A telehealth line to provide mental wellness support to all Ontario farmers and farm families is now live.
Accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, in English and French, farmers needing immediate support can call 1-866-267-6255 to speak to a counsellor.
Through the Farmer Wellness Initiative, the provincial and federal governments are funding access for up to four free counselling sessions with a mental health professional for all farmers across Ontario including members of their family. The mental health professionals have received training to understand the unique needs of Ontario farmers.
Developed and launched by the Canadian Mental Health Association – Ontario Division in partnership with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, this service is provided by LifeWorks.
This comprehensive, fully integrated mental health support program includes:
- 24/7/365 Service intake handled by a designated and fully trained team who understand a day in the life of a farmer, available in English & French, creating a true partnership and unique care model.
- Access to ongoing mental health support services and resources, available up to 4 sessions per issue per year, for all farming families across Ontario through multiple modalities; the telephone line will soon be followed by a website and an app containing thousands of self-guided support resources.
- Integration with provincial and local level resources to provide members with the best level of support available to them, at the first request.
The support line will enter callers into an intake process to arrange counselling sessions with a mental health professional available by phone, virtually, or in-person subject to public health restrictions. All information received through counselling sessions is confidential and in accordance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (2004).
This initiative is funded by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership program in partnership with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
For more information, click here.