Source: AGRICULTURE, OREGON DEPARTMENT OF submitted to NRP
OREGON FARM AND RANCH STRESS ASSISTANCE NETWORK SUPPORT
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1027589
Grant No.
2021-70035-35909
Cumulative Award Amt.
$114,993.00
Proposal No.
2021-09309
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2021
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2023
Grant Year
2021
Program Code
[FF-L]- IYFC, Admin. Discretionary & Reim. Extension
Recipient Organization
AGRICULTURE, OREGON DEPARTMENT OF
635 CAPITOL ST NE STE 100
SALEM,OR 973012524
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Agricultural landowners/operators and farmworkers in Oregon, as elsewhere in the country, have physically demanding jobs at the same time they are dealing with concerns about economic uncertainty, increasing extreme weather events, as well as isolation. Health and mental healthcare services are often limited in rural communities making it that much more difficult for rural residents to get the support they need when experiencing a mental health crisis. At present, agricultural producers, farmworkers, and their families have had the added stress and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The coincidence of recent crises has taken a heavy mental health toll on agricultural communities which makes the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network so vital to get rural residents the help they need to maintain their mental well-being while meeting the challenges of health, environmental and economic uncertainty on so many fronts.Through outreach and education--including in-person training/learning opportunities and access to mental health resources--residents of agricultural communities can become more resilient to ever changing conditions. Building local mental healthcare capacity and tapping into a wider Network of support will expand much needed direct, long-term assistance for rural communities.The goal of this project is to prevent suicide and to foster the good mental health of people in our agricultural communities that face unique stresses, environmental challenges, and economic uncertainties. Each of us is supported by many communities and resources, and members of rural communities are equally in need and deserving of sufficient help. Strong rural communities benefit each of us since our own well-being also depends on the food and fiber that they produce. The Oregon Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network Support project will expand vital mental health assistance to agricultural communities throughout the state.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90360503020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6050 - Communities, areas, and regions;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
The Goal of this project is for the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) to partner with Oregon State University Extension Service (OSU) to expand work to address rural stress and suicide. As part of the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), OSU is collaborating with the University of Nevada, Reno to survey agricultural producers' needs regarding stress management; to create programs and materials to meet their needs; and to develop a 2021-2022 Work Plan. ODA will provide technical assistance related to the grant application and reporting.The goal will be accomplished through three measurable objectives: 1) Build the statewide farm and ranch stress assistance network; 2) Expand the current FRSAN clearinghouse database/resources, and 3) Create and offer outreach and education to address rural stress and suicide prevention.Objective 1: Develop NetworkOSU will further integrate the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network with Oregon AgLink and Oregon Dairy Farmer's Association to promote farm stress, mental health, and suicide prevention education. OSU will continue efforts to recruit additional organizations to become part of the Network. OSU will explore integrating financial advisors into the Network.Objective 2: Expand ClearinghouseOSU has constructed a FRSAN website as a clearinghouse of resources available to agricultural communities (beav.es/farm-stress). This project will allow more resources to be added to the clearinghouse.Objective 3: Create and Offer Outreach and Education:OSU will create and offer additional agriculture-focused stress management and suicide prevention trainings (QPR trainings) in both Spanish and English. As COVID restrictions allow, on-farm trainings will be conducted. OSU will also explore building ag-stress/suicide prevention competencies into pre-existing trainings. OSU will explore offering education for rural health providers with CE credits. OSU will explore finding farmers to be QPR trainers, training trainers, and incorporating personal farmers' stories into trainings expected to increase interest. Finally, OSU will help promote the FarmAid hotline and 9-9-8 rollout to rural and agricultural communities.
Project Methods
Methods to achieve the project goal and objectives focus on efforts and evaluation. Efforts will revolve around outreach and education, including on-farm QPR trainings (as COVID restrictions allow) addressing stress management and suicide prevention. In addition to stand alone trainings, this project will explore incorporating stress management and suicide prevention information sessions into current trainings offered to agricultural landowners/operators and farmworkers. It will build local capacity by establishing CE credited training for rural health providers. The project will engage by finding farmers to be QPR trainers, training those trainers, with the unique aspect of incoproating farmers' personal stories into trainings which is expected to increase participation. The remaining objectives around resources available through the Network and Clearinghouse will be accomplish primarily through relationship building and research.Evaluation of success will take place by recording the number of participants at trainings offered along with the additional number of QPR trainers that have been educated in the best ways to provide stress management and suicide prevention information sessions. Success will also be measured by the number of rural health providers that take advantage of continuing education credits focused on rural stress management and suicide prevention courses. Another measure of success will be the number and type of trainings and materials available in both Spanish and English. Further, an evaluation will be conducted by reporting the number of new organizations or types of assistance (such as financial advisors) participating in FRSAN and by cataloguing the new resources available through the FRSAN website clearinghouse. Finally, ODA will report on the use of the FarmAid hotline and 9-9-8 help lines.

Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:Grant funds were used to sustain and expand stress assistance programs for individuals who are engaged in farming, ranching, and other agriculture-related occupations. The project recruited agricultural organizations, such as the Oregon Dairy Farmers Association,to help promote farm stress, mental health, and suicide prevention education and outreach. Farm organization conferences and trade shows were successful venues forsharing information with target populations.Oregon State University offered additional agriculture-focused suicide prevention trainings (QPR trainings) to local farmers and ranchers, community members and rural health care providers in both Spanish and English to expand the local base of continuing resources for target populations. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Oregon State University created and offered 23 QPR Suicide Prevention Train the Trainer educational sessions. Fifteen (15) trainings were offered in English and 8 offered in Spanish. A total of 270 trainees participated. There are 248 individuals who received Gatekeeper accreditation. Training topics offered include Addressing the Role Stigma Plays in Death by Suicide; Developing and Implementing a Pilot Agricultural Community Suicide Prevention Program for Farmers and Farm Workers; Stepping Boldly into Tough Conversations; It's OK to Not be OK - Self Care for Men; Safer Homes, Suicide Aware: Firearm Safety Course, and Tensions of Farm Succession. OSU hosted a 3-day (14-hour) Oregon Suicide Prevention Convention open and advertised to farmers, ranchers, agricultural community residents and rural health care workers. The FRSAN lead scientist is currently in negotiations with Oregon State University to offer CE credits to rural health care workers who become trained in Ag-stress assistance and suicide prevention. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results and resources created through the Oregon Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Project are currently available on theFRSAN website constructed under this project as a clearinghouse of resources available to agricultural communities. (beav.es/farm-stress). The 248 rural community members who completed the QPR Suicide Prevention training are now "Gatekeepers"availableas ongoing local resources to address farm-related stress, mental health, and suicide prevention. Long-term benefits are expected from the investments to promote the FarmAid hotline and the 9-8-8 rollout of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Educational materials created through the project and QPR training materialswill continue to be made available and promotedthrough annualagricultural organization conferences and trade shows. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Accomplishment of Goals (Objectives) Objective 1: Recruited and integrated agricultural organizations with the FRSAN (Network) to make available resources to address farm stress, mental health, and suicide prevention. Agricultural organizations recruited and conferences used as venues for sharing information include Oregon AgLink, Oregon Dairy Farmer's Association, Willamette Valley Ag Expo, Northwest Ag Show, Oregon Small Farms Conference, Central Oregon Ag Show, Oregon Cattlemen's Annual Convention and Trade Show, Douglas County Livestock Association Conference, and the Agricultural Innovation Conference. Objective 2: Constructed a FRSAN website as a clearinghouse of resources available to agricultural communities. (beav.es/farm-stress) Objective 3: Oregon State University created and offered 23 QPR Suicide Prevention Train the Trainer educational sessions; with 15 trainings offered in English and 8 offered in Spanish with a total of 270 farmer/rural residents trainee participants. OSU incorporated ag-stress and suicide prevention curriucula into the OSU Small Farm Conference and OSU Extension farm assistance offerings. The FRSAN lead scientist is in negotiations with the OSU to offer rural health providers with CE credits for training in ag-stress assistance and suicide prevention. Invested time and resources to promote the FarmAid hotline and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 9-8-8 rollout.

Publications


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

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Grant funds were used to sustain and expand stress assistance programs for individuals who are engaged in farming, ranching, and other agriculture-related occupations. The project recruited agricultural organizations, such as the Oregon Dairy Farmers Association,to help promote farm stress, mental health, and suicide prevention education and outreach. Farm organization conferences and trade shows were successful venues forsharing information with target populations.Oregon State University offered additional agriculture-focused suicide prevention trainings (QPR trainings) to local farmers and ranchers, community members and rural health care providers in both Spanish and English to expand the local base of continuing resources for target populations. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Oregon State University created and offered 10QPR Suicide Prevention Train the Trainer educational sessions. Five(5) trainings were offered in English and 5offered in Spanish. A total of 116trainees participated. There are 111individuals who received Gatekeeper accreditation. Training topics offered include Addressing the Role Stigma Plays in Death by Suicide; Developing and Implementing a Pilot Agricultural Community Suicide Prevention Program for Farmers and Farm Workers; Stepping Boldly into Tough Conversations; It's OK to Not be OK - Self Care for Men; Safer Homes, Suicide Aware: Firearm Safety Course, and Tensions of Farm Succession.The FRSAN lead scientist is currently in negotiations with Oregon State University to offer CE credits to rural health care workers who become trained in Ag-stress assistance and suicide prevention. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results and resources created through the Oregon Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Project are currently available on theFRSAN website constructed under this project as a clearinghouse of resources available to agricultural communities. (beav.es/farm-stress). The 111rural community members who completed the QPR Suicide Prevention training are now "Gatekeepers"availableas ongoing local resources to address farm-related stress, mental health, and suicide prevention. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Educational materials created through the projectwill continue to be made available and promotedthrough annualagricultural organization conferences and trade shows.QPR Suicide Prevention Train the Trainer educational sessions will continue to be offered to expand local assistance capacity.OSU will host a 3-day Suicide Prevention Conference.The project will continue to recruit agricultural organizations to integrate into the FRSAN (Network) and to expand resources available through the dedicated website (beav.es/farm-stress).Investments in year 2 will promote the FarmAid hotline and the 9-8-8 rollout of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.The FRSAN lead scientist will continue negotiations with Oregon State University to offer CE credits to rural health care workers who become trained in Ag-stress assistance and suicide prevention.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Accomplishment of Goals (Objectives) Objective 1: Recruited and integrated agricultural organizations with the FRSAN (Network) to make available resources to address farm stress, mental health, and suicide prevention. Agricultural organizations recruited and conferences used as venues for sharing information include Oregon AgLink, Oregon Dairy Farmer's Association, Willamette Valley Ag Expo, Northwest Ag Show, Oregon Small Farms Conference, Central Oregon Ag Show, Oregon Cattlemen's Annual Convention and Trade Show, Douglas County Livestock Association Conference, and the Agricultural Innovation Conference. Objective 2: Constructed a FRSAN website as a clearinghouse of resources available to agricultural communities. (beav.es/farm-stress) Objective 3: Oregon State University created and offered 10 QPR Suicide Prevention Train the Trainer educational sessions; with 5 trainings offered in English and 5 offered in Spanish with a total of 116 farmer/rural residents trainee participants. OSU incorporated ag-stress and suicide prevention curricula into the OSU Small Farm Conference and OSU Extension farm assistance offerings.

    Publications