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INVESTIGATOR: McMoran, D.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
240 FRENCH ADMINISTRATION BLDG
PULLMAN, WASHINGTON 99164-0001

WESTERN REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL STRESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (WRASAP)

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Farmers and ag workers face unique stressors; the CDC results on deaths by suicide per capita (by occupation) reveal that these stressors can have tragic effects. Farmers, ag workers and their families will benefit from a stress assistance program tailored to the specific needs of this population. The first step is the creation of the Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Program (WRASAP). Program activities are directly tied to the goals of this FRSAN as they share the following objectives:•Establish a diverse, regionally-representative network of member organizations.•Develop a clearinghouse of farmer assistance programs in the region.•Educate your region about FRSAN activities and how they can access and use existing resources and programs in their work with agricultural workers and communities under stress.WRASAP partners consist of: Washington State University Skagit County Extension, Oregon State University Extension, Volunteers of America Western Washington and Washington State Department of Health.The trusted network of WSU and OSU Extension services provides avenues for outreach which coincide with preexisting points of outreach for this otherwise hard to reach community (workshops and field days, farm trainings, etc.).Volunteers of America and WA DOH have the behavioral health expertise, relationships with networks of service providers and the institutional capacity to host crisis hotlines, link people to resources and provide trainings. These partners are well poised to address stress management in agriculture.

OBJECTIVES: Suicide rates among farmers, ranchers, agricultural managers and agricultural workers exceed the national average at alarming rates. To combat and reverse this trend requires a network of behavioral health organizations and agricultural experts to work in unison; providing education on existing resources and bringing targeted, culturally appropriate materials and trainings to the agricultural community.While issues stemming from extreme stress impact all farmers across the country, each region faces unique issues and the web of available services can vary widely. This FRSAN's program activities will be focused in Washington and Oregon State.The three programmatic goals for the FRSAN are as follows:Objective 1: Establish a diverse, regionally-representative network of member organizations. This proposed FRSAN is based in Oregon and Washington State, an area diverse in geography, industry, population and agricultural commodities. To best serve the farmers and ag workers in these states, this FRSAN partner profile is composed of two Land Grant University Extension services as well as Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOA WW) and Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH). Both Washington State University and Oregon State University Extension services have ties to the respective diverse farming communities.Objective 2: Develop a clearinghouse of farmer assistance programs in the region. Objective 3: Educate individuals/team in your region about FRSAN activities and how they can access and use existing resources and programs in their work with agricultural workers and communities under stress.