Winner: Excellence in the Provision of Mental Health Services Award
The Farmgate Support Program provides mental and emotional wellbeing support to farmers, farming communities and the agricultural sector to lessen the impact of rural adversity on mental health. Farmers and farming communities face unique stressors that impact their mental health and how they access mental health services. Farmers are also at increased risk of death by suicide. The Farmgate service provides early intervention support to prevent the onset of mental illness.
The service provides peer work and clinical mental health support with a focus on reaching farming communities throughout the Hunter New England Local Health District. This involves home visits to farms and attending regular farming and disaster events. The service delivers trauma-informed and culturally safe care by employing peer workers who have lived experience of rural adversity, suicide or mental distress and/or caring for someone with lived experience.
Results from an evaluation published in 2020 showed that those who used the service felt listened to and were more aware of services available to them, and more than 80% felt their wellbeing had improved due to the service.
Meet the other finalists for the Excellence in the Provision of Mental Health Services Award.
