mc_eid=a8915e984d.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Cantrell, A. (2023, January 9). Montana State researchers, collaborators launch projects to help combat stress for farmers and ranchers. Montana Statue University News Service. https://www.montana.edu/news/22597/montana-state-researchers-collaborators-launch-projects-to-help-combat-stress-for-farmers-and-ranchers
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Staff (2022, October 12). University of Idaho Extension raising awareness about rural mental health challenges. Spudman. https://spudman.com/news/university-of-idaho-extension-raising-awareness-about-rural-mental-health-challenges/
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Courtney, R., & Mullinax, T. (2023, May 8). Stigmas subside for farmers feeling stress: Mental health pros discuss stress survey and suicide prevention. Good Fruit Grower. https://www.goodfruit.com/stigmas-subside-for-farmers-feeling-stress-video/
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Staff (2023b, August 16). Study: Costs, pests are biggest stressors for farmers on Guam. The Guam Daily Post. https://www.postguam.com/news/local/study-costs-pests-are-biggest-stressors-for-farmers-on-guam/article_ad22a104-3b19-11ee-bff7-bf23c3505bb0.html
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Staff, S. (2023c, August 16). Study: Costs, pests are biggest stressors for farmers on Guam. The Guam Daily Post. https://www.postguam.com/news/local/study-costs-pests-are-biggest-stressors-for-farmers-on-guam/article_ad22a104-3b19-11ee-bff7-bf23c3505bb0.html
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Staff, (2023b, August 16). Data reveals top stressors for farmers in the region. Pacific Daily News. https://www.guampdn.com/lifestyle/data-reveals-top-stressors-for-farmers-in-the-region/article_c4fa373a-3a45-11ee-8f36-cb8e4cc5787f.html
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Hanson, J. (2023, August 10). Reports deliver first-time data on farmer stress in Guam and Micronesia. Stars and Stripes Guam. https://guam.stripes.com/education/reports-deliver-first-time-data-farmer-stress-guam-and-micronesia
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Reports deliver first-time data on farmer stress in Guam, NMI and Micronesia. (2023, August 13). Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved September 21, 2023, from https://www.mvariety.com/news/reports-deliver-first-time-data-on-farmer-stress-in-guam-nmi-and-micronesia/article_a10364d4-373c-11ee-96e9-cb5f6f2063d8.html.


Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audience All farmers/ranchers/farm workers in Western Region, including but not limited to principal farm operators, multi-generational, new and beginning farmers, ethnic minority farmers and agricultural workers (including Asian/Pacific Islander, Latinx/Latin American indigenous and Native American Nations), aging and veteran farmers, farmers and farmworkers with disabilities and 4-H youthWRASAP activity across the Western Region aims to address farm stress and suicide prevention in ways that are culturally and geographically appropriate and thus relies on a network of stakeholder organizations to inform and magnify outreach. This includes Land Grant Universities and Extension systems, State Departments of Agriculture, commodity organizations, Farm Bureau offices, state health organizations, NIOSH Ag Safety Centers, National AgrAbility Project, Farmer Veteran Coalition and others. Information below illustrates targeted outreach relative to each WRASAP program Goal Network: WRASAP program partners include the National AgrAbility Project as well as the 6 State AgrAbility Programs in the Western Regions. The National AgrAbility Project hosted a Regional AgrAbility Conference August, 2021 with a specific focus on farm stress and suicide prevention. Additional focus on veteran farmers and the landscape of services available to support this population. Clearinghouse: Clearinghouse resources are publicly accessible with a majority of entries geographically relevant the Western Region. Additionally, users can search clearinghouse for resources relevant to farming populations such as: New and beginning farmers, Farmers and Ranchers in Tribal Nations, Hispanic/Latinx Farmers and Farmworkers, Veteran Farmers, farmers with disabilities and others. The Y1 Baseline Survey of Farm Stress targeted ag producers/principle farm operators across the Western Region. Acknowledging the barriers to survey distribution and response in the 4 Territories (internet access, farmer recruitment, language/translation), WRASAP PI team facilitated trainings and info sessions for partners in Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands and Micronesia. This included, methods for survey distribution and the suicide prevention training, QPR. Education: Networking meetings and WRASAP newsletter aim to inform ag stakeholders to issues contributing to farm stress, the landscape of resources and WRASAP program activities. Additionally, the monthly WRASAP Partner meetings host a guest speaker, topics have ranged from research on intervention programs in veteran communities, pesticide exposure and mental wellness, history of AgrAbility and priorities of federal funding. Direct Services Promotion for the Farm Aid Hotline targeted to both farmers, ranchers and stakeholders across Western Region. Farmstress.us, program website, targeted to both farmers, ranchers and stakeholders across Western Region. