The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and partners in the Minnesota Farm Suicide Prevention Campaign are offering free mental health and suicide prevention trainings in communities across Minnesota this fall.
The workshops are designed to help people who live and work in agricultural communities recognize when someone may be struggling, start supportive conversations and connect people with appropriate resources.
QPR for Agriculture is a two-hour, evidence-based workshop focused on three steps: recognizing warning signs, engaging in supportive conversations and connecting someone at risk with appropriate care and life-saving resources. The workshop can introduce participants to suicide prevention or reinforce skills gained through previous training.
Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory, or COMET, is a two-hour interactive workshop that teaches participants how to begin a caring conversation with someone who appears sad, withdrawn or otherwise not like themselves. Participants use a seven-question guide to help someone who may be moving toward a mental health crisis redirect their trajectory toward wellness.
The trainings are open to people who regularly interact with farmers, including crop consultants, agricultural lenders, insurance adjusters, Extension educators, county and township officials, rural clergy, agricultural cooperative and other rural business owners, state and federal agency staff and veterinarians.
The Minnesota Farm Suicide Prevention Campaign launched earlier this year to connect farmers and others in agriculture with effective, nonjudgmental support. The campaign is supported by agricultural organizations, commodity groups, businesses and University of Minnesota Extension.
Registration is available through the Suicide Prevention and Mental Wellness Workshops page on Eventbrite. Additional dates may be added.
Source: Minnesota Department of Agriculture, "MDA, Partners Offer Free Workshops to Support Farmers in Times of Stress"