CORVALLIS, Ore. — A crisis helpline dedicated to Oregon’s agriculture and forestry communities is now open.
The Oregon AgriStress Helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by call or text at 833-897-2474.
- The voice line can be accessed in up to 160 languages with interpreters.
- The text line serves English, Spanish and Vietnamese.
Who it serves
- Farmers and farm workers
- Ranchers
- Fishermen
- Foresters
- Family members of those working in these sectors
Legislation and partners
In June, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 955, sponsored by Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, providing a one-time $300,000 general fund appropriation to the state Higher Education Coordinating Commission to distribute to the Oregon State University Foundation to establish an endowment for Oregon State University Extension Service to implement and operate the helpline in Oregon.
Gov. Tina Kotek signed the bill into law in a ceremony in Prairie City in July, making Oregon the seventh state to link into the AgriStress Helpline. Nationally, Oregon State is the first academic institution and the first land-grant university to partner with a state on the helpline.
“This is an important milestone in the effort to provide mental health assistance for folks who are vulnerable to suicide."
“This is an important milestone in the effort to provide mental health assistance for folks who are vulnerable to suicide,” said Allison Myers, associate dean for Extension and engagement at the Oregon State University College of Health. “I want to express my enormous gratitude for the numerous people and organizations who got behind this and were able to make it a reality.”
A coalition of 27 farm groups and health care organizations advocated passage of SB 955. Myers, who also leads the OSU Extension Family and Community Health program, and Todd Nash, a Wallowa County rancher and president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, were instrumental in building support for the helpline.
“The issue of mental health for farmers and ranchers has become a ‘top subject’ in rural Oregon,” Nash said.
“Suicide is a tough subject,” Nash said. “It’s affecting our communities. It has huge impacts on families.”
According to the National Rural Health Association, the rate of suicide for farmers is 3½ times higher than the national average per capita. Mental Health America placed Oregon nearly at the bottom of its state rankings for a higher prevalence of mental illness and lower rates of access to care.
According to the Oregon Violent Death Reporting System, deaths by suicide in Oregon have been higher than the national average since at least 2001, and they are increasing year over year.
How the helpline works
The helpline was established by AgriSafe Network, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the health and safety of farmers and ranchers through its Total Farmer Health approach. AgriSafe Network is an affiliate of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and a founding member of the national AgriStress Response Network.
- All calls are answered in 30 seconds or less.
- All callers are screened for suicidality.
- Intervention occurs for people at imminent risk.
- Callers not at imminent risk are offered relevant resources tailored to agriculture and to the caller’s state or region.
- All callers are offered a 24-hour follow-up call through the AgriStress Helpline.
Training and standards
Calls are answered by credentialed suicide/crisis specialists trained in agricultural cultural competencies and in factors that affect mental health, including production and financial issues, injuries, market fluctuations and family dynamics. Their training meets the standards of the American Association of Suicidology.
- Staff complete 300 hours of professional development.
- Training includes an overview of state-specific agricultural contexts.
- Ongoing quarterly training covers agricultural stress topics.
- Staff track state or regional agricultural events that may affect call volume, such as disasters, community tragedies or yield reports that may impact financial well-being.
Previously titled Crisis helpline for Oregon’s agricultural and forestry communities is now open