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional Development opportunities were provided for both WRASAP Team members and Professional Development grant applicants, both inside and outside the WRASAP Team. Examples include: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) "Train the Trainer" training Question, Persuade, andRefer (QPR) "Train the Trainer" training MHFAtraining available to WRASAP team members QPR training available to WRASAP team members How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Farmer survey results are available online to WRASAP Network members athttps://farmstress.us/members/evaluation/ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goal 1: Grow WRASAP network throughout the Western Region Continue to host quarterly Network meetings to promote WRASAP activities and learn about existing resources Colorado AgrAbility Program "Farm Stress Assistance" program will continue Continue collaboration with Naitonal AgrAbility Project (NAP). The National AgrAbility Naitonal Training Workshop (NTW)will be held in Spokane, WA, March 20-23, with WRASAP taking the lead on this workshop. Goal 2: Expand clearinghouse of resources initiated in FY2019 WRASAP to the entire Western Region and make the resource more publicly available. Upgrade database platform to improve data management and access Pilot clearinghouse expansion to include media resources Release Extranet platform for partners: features to include media toolkit, archived meetings and newsletters and trainings/curriculum developed by WRASAP partners, as appropriate Annual website evaluation embedded into program evaluation plan Continue to tailor format layout and content based on current events and user feedback and analytics Goal 3: Educate internal and external partners on program activities andhow to access resources. Program activities and resources available on farmstress.us Quarterly newsletter to inform internal and external partners about WRASAP and relevant activity. National AgrAbility Project Regional Conference to be held in Reno, NV, November 29 - December 1, 2022 Farm Stress Ag Worker survey results will be prepared for distribution and presentation to WRASAP partners Goal 4: Provide a range of services and targeted outreach for farmers or people working with farmers to address stressors and behavioral health. Continue to offer resource and referral support to those calling Farm Aid hotline Share relevant user data with WRASAP Continued expansion of Western Region specific resources for Clearinghouse University of Idaho Everyday Democracy program will be delivered during this time fram Continue to offer mini grants for Professional Development, Translation, and Outreach/Education

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The WRASAP program has accomplished a great deal as communities"opened" again after the initial "shut downs" of the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the WRASAP team have been able to travel and attend events in person. At the same time, the "new normal" of virtual events becomming more common has allowed greater participation in events from participants who otherwise would not be able to travel and attend. Through this combination of in-person and virtual events, outreach efforts have expanded during the second year of the WRASAP program. Goal 1. Grow WRASAP network throughout the Western Region Activity 1.A. Host quarterly Network meetings to promote WRASAP activities and learn about existing resources. Internal meetings with WRASAP partners Quarterly Network meetings Coordinate with AgrAbility programs National/State to streamline efforts Outputs: WRASAP All Team Meetings:WRASAP Team meetings were held monthly throughout the reporting period. Team members share information about progress on activities and discuss challenges and opportunities. WRASAP Quartery Network Meetings:These are larger meetings that include a broad array of individuals and organizations that have joined the WRASAP Network. People can sign up to attend these meetings at farmstress.us. Activity 1.B.1 Colorado AgrAbility Program will add a "Farm Sress Assistance" Behavioral Health Specialist to provide resources/trainings and assistance within Colorado and to other state GrAbility programs in the regon (AK, CA, CO, NM, UT and WA); embed