INSIDE LOOK AT GOVERNOR
%EVERS' PLANS TO
PUT A
NEW
%LEGISLATIVE
FOCUS
ON
FARMERS
AND
%MENTAL
HEALTH.
% >> OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM
%WILL ASSIST
FARMERS
IN
ACCESSING
%MENTAL HEALTH
SUPPORT.
%THEY
WILL
ALSO
HELP
COORDINATE
%AND
REGIONAL
PEER
S
UPPORT
%PROGRAMMING,
AND
PROVIDE
%CONFIDENTIAL
ONE-ON-ONE
%COUNSELING A
ND
ASSISTANCE
TO
OUR
%
FARMERS.%[APPLAUSE]
% >> ON THURSDAY THE
GOVERNOR
%RELEASED A
PACKAGE
OF
FARMER
%BILLS
THAT
INCLUDED
RESOURCES
%FOR FARMERS IN
NEED
OF MENTAL
%HEALTH
SUPPORT.
%AMONG OTHER
THINGS,
THE
BILLS'
%WOULD AUTHORIZE
FIVE
NEW
%POSITIONS AT
THE DEPARTMENT OF
%AGRICULTURE TO
SERVE
AS
REGIONAL
%AGENCY
AGENTS
T
O
ASSIST
%FEAMPLES.%THE
AGENTS
WOULD
OVERSEE
%REGIONAL PEER
SUPPORT
PROGRAMS%AS WELL
AS
CORD
%UNDERCOUNSELLING.%THE
BILL
ALSO -- AS WELL
AS
%COORDINATE
COUNSELING.
%TO
UNDERSTAND
FARMERS'
STRESS
%AND IDENTIFY
THE
WARNING
SIGNS
%OF
SUICIDE.
%THE
PROGRAM IS
A
%DODGEVILLE-BASED NONPROFIT
THAT
%DOES
DIRECT
OUTREACH TO
FARMERS
%IN
NEED
OF
SERVICES.
%THE WORK
IS
LARGELY
PAID
FOR
BY
%A
GRANT FROM THE
SCHOOL
OF
AND
PUBLIC
HEALTH.
%WALLY
ORZECHOWSKI IS THE
%EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR.
%THANKS SO
MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
% >> THANK YOU FOR INVITING
ME.
% >> WHAT'S YOUR
REACTION
ABOUT
%THE
BILLS THAT THE
GOVERNOR
%
ANNOUNCED THIS
WEEK?
% >> IT'S ABSOLUTELY
TERRIFIC.
%WE NEED AS
MANY
RESOURCES
A
S WE
%CAN.%WE HAVE A
VERY
SMALL
GRANT,
%WONDERFUL
GRANT,
SMALL
GRANT
AND
%WE'RE
USING
IT
TO
INTERACT
AS
%
WEST WE
CAN WITH
THE
FARMING
%COMMUNITY
AND
HELP
FARMERS WHO
%ARE
STRESSED
AND I
N
THE
END --
%YOU KNOW,
SOME
ARE
THINKING
%ABOUT AND
A
FEW
HAVE
COMMITTED
%SUICIDE, WHICH
IS
ABSOLUTELY
%HORRIBLE FOR THEM AND
THOSE
%AROUND
THEM,
THEIR
FAMILIES.
%
AND SO
THE
MORE
RESOURCES WE
%HAVE, THE
BETTER.
%AND I THINK WE HAVE
SOME
GOOD
%IDEAS.%WE'RE
DOING
OUTREACH.
%
WE'RE
WORKING
WITH
FARMERS.
%BUT
IT'S
JUST
THE
TIP OF
THE
%ICEBERG.
%WE NEED TO
DO
MUCH
MORE.
%SO
THOSE
RESOURCES
ARE
GOING TO
%BE VERY WELL
RECEIVED.
% >> AND YOU
GET
THE
SENSE
THA
T
%THOSE
RESOURCES WIL
L
KIND
OF
%TRICKLE
DOWN TO
THE KINDS
OF
%PROGRAMMING THAT YOU
DO?
% >> YEAH.
%WE C
OORDINATE
WITH
EVERYBODY.
%AND WE'VE HAD
CONVERSATIONS
WITH
%DAD
CAP
AND
T
HE FARM
BUREAU IN
%THE PAST
ABOUT
WORKING
TOGETHER.
