One year after CareSource provided funding to the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA), the partnership has helped establish a statewide network of trained community members focused on improving mental health support for Georgia farmers and rural residents.
The impacts were released by CareSource in a news release this week.
Through GFA’s Growing Stronger Together farmer wellness initiative, the funding has supported the introduction of COMET (Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory), a peer-based training program designed to help individuals recognize signs of stress, initiate conversations about mental health, and connect others with support before a crisis develops.
So far, GFA has trained 32 COMET trainers representing agricultural organizations, rural health providers, and community groups across Georgia. The initiative also provides resources to help trainers implement the program in their local communities.
The effort follows findings from a 2022 study conducted by GFA in partnership with the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center and Mercer University School of Medicine. According to the study:
- 42% of farmers surveyed reported experiencing suicidal thoughts during the previous year.
- More than 60% of first-generation farmers reported having considered suicide.
- Nearly 60% reported lacking access to basic medical care.
- Most respondents indicated they could not access a psychologist.
GFA developed Growing Stronger Together in response to those findings, identifying COMET, a training model originally developed by Colorado’s High Plains Research Network, as a way to strengthen mental health support within agricultural communities.
The program emphasizes using existing relationships among farmers, neighbors, coworkers, and agricultural organizations to encourage conversations about mental well-being and connect individuals with resources.
“County Farm Bureau offices are a trusted resource for Georgia farmers, and Growing Stronger Together adds another layer of support available within the agricultural community,” said GFA Executive Director Andrew Schmidt.
GFA is working with county Farm Bureau offices, community partners and agricultural organizations to expand training opportunities and reach farmers throughout the state.
The organization has also partnered with Mercer University School of Medicine’s Rural Health Sciences Ph.D. program for assistance with program evaluation, technical support and sharing information across the growing network.
CareSource Georgia President David Donohue said the partnership aims to address gaps in mental health resources by building on relationships that already exist in rural communities, allowing farmers to receive support before reaching a crisis point.
The news release did not specify the amount of CareSource’s investment or how many farmers have received assistance through the initiative to date.