stress assistanc in workshop series. Outputs:On Schedule Activity 1.B.2 Collaborate with the National AgrAbility Project (NAP) to increase WRASAP reach and include behavioral health competencies within greater AgrAbility network. Activities: Several team members attended National AgrAbility Project National Traing Workshop, March 14-17, Madison, WI, and made presentations Activity 1.C. Create a professional development tool for collaborators to identify and partner with grassroots community leaders in Latinx communities, commonly known as promotores. Activitiies: UC Davis completed the PD tool andlaunched the Promotores Program Goal 2: Expand clearinghouse of resources initiated in FY2019 WRASAP to the entire Western Region and make the resource more publicly available. Activity 2.B. Clearinghouse will move from localized, state-specific host to a generalized platform; searchable list of organizations which address farm stress and resources for service providers. Activities: Clearinghouse and Small Grants Webpage live on Januray 1, 2021 New website design live April 2021 Member portal live October 2021. WRASAP Network Members invited to register Outputs: Small grants applications: Q4 2021: 8 applications; Q1 2022: 9 applications; Q2 2022: 12 applications Small grants awarded: 17 awarded by WSU (Outreach/Education and Translation categories) 5 awarded by MSU (Professional Development category) Events calendar including QPR training opportunities Websiteanalytics available Goal 3: Educate internal and external partners on program activities and accessing resources Activity 3.A. Internal and external partners will be informed of program activities and resources through the Network workgroup quarterly meetings and listserv emails. Led by PI, quarterly program updates will be sent to internal and external partners. Activities: Network meetings and All Team Meetings serve to communicate program updates and findings, relevant resources Program, trainings, events and opportunities for collaboration. This includes QPR training and MHFA training WRASAP PI group attends FRSAN meetings with other Regional programs Activity 3.B.National AgrAbility Project will host a regional conference annually and a National Training Worksop in this region in Y2; added to the National Event will be a day of programming specific for WRASAP partners. Activities: AgrAbility Regional Workshop held in Billings, Montana August 9-11, 2021. WSU PI Don McMoran presented on the WRASAP program; In-person WRASAP Team Meeting was held at this event Next AgrAbility Regional Workshop is scheduled for November 29th - December1st, 2022 in Reno, NV Goal 4: Provide a range of services and targeted outreachfor farmers or people working with farmers to address stressors and behavioral health Activity 4.A. Extend Farm Aid's farmer resource call line by 5 hours M-F to meet the needs of Western Region farmers Resource available by Y1. Activities: Farm Aid's farmer hotline hours extended as of April 2021. Outputs: from January 2021 - January 2022, Western Region calls totaled 89 of 688 calls nationwide. 13% of Farm Aid calls were from Western Region during that time frame. Activity 4.B. Provide a series of community outreach campaigns, peer support groups and educational trainings throughout program duration, evaluate methods and expand throughout region, as approriate. 5 large scale outreach efforts will address stigma, build behavioral health competencies, offer support for stress-affected agricultural communities, and increase resilience of rural communities. 4.B.1: Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) Activities: TheRunning on All Cylinders Workshopwas developed to educate farmers, ranchers, agricultural workers and their families about sress management, suicide prevention and substance abuse prevention and provide them with referrals to local treatment, support and emergency resources. Peer Assistance Network developed by identifying local leaders in rural communities throughout Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico RPAN website, videos and just-in-time communications developed to provide helpful information and links to additional resources. Outputs: Recorded a farm mental health podcast for NMCEWL - 3/30/2022 Launched our social media campagn - 4/3/2022 Sample trainings provided: Launched a 7 week online zoom workshop platform supporting farmers, ranchers, ag producers and their family along with ag support workers. These workshops support healty well-beeing practices. - 4/13/2022, 9 attendees Presented AgWell Resource training to RMFU Agent Convention - 4/20/2022, 100 attendees ROAC - Larimer County Farmers aliance workshop - 4/30/2022, 5 attendees Running on All Cylinders Virtual Workshop for Hermanas Farm in ABQ - 6/21/2022, 6 attendees Total Trainings 7 with189 attendees 4.B.2: Utah State University (USU) Activities: Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy (MHAA) online course launched. MHAA is an empiracally supported mental health literacy program. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) online course launched. ACT is a cognitive behavioral therapy incorporating acceptance/mindfulness practices and valued-based action. 4.B.3. UC Davis Extensioon & AgrAbility Activities: Offer programming toPromotoresnetworks. 4.B.4 and 4.B.5: YR3 deliverables 4.C. Offer mini grants for Professional Development, Translation and Outreach, which allow partners tobuild capacity/extend program outrech in a manner which reflects baseline assessment findings and the changing needs of diverse farmer populations. Activities: Small grants awarded: 17 awarded by WSU (Outreach/Education and Translation categories) 5 awarded by MSU (Professional Development category) Outputs:Samples of Small grants include: Addressing Stressors in the Pacific Islands' Agriculture -University of Guam Building Community & Connections with Migrant Farmers (Thai/Laotian)- Hawaii Farmers Union Suicide Prevention and Safe Spaces Outreach with Agrcultural Workers -Children's Home Society of Washington Building and Strengthening the People of the Land" -Trevor Stephen Farmer Wellness Weekend Workshop -Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and other existing WRASAP Team members

Publications


    Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21

    Outputs
    Target Audience:All farmers/ranchers/farm workers in Western Region, including but not limited to principal farm operators, multi-generational, new and beginning farmers, ethnic minority farmers and agricultural workers (including Asian/Pacific Islander, Latinx/Latin American indigenous and Native American Nations), aging and veteran farmers, farmers and farmworkers with disabilities and 4-H youthWRASAP activity across the Western Region aims to address farm stress and suicide prevention in ways that are culturally and geographically appropriate and thus relies on a network of stakeholder organizations to inform and magnify outreach. This includes Land Grant Universities and Extension systems, State Departments of Agriculture, commodity organizations, Farm Bureau offices, state health organizations, NIOSH Ag Safety Centers, National AgrAbility Project, Farmer Veteran Coalition and others. Information below illustrates targeted outreach relative to each WRASAP program Goal Network: WRASAP program partners include the National AgrAbility Project as well as the 6 State AgrAbility Programs in the Western Regions. The National AgrAbility Project hosted a Regional AgrAbility Conference August, 2021 with a specific focus on farm stress and suicide prevention. Additional focus on veteran farmers and the landscape of services available to support this population. Clearinghouse: Clearinghouse resources are publicly accessible with a majority of entries geographically relevant the Western Region. Additionally, users can search clearinghouse for resources relevant to farming populations such as: New and beginning farmers, Farmers and Ranchers in Tribal Nations, Hispanic/Latinx Farmers and Farmworkers, Veteran Farmers, farmers with disabilities and others. The Y1 Baseline Survey of Farm Stress targeted ag producers/principle farm operators across the Western Region. Acknowledging the barriers to survey distribution and response in the 4 Territories (internet access, farmer recruitment, language/translation), WRASAP PI team facilitated trainings and info sessions for partners in Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands and Micronesia. This included, methods for survey distribution and the suicide prevention training, QPR. Education: Networking meetings and WRASAP newsletter aim to inform ag stakeholders to issues contributing to farm stress, the landscape of resources and WRASAP program activities. Additionally, the monthly WRASAP Partner meetings host a guest speaker, topics have ranged from research on intervention programs in veteran communities, pesticide exposure and mental wellness, history of AgrAbility and priorities of federal funding. Direct Services Promotion for the Farm Aid Hotline targeted to both farmers, ranchers and stakeholders across Western Region. Farmstress.us, program website, targeted to both farmers, ranchers and stakeholders across Western Region. Changes/Problems: Baseline survey was hacked by a bot, requiring increased security measures and time-consuming combing of data WSU has been delayed in processing raises and new hires, but the new WRASAP Coordinator has been hired and is expected to start working in December 2021. Ongoing COVID constraints limit in-person activity and outreach The program is spending at a slow rate due to delays in WSU financial processing and low application volume to the Small Grants program Low call volume to FarmAid call line; current state-based marketing efforts may increase