%AND
SO,
YEAH, SOME
OF
THEM
MAY
%TRICKLE DOWN TO
ORGANIZATIONS
%LIKE
OURS,
BUT
IT'
S
JUST A
%MATTER OF
COORDINATION.
% >> YOU'VE
BEEN ON
THE FRONT
%LINES OF THIS
PROBLEM.
%HOW HAVE YOU
SEEN
THE
NEED
FOR
%MENTAL
HEALTH
CARE
AMONG
FARMERS
%INCREASE?
% >> IT'S
BECAUSE OF
THE
ECONOMIC
%ISSUES
THAT
THEY'RE
F
ACING.
%FARMING
HAS
ALWAYS BEEN A
%WONDERFUL BUT AT THE SAME TIME
%STRESSFUL
OCCUPATION.
%BUT WITH
THE
OVERPRODUCTION
OF
%MILK
AND THE
TRADE
WARS AN
D
THE
%BAD
WEATHER AND A
WHOLE
NUMBER
%OF
OTHER
FACTORS,
IT'S
REALLY
%INCREASED
THE
STRESS
LEVEL.
%AND SO MANY
FARMS
I THINK W
E
%LOST LIKE
700
FARMS A
YEAR
IN
%2018.%I DON'T KNOW WHAT
THE
'19
%
NUMBERS
ARE.
%AND IN
ADDITION TO
THAT, SOME
OF
%THEM ARE
GOING
INTO
FORECLOSURE
%OR
BANKRUPTCY.%FARMERS
ARE
LOSING
MONEY.
%IT'S
CREATED
THI
S
HORRIBLE,
%HORRIBLE
PERFECT
STORM
THAT
%THESE FARMERS ARE
GOING
THROUGH.
% >> WHAT KINDS
O
F
WORDS
DESCRIBE
%THESE
FARMERS'
DESPAIR THAT
YOU
%HEAR FROM
THEM?
% >> DESPAIR,
STRESS.
%NOT
KNOWING
WHAT TO
DO.
%I
MEAN,
FARMERS
ARE
VERY
%INDEPENDENT,
TOUGH,
STOIC
GROUP.%AND IN
THAT
RESPECT,
IT'S --
I
T
%HELPS
THEM
IN
THEIR
OCCUPATIONS
%BUT ALSO
MAKES
IT
VERY
HARD FOR
%
THEM TO
REACH OUT FOR
SERVICES
EXPERIENCING
THIS.
%AND
WHATEVER WE'RE
DOING, YOU
%KNOW, WE HAVE
T
O
WORK -- KEEPING
%IN
MIND
THOSE
CULTURAL
AND
%SOCIAL
ISSUES.%I THINK
THAT'S
WHAT
W
E
STARTED
%DOING AND
W
E NEED
TO
EXPAND AS
%MUCH AS WE
CAN.
% >> I
UNDERSTAND THAT
YOU
KIND
OF
%BRING FARMERS
TOGETHER
BECAUSE
%OFTEN THEY
FEEL
VERY
SILHOUETTE.
% >> YEAH.% --
ISOLATED.
% >> YEAH.%THERE'S OUT
THERE
WORKING
ON
%
THEIR
FARMERS.
%THEY'RE NOT
INTERACTING EVERY
%DAY
AND
THEY'RE DEALING WITH
%THEIR
ISSUES ALONE
BECAUSE
THEY
%FIX
A
TRACTOR
O
R THEY
HAVE
A
%SICK CALF
OR
WHATEVER
I
T
HAPPENS%TO
BE.
%THEY'RE VERY
INDEPENDENT.
%AND
AGAIN,
I
UNDERSTAND
WHY
%THAT'S
IMPORTANT
IN
THAT
TYPE
O
F
%OCCUPATION, BUT IT
ALSO
LEADS
T
O
%A LOT
O
F
DIFFICULTY
I
N
TERMS
OF
%SEARCHING.
%THEY WANT TO F
IX
IT
THEMSELVES.
%AND FOR
SOMETHING LIKE
THIS,
%IT'S
NOT -- YOU CAN'T
FIX
IT
%YOURSELF.%YOU NEED
HELP.
% >> I WAS
READING
IN
REPORTING
%AROUND THE KINDS OF WORK
THA
T
%
YOU'RE DOING
YOU
BRING
FARMERS
%TOGETHER
AND
OFTEN
THESE
ARE
%TIMES -- THEY
HAVEN'T
BEEN
%TALKING
TO
EACH
OTHER.
%AND HOW IS THAT
HELPFUL?
