Programming through the Farmer Wellness Initiatives for Ontario farm workers will see a $538,000 funding boost through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP). Of that total, nearly $178,000 will be dedicated to supporting the delivery of services in Spanish.
Delivered by Agriculture Wellness Ontario, a suite of free programming managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division, the Farmer Wellness Initiative provides farmers, farm workers and their family members in Ontario with unlimited access to a free, 24/7 phone line that connects them to tailored mental health counselling.
Earlier this year, the line expanded to include farm workers, and now the expansion includes the delivery of mental health services in Spanish to better serve international agricultural workers.
Services offered through the 24/7 phone line include crisis counselling, risk assessments, and face-to-face, phone or video sessions with a counsellor.
“The expansion of services to farm workers and their families reflects the reality that the entire agricultural community experiences unique stressors that require tailored solutions,” says Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “By increasing access to mental health services for everyone involved in the business of farming, we are supporting those who work hard to grow our sector and provide food for people across Ontario and throughout the world.”
