Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program, a new initiative aimed at providing mental health support for farmers and their families, was announced Tuesday in Manitoba. The agriculture industry is inherently stressful and overwhelming at times; the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program has been designed to provide one on one counselling sessions by professional counsellors with a background in agriculture to farmers and their families.
“Farmers have a demanding lifestyle, and stigma remains a barrier for some to reach out for help,” says Gerry Friesen Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program board member “The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program has been created to address the identified gap in availability of one-on-one counselling services for farmers, whatever stage of the journey they are at. There is no farm without the farmer.”
Farmers and their immediate family members can access six free, confidential (one-hour) counselling sessions with a registered and skilled counsellor with a background in agriculture, funded by the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program. The services are available during the day, evenings or on weekends to accommodate farmers’ unique schedules, and can be in person, by telephone or video chat depending on the farmer’s preference. Appointments will be available beginning in March 2022.
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The program is in the final stages of development and is looking for support on behalf of farmers in our province. “Any group or individual who works with farmers and is interested in financially supporting the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program should contact us,” explains Roberta Galbraith, Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program vice-chair. “We are working collaboratively with the agriculture community in our province to bring this program to fruition for the health and wellness of the industry.”
If you are interested in booking an appointment with a counsellor, donating, applying to work with us as a counsellor, or learning more about the program, visit manitobafarmerwellness.ca.
