No-cost mental health access for ag community

URBANA, Ill. — With low commodity prices, high input costs, weather, taxes, personnel and other concerns, farmers and ranchers face a myriad of stresses in their lives — and free resources are available to help get through those tough times.

University of Illinois Extension offers help through its Agricultural Mental Health Voucher Program.

The program, part of the Extension-led North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center, allows agricultural producers, workers and their family members to seek help free of charge from a certified mental health professional.

U of I Extension will provide three free vouchers to be used at participating providers that are located across the Illinois.

The program is funded by grants with the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the farm bill and Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Signing up for the vouchers for free mental health assistance is simple and anonymous.

Kacie Hulshof, Illinois Agricultural Mental Health Voucher Program coordinator, said the process begins with a producer making an online request at go.illinois.edu/FarmStressVoucher.

“We receive the request, verify they’re from Illinois and they have a connection to agriculture. We receive very basic information. It’s not a detailed form that’s going to take 10 minutes to fill out. It’s very quick, very basic information, your name, occupation and the connection to agriculture,” she said.

“We then verify that and, once granted, we send them three vouchers. They also receive a participating provider list that has over 120 providers across the Illinois who are in agreement with us that they take those vouchers.

“They get to pick which provider they want to see, and I think that’s huge as far as the benefit of them making that decision.

“They redeem those vouchers and then we reimburse their providers directly. There’s no need for insurance because a lot of times, working in the ag industry, some people may not have insurance, may not know their insurance policies, may want to keep it as private as possible and don’t want insurance involved. They can seek and receive mental health care for free because of this program.”

Since the program was launched in June 2023, over 1,800 vouchers have been distributed. That’s over 600 requests made in the last two years, at three vouchers apiece.

Anonymous

Hulshof stressed the anonymity of the program.

“We try to keep things as basic as possible to allow people to feel that security. The vouchers are completely anonymous. We have created it so that no one would know if you’ve made a request. We can either do it by mail or email. It’s whatever the producer feels or the individual feels safest,” she said.

Help through the program is available both through telehealth and in-person with the mental health professionals.

“It’s truly as much or as little as the individual wants. The process is completely anonymous. We keep things within the provider and they can’t share any information with us either. So, it’s really cross-referenced where people don’t know you’re asking for help unless you tell,” Hulshof said.

Training

The U of I Extension program also provide ag literacy training for the mental health care providers.

Because it’s a statewide program, some mental health providers may not be familiar with the ag sector and its uniqueness.

“It’s a four-hour training that gives them the basics of what farmers go through, what their profession deals with that might be different than others, because it is just so intertwined with personal life, work life, family life,” Hulshof said.

“The training helps give them a framework, or a footing to start with. That way farmers know this person has at least a small understanding, ‘I don’t have to go in there and explain markets to them,’ or ‘I don’t have to go in there and, as a dairy farmer, they’re going to tell me to take a week off work when I’m stressed.’ That’s just not sound advice at that point.”

Spanish Option

The Illinois Agricultural Mental Health Voucher Program now also has a Spanish option.

“We have Spanish-speaking providers, so farmworkers who are seeking mental health care can receive care as well through these vouchers,” Hulshof said.

Need Help Now?

U of I Extension also provides the following contact information for those in need of support related to stress or mental health:

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, call, text, or chat 988.

• Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741741.

• Concern Hotline: 1-800-447-1985 — The Concern Hotline offers legal, financial and stress support to residents of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

• Over 170 ag-specific online resources are available at farmstress.org.

• Call 911.