Q: Can you summarize the purpose of the research that was conducted for this brief?

MB: There were two purposes: one, to understand the specific mental health needs of Florida agricultural communities, and second, to increase Extension’s capacity to respond to a mental health crisis in our communities.

Q: The title of the brief references a multidimensional approach to tackling the stressors. Can you talk about what those dimensions are and why it’s important to approach stress in this way?

MB: When we decided to do this project, we understood that stress has many dimensions, just as there are many different causes of stress. Because of that, it was very clear that we would need a multidimensional approach. We decided to use our expertise in those various areas to help with meeting the needs. There were a lot of moving parts for each industry, so we took a broad definition of agricultural and included aquaculture (those in fisheries and aquatics) and forestry, as well as those in farming and ranching production. If you worked in those categories or serviced individuals who did, you were included in our programs.

It was important for us to learn about the various perspectives in order to meet in their needs in our communities. For example, the climate and our environment are common stressors. A big stressor was labor shortages, and our farmers’ health was another stressor. These things were dimensions that needed to be approached differently. Using the social determinants of health as a basis to address some issues, we found that it was easy to see which dimension the stressor would fall into.

Q: When you conducted the needs assessment, were there any unexpected findings, or things that surprised you?

MB: Well, that year we had multiple hurricanes, which delayed getting the needs assessment up and running, so that was somewhat unexpected and surprising!

As far as the results go, some of it was not surprising because other institutions had done work in farm stress. For instance, we know that farmers just don't like talking about mental health, so we didn't find that surprising when it came out in the needs assessment. What we did find surprising were in the participants’ comments. They expressed to us that in Extension, we tend to have individuals come to us rather than going to the farmers—and I know that could vary with agents. Some know that the best way to reach our farmer clients would be to go to them, but that's not for every agent or for a system-wide approach. Another unexpected comment was that they (farmers) want to be at the table when we are having conversations about their needs. This absolutely makes sense! Why shouldn’t we go to them, rather than having them come to us? We have held an assumption that if they have a need, they will call Extension. But if Extension agents make regular visits to continue our relationship with them, they may share what their needs are at the same time. So, these were some of our unexpected findings.

Q: Of the themes that emerged from the conversations, did one stand out as being particularly challenging to address? If so, why did it seem that way?

MB: There is a plethora of resources available that are all over the place at our university. Having resources all over the place can be particularly challenging for our clients, instead of having a hub for people to go to when they need it. This was something that actually came out in our conversations—all of these resources are here, but people don't access them because (1) they don't know they exist, and (2) they're all over the place. As an Extension professional, I get frustrated when I can't find things easily because I have to look so many different places. So, that's what we're working on right now—creating a hub where the Extension community can go if they are working with someone in a mental health crisis, or a challenge in any area. We're happy to partner with SAgE and to be a part of their work. It’s also great to learn about what might be happening in another state. Being a part of the regional approach means that some of the resources can be assessed and might cross state lines, especially if they are virtual.

Q: Did the themes that came up in your conversations inform the trainings that were given to Extension faculty?

MB: There are only two things that we decided to focus on. One was increasing accessibility to resources, and creating a hub for those resources. The second was to let the participants know that they can become gatekeepers and get certified with the trainings we were doing. The training would prepare them to help with their stressors affecting their clientele.

There were other stressors we know we can’t impact, unfortunately, that are higher up the chain, like governmental policy changes, labor production shortages, and climate. However, if there are policies that are farmer friendly, then we can definitely advocate for them. We have begun some of that work, but it will take a while before our advocacy will actually pay off.

Q: It’s empowering for a group to be asked to give recommendations for addressing their own problems. How did you settle on that approach?

MB: When they were giving the recommendations of things we could do, it was very easy to think, wait a minute, we already have this—why aren't you accessing it? The question we should have asked is, are we letting them know what is available?

It was important to listen to them and say, “You know what, we actually do have resources for you, and we apologize for not getting those resources to you sooner.” Also, in our trainings we can get the word out—that's why, the more trainings we do, the more we're able to let them know about the resources they have access to. We do community trainings as well, so we'll be able to let them know what is available. If we listen carefully to them, then we can create more programs that help them.

Q: Have you seen results yet from implementing some of the recommendations?

MB: Absolutely! We are still disseminating some of the recommendations they suggested, providing trainings and sharing about the resources we have. We’re also working on tracking whether the resources are actually being accessed to know whether our efforts have been successful. We are getting feedback from our clients and Extension agents, and they state they are very grateful for the tools we provided them. It has helped to make it easier for them to do their jobs. The word is spreading about us, and we are pleased about that.