Pilot mental health program for farmers

THE mental wellbeing of farmers in Northern NSW is front and centre of a $335,000 12-month NSW Government pilot program.

The Northern Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) will deliver the ‘Reboot Rural’ program and offer mental health coaching to a community facing successive challenges.

Part of an initiative designed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Rural Adversity Mental Health Program, the program aims to provide integrated support to primary producers in the Northern Rivers region who have weathered the cumulative effects of drought, bushfires, floods, biosecurity threats and fluctuating commodity prices.

Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said farmers were capable and resilient decision-makers and didn’t want a handout but did want support.

“This pilot demonstrates a new approach to providing mental health wellbeing support alongside financial counselling advice,” Ms Moriarty said.

“This additional investment will ensure producers in the RFCS’s northern service area are supported with the best possible mental health advice.

“A financial challenge doesn’t occur in isolation and is often intrinsically linked to a variety of factors, including emotional and mental wellbeing impacts.”

The National Farmer Wellbeing Report 2023 found that 30 per cent of farmers have attempted self-harm or suicide and found that natural disasters, including drought, were the main trigger for the decline in mental health, followed by financial stress, inflation and cost pressures.

NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery and state Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said she was pleased to see that the initiative was placed with the Rural Financial Counselling Service.

“They provide holistic services and care to our farmers and rural people. They fully understand the stresses and strains. The RFCS are trusted and will do a great job with this,” Ms Saffin said.

“I also thank Minister Moriarty for listening and responding well to the RFCS and applaud the Northern NSW Region RFCS CEO Gary Goldberg and his team for their outstanding work.”

RFCS’s mental health coaches will complement the service’s financial counselling and will provide farmers with free, confidential, one-on-one support. For information and support, visit rfcsnr.org.au