The University of Wisconsin – Madison Division of Extension offers a virtual education program to help the Wisconsin agriculture community identify and respond to various behavioral health challenges. The next virtual Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for the agriculture community is scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, June 17 & 19, 2025, from 9:00 am – noon via the Zoom platform. Participants are required to attend both virtual sessions. Pre-registration and approximately two hours of self-paced, online pre-work are required to participate in the June 17 & 19 trainings. To register for this free program, go to https://go.wisc.edu/1dlwnc
Nearly one in five adults lives with a mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Research shows that suicide rates are higher within the rural and agricultural communities. The stigma of mental health challenges and thoughts of suicide is prevalent in our rural and farming communities. Mental Health First Aid helps community members better understand how they can support their friends, family members, and neighbors and help break the stigma around mental health.
Just as CPR teaches you how to help someone having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid instructs how to help someone experiencing a mental health challenge, including, but not limited to, depression and anxiety symptoms, panic attacks, and substance misuse, as well as someone thinking about suicide. The program gives participants the skills, confidence, and resources to provide initial support and respond in crisis and non-crisis situations. Mental Health First Aid is a program that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of these challenges.
The instructors for this training are two UW-Madison Division of Extension Educators: Joy Kirkpatrick, Farm Succession Outreach Specialist and Danielle Sander, Sauk County Health & Well-Being Educator. If you have questions about the training, please contact either joy.kirkpatrick@wisc.edu , 608-263-3485 or danielle.sander@wisc.edu , 608-355-3256.
Funding for these training programs is provided by the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center: Engaging Programs to Support Producer Well-being (NCFRSAC), USDA/NIFA award numbers 2020-70028-32728 and 2024-70028-43552.