volume Specific to Subawards: RPAN coordinator resigned, need to hire associate director RPAN has experienced difficulty expanding into Wyoming due to having few contacts/network partners there. USU needed to request additional funds in subaward (subaward revision) USU lost an instructional designer they were initially working with What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? WRASAP PI team, GRAs and many program support staff completed MHFA facilitated by Outreach Lead Dr. Alison Brenan of MSU in March 2021 QPR was offered at the Regional AgrAbility Training in Billings, MT in August 2021 Small Grant Professional Development awards allowed two interested persons to attend the Regional AgrAbility Training in Billings How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Survey results disseminated to WRASAP partner state contacts, as appropriate and made available on the farmstress.us extranet site. Additionally, program shares relevant findings with USDA quarterly for designated updates to the legislature. Quarterly Networking and All Team Meetings allow platform for WRASAP partners to highlight work activity and encourage network growth and collaboration. These activities are documented and further disseminated in quarterly newsletters. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Goal 1. Grow WRASAP network throughout the Western Region Continuation of Quarterly meetings and newsletters. PIs to attend the National FRSAN Meeting tentatively set for May 2022 and will continue PI participation in the quarterly meetings of Regional FRSAN programs. Further embed expertise of CSU's Farm Stress Behavioral Health Specialist into WRASAP meetings as well as State AgrAbility programs in Western Region Continue to collaborate with National AgrAbility Program and coordinate accordingly for the National Training Workshop in Madison, WI in March 2022 Publish Professional Development tool for collaboration with Promotores Goal 2. Expand clearinghouse of resources initiated in FY2019 WRASAP to the entire Western Region and make the resource more publicly available. PI team will develop and disseminate a survey to identify leading stressors specific to farm workers across the Western Region. Use findings of the above as well as the 2021 survey to identify needs areas for the farmstress.us Clearinghouse. WRASAP Team, with support of the Farm Aid hotline operators will continue to identify new organizations and resources relevant to farm stress and add to the Clearinghouse as appropriate. Goal 3. Educate internal and external partners on program activities and how to access resources. Continue to host Quarterly Network Meetings and monthly All Team Meetings which highlight guest speakers. Continue to distribute newsletter and report findings to USDA on a quarterly basis. Development of Member Portal with curricula, articles, recordings, and event calendar located at farmstress.us. PIs to attend the National FRSAN Meeting tentatively set for May 2022 and will continue PI participation in the quarterly meetings of Regional FRSAN programs. Goal 4. Provide a range of services and targeted outreach for farmers or people working with farmers to address stressors and behavioral health. Continue extended hours of Farm Aid hotline Subawards: RMFU will continue offering Running on All Cylinders workshops, develop the Peer Assistance Network, host monthly group calls and one-on-one coaching sessions, and host a Peer Listener Summit USU will deliver the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy (MHAA) courses, offering online MHAA for agricultural gatekeepers, multi-modal MHAA and ACT curriculum for agricultural workers, and in-person seminars, online training/webinars, and podcast. USU will create partnerships to share/adapt programs/content with the Western Region UC Davis, CA AgrAbility, and signed collaborators will offer programming to Promotores networks through the following: Host community events with behavioral health programming in different regions of CA Host peer support groups for farmworkers Train a promotora to be point of contact for farmworkers in 24 Northern CA counties Host promotores behavioral health talks in migrant communities Host outreach booths at promotores conferences or health fairs, distributing behavioral health resources and educational materials MSU will develop Mental Wellness Conversation Curriculum (MWCC) and supporting materials Small Grants: continue to offer and funds small grant applications which are in line with WRASAP goals

