OTTAWA,
ON, May 6, 2024 /CNW/ - To mark Mental Health
Week, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of
Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced an investment of up to
$1.08 million for the Canadian Centre
for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW) through the AgriCompetitiveness
Program, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural
Partnership.
This project funds five activities aimed at supporting the
mental health of Canadian farmers. This includes supports for
mental health literacy education for agriculture educators across
the country, the development of a mental health toolkit to support
the sector in case of catastrophic events, and aims to help
industry further develop capacity throughout the sector and
facilitate the sharing and expansion of national farm mental health
strategies and resources.
The CCAW will also develop Canada's first evidence-based agriculture
literacy training program in collaboration with the Rural
Physicians Society of Canada in
order to deliver the training to rural physicians who interact with
Canadian farmers and organize two national conferences that will
enable mental health information sharing with stakeholders from
across the sector.
Quotes
"I know firsthand the challenges that come with life on the
farm. You work around the clock, 365 days a year, facing unique
demands and significant pressure. With everything else our
producers have to manage, it can be hard to check in on yourself
and prioritize your mental health. This new funding for the
Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing will help more farmers
gain access to the mental health support they need, with services
and tools that are tailored to them."
- The
Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and
Agri-Food
"The CCAW seeks to work with grass roots, community-based
organizations across the country, to provide meaningful support of
Canadian agricultural wellbeing."
-
Briana Hagen Chief Executive Officer
and Lead Scientist for The Canadian Centre for Agricultural
Wellbeing
Quick facts
- The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW) is a
collaboration between researchers and mental health professionals
looking to expand access to counselling and develop new resources
for people in agriculture.
- The CCAW virtually brings together national and global leaders
in the agricultural mental health field to conduct cutting-edge
research to develop evidence-based community-informed programming
and education to address challenges related to well-being among
Canadian farmers.
- If you're struggling with your mental health, or if you just
need someone to talk to, AgTalk by the Do More Agriculture
Foundation is available to Canadian producers. AgTalk is a free
and anonymous mental health support community for members of the
Canadian agriculture sector, and available in both English and
French.
- More agricultural-specific resources can also be found on
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Mental health in agriculture
webpage.
- The AgriCompetitiveness Program is a $25.7-million program under the Sustainable
Canadian Agricultural Partnership that supports sector-led
activities that identify industry best practices and build the
capacity of the sector, advance farm business management, farm
safety information and tools, as well as activities which raise
agricultural awareness.
Associated links
- AgriCompetitiveness Program
- Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing
- Mental Health Week
- Canadian Mental Health Association
- Farm Debt Mediation Service
- Mental Health in Agriculture
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SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada