Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker Tuesday announced a new Farm Family Resource Initiative at the Farm Progress Show. It's meant to address the continuing mental health issues farmers experience.
According to the Governor's Office, the funding will be for a grant program aimed at breaking down the stigma of accessing mental health services in agricultural communities. The announcement was made in partnership with the Illinois FFA Foundation and the Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine.
The Farm Family Resource Initiative (FFRI) was created initially as a pilot program covering six Illinois counties providing telehealth mental health access in addition to a helpline. Following its overwhelming success, the FFRI was expanded to cover all 102 counties in the state. In addition to the telehealth helpline, family members can now access six free telehealth mental health sessions.
The program will also fund up to 20 grants at $1,000 each to support FFA chapters implementing local initiatives encouraging access to mental health resources. Grants will be used to increase awareness of mental health and wellness in schools and communities across Illinois. All FFA chapters in Illinois are eligible to apply for the grant, and grant applications will be available from the Illinois FFA Foundation in fall 2023.