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1. Grow WRASAP network throughout the Western Region During reporting year, Program hosted three Network Meetings (January, April and July 2021) and eight All Team Meetings (totaling over 300 participants). At these meetings, subject matter experts present on subjects related to farm stress, 15 presentations at these meetings during this reporting period. Colorado AgrAbility Program successful hire of a "Farm Stress Assistance" Behavioral Health Specialist to provide resources/trainings and assistance within Colorado and to other state AgrAbility programs in the region (AK, CA, NM, UT and WA) National AgrAbility Project Regional Conference (in conjunction with WRASAP) in Billings, Montana, August 2021. 62 attendees. The first two days of presentations highlighted issues related to on farm stress and mental health; QPR training event offered. Goal 2. Expand clearinghouse of resources initiated in FY2019 WRASAP to the entire Western Region and make the resource more publicly available. Program developed and distributed survey to identify work-related stressors for farmer in Western region. Results analyzed and state specific report findings published and made available to WRASAP partners, as appropriate. Farmstress.us. Publicly available website hosting the WRASAP Clearinghouse. Initial Clearinghouse offerings match those of the previous clearinghouse (FRSAN 2019) and have expanded to include relevant entries as supported by WRASAP partner, FarmAid's Farmer Resource Network. Goal 3. Educate internal and external partners on program activities and accessing resources Network Meetings and All Team Meetings serve to communicate program updates and findings, relevant resources, trainings, events and opportunities for collaboration WRASAP PI group attends Quarterly FRSAN meetings with other Regional programs A quarterly newsletter is distributed to the Network listserv and includes one or more team member highlights, program updates, farm stress-related news and resources, and upcoming trainings, meetings and events Goal 4. Provide a range of services and targeted outreach for farmers or people working with farmers to address stressors and behavioral health. Farm Aid's farmer hotline hours extended as of April 2021. WRASAP has and will continue to promote and support this free resource. Rocky Mountain Farmers Union's program, The Rural Peer Assistance Network (RPAN), has the mission to uplift the lives of rural farmers, ranchers, agricultural workers and their families through stress management, suicide prevention and substance abuse support, wiping out stigma, shame and resistance. This program has two parts--direct education and local peer support. Utah State University completed an initial draft of the Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy (MHAA) online course, an empirically supported mental health literacy program. USU is working with their marketing team to ensure there are interested prospective participants once the course launches. USU has also developed one-to-three-hour presentations and a one-hour stress management workshop that could be delivered in face-to-face formats or via Zoom. Finally, USU has complied the outline of content to be put into an online, self-guided course that teaches Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a cognitive behavioral therapy incorporating acceptance/mindfulness practices and valued-based action. Small Grants: WRASAP has funded seven grant proposals addressing farm stress topics related to Translation, Outreach or Professional Development for a total of $116,664 [TSE1]during this reporting period. Two of these were stipends to attend the Regional AgrAbility Training in Billings, MT, and the other five are as follows: Hawaii Farmers Union United (HFUU) is a chartered member of the National Farmers Union (NFU), that works to support regenerative, locally based, agricultural systems since its inception in 2009. HFUU received 3 awards in Q1 of 2021: Professional Development: host stress reduction workshops and provide Mental Health Training for chapter leaders, farm apprentices, and others in the agricultural community. Translation: Key resources on agricultural practices and issues translated for Thai and Laotian farmers. Outreach: HFUU conventions and other events will incorporate the HIVE, a gathering place with speakers and short workshops centered around facilitated and peer-to-peer discussions on mental health stressors. WRASAP small grant funds has allowed the University of Guam (UOG) to conduct in-person interviews with farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural sector in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia as part of the farm stress baseline survey. UOG is also developing intervention techniques to raise awareness of overexertion through translation of printed and electronic materials in various languages (e.g. Chamorru, Chuukese, Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Kosraean). The Colorado AgrAbility Project (CAP) received an award to develop a statewide farm/ranch mental health database that will include referral programs to WRASAP-approved rural professionals. [TSE1]Should confirm with Workday; this is through August 2021

    Publications