Farmers have some of the highest rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide compared with the general population. Mental health programs play an essential role within the agriculture community, including the Sentinel (Gatekeeper) training for suicide prevention, which has led to the establishment of a network of trained volunteers who support producers in distress. But until now, the training sessions were only available to Montérégie farmers in French.
Registration is now open for two specialized English training sessions organized by the Fédération de l’UPA de la Montérégie’s English-Speaking Producers Committee, in collaboration with the Montreal Suicide Prevention Centre. The training is available primarily to producers, but also to those who work closely with members of the farming community, including veterinarians, advisors, agricultural account managers, and agronomists.
“Being a sentinel is not about being a psychologist or a social worker. It is about being someone who is attentive to what is happening in their community,” said Catherine Turgeon, the UPA advisor for the Haut-Saint-Laurent syndicate.
The training provides participants with the tools to detect signs of distress, to ask certain questions, and to become comfortable talking to people about suicide. “It teaches you to gauge, based on the person’s answers, whether they are depressed or if they are at the end and they have a plan. At that point, it is much more urgent to intervene,” Turgeon explains.
Having taken the course herself, Turgeon emphasized how important it is to get past the awkwardness or discomfort people can feel when talking about difficult issues such as suicide. “We need to break down the barriers of embarrassment and ask the question because it can save lives,” she said. “It’s not about being nosy and meddling in other people’s business. It is about trying to identify the person’s needs and refer them to the right place.”
The UPA has been working with suicide prevention centres for several years to create specialized training sessions that are specific to the agricultural community. There is a mental health committee at the federation that organizes at least one meeting per year with the region’s mental health professionals, including those at suicide prevention centres, social workers, front-line intervention workers with the Centres Intégrés de Santé et des Services Sociaux (CISSS), and those at non-profits or community organizations such as Au Coeur des Familles Agricoles (ACFA). Turgeon said it is important for area professionals to understand that farmers live with high levels of stress, and that while talking about suicide may be less taboo in some circles, it remains a difficult subject for producers.
There are 12 places available for each of the two training sessions. Space is limited because the day-long workshops involve a lot of discussion that would prove difficult in a larger group setting. The first workshop will take place on December 9 in Saint-Ignace-de-Stanbridge, while the second session will be held in Ormstown on January 8.
For more information, or to register, contact Claudine Nichilo at 450-454-5115 ext. 6282 or cnichilo@upa.qc.ca.