FARM FIRST Assistance Program Enters Its Second Year
April 14, 2011
Contact: Myra Handy, LICSW
Manager, Clinical & Account Services
Voice: 802.951.5156 / 888.392.0050
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FARM FIRST Assistance Program Enters Its Second Year. FARM FIRST provides resources to dairy farmers and their family members.
FARM FIRST is a program of Invest EAP (Employee Assistance Program). The services provided for dairy producers and their family members include free, confidential counseling and information or referral to specialists on any subject- either professional or personal. Farmers call with questions as wide ranging as how to help an employee with a disability to wanting help for stress or depression to needing a joint meeting with family members in conflict. The list goes on:
Financial concerns
Legal concerns
Health care issues
Personal or animal stress
Depression
Anxiety
Relationship conflict
Insomnia
Land transfer issues
Business planning
Decision-making
Unfair civil practices
Personnel management or difficult employees
Eldercare
Childcare or parenting information
State benefit programs
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture is very pleased to announce that FARM FIRST is continuing for a second year. In its first year, 87 dairy producers and family members were assisted through the FARM FIRST program. FARM FIRST is supported by the Agency of Agriculture and the University of Vermont Extension as well as generous sponsorships from many other agriculture organizations. Click here to see a list of our
sponsors. FARM FIRST is staffed with Vermont-based licensed professional mental health providers and resource specialists statewide who provide confidential help for concerns that dairy farmers and their families may be facing. A dedicated, toll-free line that is staffed 24/7 is available to producers and their families. In-person counseling is available as well counseling by phone. Counselors make farm visits following traumas or when farmers cannot leave their farms. Sometimes dairy producers do not have easy access to information via the internet. FARM FIRST will find the right resources for the problem at hand and connect the farmer to those resources. Dairy producers are referred to the experts in Vermont for their specific situation, whether it’s a need for agricultural mediation, farm financing or business planning.
“All professionals can benefit from having confidential Employee Assistance services, and dairy producers are no exception. FARM FIRST is a creative and valuable response to the personal costs of dairying in the 21st century, said Chuck Ross, Secretary of Vermont Agriculture. “Vermont’s dairy producers and their families now have experts to call any time of day or night with questions or concerns. The benefit is enormous in terms of preventing tragedies while promoting high productivity and well-being among Vermont’s dairy producers. We can’t thank our past and present sponsors enough for coming forward and tangibly recognizing the contributions dairy farmers offer to our economy and communities.”
FARM FIRST: 1-877-493-6216
WEBSITE: www.investeap.org
MEMBER PASSWORD:
E-mail or call Farm First for your password