% >> WELL, FARMERS
WILL TALK
TO
%FARMERS.
%OR THEY
WILL TALKING
TOO
MAYBE
%THE
MILK
TRUCK
DRIVER.
%MAYBE THE
LARGE
ANIMALS THAT
%ARE -- OR
SOMEBODY LIKE
THAT.
%THEY'RE
NOT GOING
TO
WALK
INTO
A
%MENTAL HEALTH
CLINIC.
%THAT'S
JUST
NOT GOING T
O
HAPPEN.
%THEY'RE
LUCKY
IF
THEY
WALK
INTO
%MITYPE OF
HEALTH
CLINIC
FOR --
%ANY
TYPE
OF
HEALTH
CLINIC FOR
%ANYTHING.
%SO IT
HAS TO
BE
PEOPLE
THAT
%THEY'RE COMFORTABLE
WITH, THAT
%THEY
TRUST.
%WE ARE
-
WE
REALLY
WANT
THE
FARMERS
%TO HELP THE
FARMERS.
%WE'RE STARTING
TO
IDENTIFY
SOME
%FARMERSES BECAUSE OF
T
HEIR
%PERSONALITIES AND
THEY'RE
LIKED
%AND TRUSTED
IN
THEIR
COMMUNITY.
%THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT
ARE
%GOING TO
BE THE
THE
ONES THAT
%ARE GOING TO
PROVIDE
THAT
%SUPPORT.%THERE ARE
NOT
MUCH MENTAL HEALTH
%PROVIDERS
ANYWHERE, INCLUDING IN
%RURAL PARTS
OF
WISCONSIN.%AND
SO IT
HAS T
O BE
BUBBLING
U
P
%FROM
THE
COMMUNITY TO
HELP
THE
%FARMERS.
%THERE MAY BE
MORE
COMPLICATED
%ISSUES THEY
HAVE
T
O
DEAL WITH B
Y
%
A
PROFESSIONAL, PUT
I
N
TERMS
OF
%IDENTIFYING THE
UNDERLYING
%STRESS AND
THE
POSSIBILITY
O
F
%PEOPLE
CONSIDERING
SUICIDE,
THAT
%HAS TO
COME FROM THE
COMMUNITIES
%THEMSELVES.% >> WHAT WOULD
YOU
TELL
TBHEERMS%MIGHT BE IN
A
POSITION --%FARMERS WHO MIGHT
9
A
POSITION
%WHERE
THEY'RE
FEEL
BE
STRESSED
%AND
CLOSE
TO
SUICIDE?
% >> YOU'RE NOT
ALONE.
%THERE'S
OTHERS LEAK
YOU
WHO
HAVE
%EXPERIENCE -- LIKE YOU WHO ARE
%GOING THROUGH
WHAT
YOU'RE
GOING
%THROUGH AND
YOU
DON'T
HAVE TO B
E
%OUT
ALONE.
%REACH OUT
WHETHER IT'S A
%MEMBER OF THE
CLERGY
OR
YOU
R
%PHYSICIAN
OR
YOUR
SPOUSE
OR
%WHOMEVER I
T
HAPPENS TO
BE.
%THERE ARE
SOM
E
RESOURCES
OUT
%THERE.
%AND
SOMETIMES
IT'S A MATTER OF
%TALKING TO THE
RIGHT
PEOPLE.
%BUT YOU
DO HAVE
TO
REACH
OUT.
%AND
THAT'S
VERY
DIFFICULT.
%BUT
YOU'RE GOING
T
O
KNOW
%SOMEBODY,
WHETHER
IT'S
SOMEBODY%TO COME GET
YOUR
MILK
OR
%SOMEBODY
WHO'S GOING TO
WORK
%REQUEST
YOU
R
CATTLE -- WITH
YOUR
%CATTLE.
%YOU'RE GOING TO
KNOW
SOMEBODY
%AND WE'RE
FRIGHTENING TO
GET TO
%THE
SOMEBODIES -- TRYING TO
GET
%TO THE
SOMEBODIES TO
GET TO
THE
%FARMERS WHO
ARE
HIGHLY
STRESSED
%BECAUSE THEY CAN
TELL BY
THE
%QUALITY OF THE
FARM
AND
HAVE
%THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND
BRING
%THEM INTO THE WORLD
THAT CAN
%HELP
THEM.
% >> ALL RIGHT.
%
WE
REALLY
APPRECIATE
YOUR