Lawmakers hear of growing need for ag mental health resources

Some time ago Ted Matthews, the Department of Agriculture’s director of mental health outreach, was driving to help someone who had attempted suicide in southeastern Minnesota when he received a report of another suicide attempt in the northwestern part of the state.

So he called an old hotline meant to help farmers struggling with mental health issues and asked for a psychologist to respond to that crisis, only to receive the reply: “Oh yeah, we have one. Ted Matthews.”

“So that was a little disconcerting,” Matthews told the House Agriculture Finance Committee Tuesday. He currently covers the entire state for the department, working as a psychologist dedicated to providing mental health counseling services to farmers.

Ted Matthews, director of mental health outreach for the Department of Agriculture, testifies before the House Agriculture Finance Committee March 27 during discussion on mental health issues among farmers. Photo by Andrew VonBank

Matthews was one of several people who testified about the increasing need for mental health resources to serve the agricultural community amid the sustained downturn in prices that have depressed the farm economy in recent years and the mounting stress that is causing.

Whitney Place, the department’s director of government relations, said the governor has recommended a $200,000 appropriation for the next few fiscal years to hire one additional rural mental health specialist to provide counseling to farmers. The department has also created the Farm & Rural Helpline, which is a free service available around the clock to provide counseling to farmers and their families.

In his job, Matthews said he receives between 15 to 40 calls per day from people seeking his help and said he often hears talk about suicides due to problems such as debt, family, anxiety and depression. Low commodity prices have exacerbated the situation, but Matthews said even under the best of circumstances farming is a stressful profession because of all the unknowns such as weather.

“When doesn’t a farmer have stress?” Matthews said. “Lowering it becomes the key.”

Bills laid over

The committee also considered, and laid over for potential omnibus bill inclusion, four bills that would provide mental health resources for farmers. They are:

• HF2896, sponsored by Rep. Jeanne Poppe (DFL-Austin), which would appropriate $100,000 to Minnesota State for additional mental health counseling statewide to support farm families and business operators. An additional $40,000 would also be appropriated for Farm Advocates services. The companion, SF2850, is sponsored by Sen. Dan Sparks (DFL-Austin) and awaits action by the Senate Agriculture, Rural Development and Housing Finance Committee.

• HF3515, also sponsored by Poppe, which would provide $100,000 to the Farmers’ Legal Action Group, which provides legal services on behalf of farmers. Scott Carlson, the group’s executive director, told the committee farmers are facing “the most difficult farm economy in recent memory” with farm income that has fallen about 50 percent since 2013 and is forecast to fall again. The companion, SF3210, is sponsored by Sen. Nick Frentz (DFL-North Mankato) and awaits action by the Senate Agriculture, Rural Development and Housing Finance Committee.

• HF3255, as amended, sponsored by Rep. Chris Swedzinski (R-Ghent), which would appropriate $140,000 from the General Fund to Minnesota State for additional mental health counseling statewide for farm families and business operators. The companion, SF3145, is sponsored by Sen. Gary Dahms (R-Redwood Falls) and awaits action by the Senate Agriculture, Rural Development and Housing Finance Committee.

• HF2888, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Backer (R-Browns Valley), which would appropriate a yet-to-be-determined amount of money for Fiscal Year 2019 to the Department of Agriculture for mental health counseling to support farm families and business operators. The companion, SF2555, is sponsored by Sen. Mike Goggin (R-Red Wing) and awaits action by the Senate Agriculture, Rural Development and Housing Finance Committee.