Project Grant H79SM084382

FARMER VETERAN COALITION MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING PROJECT - THE PROPOSED MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING (MHAT) GRANT PROJECT WILL ENABLE FARMER VETERAN COALITION (FVC) TO LEVERAGE ITS ROBUST MULTI-STATE CHAPTER NETWORK AND ESTABLISHED PARTNERSHIPS TO DELIVER INTEGRATED MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING, INCREASE AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND ESTABLISH LINKAGES TO TREATMENT AND SUPPORTING SERVICES FOR FARMER-VETERANS IN UNDERSERVED RURAL COMMUNITIES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING PTSD AND RELATED MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. FVC IS REQUESTING $125,000 IN ANNUAL MHAT GRANT FUNDING FOR A FIVE-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD, WHICH WILL SUPPORT THE SEQUENTIAL ROLL-OUT OF A NEW MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING INITIATIVE, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CHAPTER PERSONNEL, ALLIED VETERAN ORGANIZATION STAFFS, AND MEMBERS REACHED EACH YEAR. USING A TRAIN-THE-TRAINER MODEL, AND IN CONSULTATION WITH AN EXPERIENCED MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN, FVC WILL TRAIN INSTRUCTORS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION, SAFETALK, INCLUDING THE BEST WAYS TO DELIVER DIDACTIC TRAININGS FOR TRAINER-TRAINEES THAT WILL INCLUDE VOLUNTEER CHAPTER DIRECTORS, VOLUNTEER CHAPTER MEMBERS, AND PARTNER ORGANIZATION STAFFS AND VOLUNTEERS. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL ALSO INCLUDE EDUCATION REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES, AND DISTRIBUTION OF PRINT AND ELECTRONIC SUPPORT MATERIALS. THE POPULATION OF FOCUS WILL COMPRISE VETERANS REPRESENTING EACH MILITARY BRANCH AND SERVICE ERA WHO ARE ENGAGED IN OR BEGINNING CAREERS IN AGRICULTURE, INCLUDING MORE THAN 20,000 FVC MEMBERS WHO LIVE AND WORK IN MOSTLY RURAL, UNDERSERVED AREAS. IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN WAR VETERANS, WHOSE JOBLESS RATES ARE HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, ARE ALSO THE FIRST SINCE WORLD WAR II TO HAVE UNDERGONE MULTIPLE DEPLOYMENTS, WHICH HAS INCREASED THE RISK OF PTSD BY 50% AND HAS CONTRIBUTED TO 45,000 VETERANS AND ACTIVE-DUTY PERSONNEL COMMITTING SUICIDE OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS. WHILE FARMING IS A POSSIBLE THERAPEUTIC SOLUTION, TRAUMATIC EVENTS, SUCH AS MILITARY COMBAT, CAN HAVE LONG-LASTING NEGATIVE EFFECTS, OFTEN LEADING TO ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE. THE PROJECT GOAL IS TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF RURAL COMMUNITIES WHERE FARMER-VETERANS PRIMARILY LIVE AND WORK TO IDENTIFY THOSE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS OF PTSD AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, AND TO ENGAGE AND REFER THEM FOR SERVICES AS NEEDED. PROJECT OBJECTIVES WILL INCLUDE: 1) TRAINING FIVE TRAINERS - VOLUNTEER CHAPTER DIRECTORS, VOLUNTEER MEMBERS, AND PARTNER ORGANIZATION STAFFS AND VOLUNTEERS - IN THE SAFETALK MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTION MODEL WITHIN EACH OF FIVE FVC STATE CHAPTERS FOR A TOTAL OF 25 NEW TRAINERS EACH YEAR; 2) TRAINING 250 FVC VOLUNTEER CHAPTER DIRECTORS, VOLUNTEER MEMBERS, AND PARTNER STAFFS AND VOLUNTEERS IN THE SAFETALK MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTION MODEL; 3) REACHING A MINIMUM OF 2,500 FARMER-VETERANS EACH YEAR THAT ARE AT-RISK OR DISPLAY SYMPTOMS OF PTSD OR OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS; 4) ALIGNING MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT RESOURCES WITH PARTICIPATING FVC STATE CHAPTERS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY VETERAN ENCOUNTER WHERE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE IS NEEDED IS LINKED TO TREATMENT; AND 5) CREATING A LEARNING COMMUNITY THAT EDUCATES TRAINERS AND TRAINEES ABOUT MILITARY-CONNECTED CULTURE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SUICIDE PREVENTION, ENROLLING A MINIMUM OF 50 PARTICIPANTS EACH YEAR.