Kentucky Farmers Receive $450K for Mental Health Initiative

Thursday, August 10, 2023

A state initiative aimed at promoting the mental health of farmers has awarded $450,000 to five organizations. The awards will be used to expand mental health training, create a marketing awareness campaign, provide health screenings and education, support the National Suicide Hotline, and develop a youth resilience program.

The initiative, called Raising Hope Kentucky, is funded by the Kentucky General Assembly. It is a partnership between the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the University of Kentucky Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention, Western Kentucky University, Pennyroyal Center, the Kentucky Department for Public Health, the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, and the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental, and Intellectual Disabilities.

The mission of Raising Hope is to promote the physical and mental health and safety of Kentucky's farmers and farm families. The awards announced will help the initiative achieve its goal of enhancing the quality of life for farmers and their families.

The five award recipients are:

The University of Kentucky, which will use the funds to expand Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to agricultural-centric populations. MHFA training teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.

Vimarc, a full-service marketing and advertising agency, will create a marketing campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues in rural Kentucky. The campaign will include print, digital, and event marketing.

Western Kentucky University, which will host select events to provide health screenings and education. The events will focus on mental health and substance use issues.

Pennyroyal Community Mental Health Center, which will use the funds to continue to support the National Suicide Hotline serving farmers in Kentucky.

The University of Kentucky’s Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention, which will develop a youth rural resilience program to promote health and safety at Kentucky farms. The program will teach youth about mental health and substance use issues, as well as how to cope with stress and difficult emotions.

The Raising Hope Kentucky initiative is an important step in addressing the mental health challenges faced by farmers. The awards announced will help to ensure that farmers have access to the resources they need to improve their mental health and well-being.