Broadcaster Press 5 November 27, 2018 www.broadcasteronline.com Mental Health & Opioid Education In SD Rural Communities By Lura Roti for SDSU Extension/iGrow In 2017, 192 South Dakotans committed suicide. The greatest number reported in the state's history. This fact is not lost on SDSU Extension, an organization dedicated to serving South Dakotans with research-based information, resources and a trusted team for more than a century. "The number of suicides reported this past year is very concerning," says Andrea Bjornestad, Assistant Professor & SDSU Extension Mental Health Specialist. "Research has demonstrated that there is a high suicide concern in rural areas. With much of South Dakota being rural, our communities are experiencing this firsthand." Since 2013, Bjornestad has focused on methods to reverse this trend, researching the mental health status of agriculture producers in South Dakota. With the opioid crisis knocking at our state's borders and many rural communities without mental health professionals or services, Bjornestad and the SDSU Extension team isn't waiting to respond. Today, SDSU Extension staff work collaboratively with South Dakota State University faculty, as well as experts from across the region, to implement mental health programming which targets agriculture producers as well as other rural South Dakotans. "Someone needs to initiate the conversation," Bjornestad explains. One way to do this is through the Mental Health Frist Aid program, a national trainthe-trainer style program developed and proven in other states. The program engages SDSU Extension staff and community members so they can identify, understand and respond to signs or symptoms of mental health issues or substance abuse. "Mental Health First Aid is not training community members to serve as counselors," says Bjornestad. "We will train community members who come in direct contact with agriculture producers and others who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, to understand how they can intervene. We train them on how to connect those in need with qualified mental health professionals who can help." Suzanne Stluka, SDSU Extension Food & Families Program Director, explains there are many community members, like bankers, agronomists, veterinarians and educators, who, like SDSU Extension staff, serve in a trusted advisory role to many of South Dakota's agriculture producers and their families. "Our team is on high alert. Because we work so closely with South Dakotans, we've had many tough conversations with those we serve," Stluka explains. "Mental health intervention is not an area of expertise for our cow/calf, agronomy or community vitality faculty and staff, but they are often the trusted partner producers open up to, so they need to be equipped to help." living with disabilities and help them begin projects are proven and only take an hour of Launched in November 2018, and funded farming, in a subsistence way, through assis- participants' time. through a grant from the Substance Abuse tive technology and support networks." "We want to create awareness of what to and Mental Health Services Administration In addition to Bjornestad, Schoch and look for and what to do if you are concerned (SAMHSA) provided to Purdue University, Hammond will be working closely with other about the mental health of a friend or family SDSU Extension staff from across the state community stakeholders like Becky and member," says Ramsay-Seaner. will be trained to become Mental Health First Dallas Chief Eagle with All Nations Gathering The Homestead projects will launch in Aid trainers. These staff will return to their Center. North and South Dakota in rural counties communities to host one-day workshops to "We named our grant, Tatanka Ki Owetu, that are identified as mental health shortage train interested community members. or The Renewal, because many see hope in areas by the Health Resources and Services Why here? Why now? this grant. We are focusing on mental health Administration. With more than a century of experience through building a subsistence food system "It makes sense to collaborate on this to call upon, 2018 is not the first time SDSU that allows farmers to help feed their family, because we have a lot of similarities between Extension staff have focused on suicide friends and community," Hammond explains. our two states. By working together we have prevention and mental health. Bjornestad ex"SDSU Extension is building on our longaccess to more resources and we can share plains that mental health is declining among term investment and relationships we have our talents and skillsets," Scott says. "We are producers today much as it did during the built here." both extremely rural states with little access Farm Crisis of the 1980s. Because of the relationships SDSU Extento mental health professionals. And, when it "Chronic stress plays a large role in mension staff have built in communities across comes to addressing opioid misuse, both of tal health. There are many things farmers South Dakota, Extension and University our states are focusing on prevention." cannot control, stressors that have become staff are also preparing to implement a The team will provide the information chronic, like multiple years of low market preventative approach to the opioid epito rural communities in North and South prices, natural disasters and health care demic through two projects; Protecting the Dakota through online webinars as well costs," Bjornestad says. Homestead: Prescription Opioid Misuse in as face-to-face presentations. The project She adds that when these stressors are the Dakotas and, Expanding the Homestead: is funded through a grant from USDA- Nacoupled with typical challenges farmers and Technical Assistance to Prevent Opioids tional Institute of Food and Agriculture and ranchers face - uncooperative weather, liveMisuse in the Dakotas. SAMHSA. stock illness or machinery breakdowns - it Collaboratively implemented with North To learn more about these programs, can put agriculture producers at high risk for Dakota State University Extension, program contact the following SDSU Extension staff: depression, suicidal thoughts or ineffective content is customized for youth and adults, Mental Health First Aid, Andrea Bjornestad, coping behaviors, such as substance abuse. explains Amber Letcher, Associate Professor by email; Protecting the Homestead: SDSU Extension tribal local foods associand SDSU Extension 4-H Youth Development Prescription Opioid Misuse in the Dakotas ates, Jason Schoch and Patricia Hammond, Specialist. and, Expanding the Homestead: Technical see Mental Health First Aid trainings as a "Our goal is to provide as much informaAssistance to Prevent Opioids Misuse in the beneficial resource which they will provide tion as possible to help South Dakotans Dakotas, Amber Letcher, by email and Mento the Pine Ridge Reservation community as understand that opioids exist for a reason tal Health First Aid/AgrAbility, Jason Schoch, part of an AgrAbility grant. and how to avoid misuse," says Letcher, by email. "Providing a support system for people who partnered with Kristine is so important here, because behind every Ramsay-Seaner, South Dakota challenge is a mental health component," State University Assistant Hammond explains. Professor in Department Because of the critical role mental health of Counseling and Human plays in the lives of those they serve, HamDevelopment and Meagan mond and Schoch made mental health the Scott, Assistant Professor and focus when they applied to U.S. Department NDSU 4-H Youth Development Asphalt Shingle - Steel - Flat - EPDM of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Specialist. Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for the grant. 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