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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-01-13, Page 9Times -Advocate, January 13, 1993 Page 9 Ielp is out there for those facing crisis By Mark Chipps Goderich Signal Star ia don't have to struggle Weise! 'That's the message going out to all fann families facing problems caused by the constant stresses of an industry that, for many people, seemingly spells an endless chain of setbacks. It's a mes- sage being sent by some people who really care, and for those who are affected by financial or mental healthproblems-reiated to agricultur, help is only a phone call away. RURAL CONNECTIONS • For Huron County farmers, there are presently two agencies to assist fanners in dealing with problems. The fust is Rural Connections, which is based in Clinton. This agency has a two year mandate to help Huron Coun- ty's farm families overcome a wide range of problems facing the agricultural sector of the community. The program is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food in conjunction with the Huron County Federation of Agricul- ture. It has also received spon- sorship from the Canadian Mental Health Association office in Clinton, which has provided office space and other supplies. Bonnie Johnston, who heads Rural Connections said the thrust behind the program is to provide confidential one-on-one support for fame families. "I am here to help with farm family stress and I am available to speak on the variety of stress issues," said Johnston, who has headed the Rural Connections program since May 1992. "We have also set up a resource library of farm stress articles and information on farm is- -sues.' Depending on the aapn of the farm family problem, Johnston's job is to provide advice or refer farmers to various help agencies. - "Some people arc going into farm debt review. 1 have a number of good contacts for financial consulting or counsel- ling," said Johnston. "if the problem is related to mental health, I will refer to com- nfnunity psychiatric services or t,psychologists." The Rural Connections program is also organizing workshops for farmers and is developing a farm family resource directory of phone numbers and addresses. The directory will provide farmers with volunteer contacts in their area who are available to provide an open ear to their problems or concerns. Ontario's farm families have been facing an increased amount of problems over the last few yews and many producers have watched more and more of the paint being stripped from their farm gates. But Johnston feels she can pmrteide an effective service for thbaasti4gatfacin it Artois iny.the-,10400,1 she herself is a farmer. "The most relevant ex- perience I have to offer to this job and the people I come into contact with is that I am a farmer myself," said Johnston. "I come from a farming back- ground so I am aware and conscious of the problems." Johnston feels her agricultural background, and identification with services sympathetic and knowledgeable of agricultural issues, helps offset what she calls "An urban postulationthat is very,autlifissashwithibe reality of farming in today's economy." Bonnie Johnston directs the Rural Connections office in Clinton and urges those in need to just 'give us a call'. "Urban residents see farmers as a bunch of people waiting for handouts," said Johnston, citing that this perception adds to farm family stress. "People wonder how farmers can be poor because they see the big tractors and equipment. But they ignore the reality that this equipment is all pan of tin ongoing operation and is not a sign of wealth. In most cases it -is a sign of debt. "When you compare the in- . -vestment with the return, never 4nind the inputs of time and .. jobber, anyone would expect a All asnt return no mailer what yyootuur business," added Johnston. is isn't happening for fanners and a lot of people forget that." Johnston said a common problem among farmers is that they usually don't seek help until they are in a crisis situation. Fanners arc a very indepen- dent lot and they don't like to reach out for help," said Johnston. "But it is one thing to lose your crop. Another to lose your family. "'Borough the Rural Connec- tions program, we are trying to offer alternative thinnggs to think about," continued Jotuiston. "The farm stress situation is close to 100 per cent financial in origin. We want to offer alternatives to make their lives better. To help them take a step back from the stress and offer new ideas." 41=Co,nate of the inlam lankly stress is the fact that the current economic situation with fanning in today's society has forced'tnany fanners to seek one or more off farm jobs to supplement their agricultural in- come. "There are fart families out there where both parents work on and off the faun," explained Johnston. "Thus they face the same stresses as an urban per- son, but have more roles to play. A lot more extra things to do. An faced with this is gatagasch a breaking point." Johnston added the problem in the present.economic • situation is that there aren't a lot of jobs out there to be had and it has become increasingly difficult for a farmer to find seasonal work. The phone number for the Rural Connections office is 482-9311 and Johnston urged anyone facing the difficult and deteriorating effects of stress to 'just give me a call. We can talk one-on-one, you can come in to the office or I can go out to your home. Everything is completely confidential." QUEEN'S BUSH RURAL MINISTRIES The slogan of the Queen's , .Bush Regal Ministries is 'He - Aping You to Survive the Rural Crisis'. Fof those farm families ;in need of an understanding voice, contact with the agency is only a collect phone call away. "We been answering this help line for over six years now," said Brian Ireland, from the Queen's Bush Rural Ministries' Teeswater office. "Our major job has been to assess a per- son's needs and if warranted, refer them to the people who cart give them assistance." The Queen's Bush Rural Ministries was establigied in 1986 and was originally set up to cover farm family concerns within a vast area covering Grey, Bruce, Huron, Dufforin, Perth and Wellington Counties. The agency was established and funded on the initiative of the United Church of Canada. But at present, funding Ls also generated through the generosity of a number of various denominations, service clubs, and individuals. "The Queen's Bush Rural Ministries was originally started by a group of people who saw a need for some couoaeuing and support for rural Ontario" explained Ireland, who with assistant Judy Trimble, make up the staff of the agency. `The United Chinch grabbed the ball and,ran with it. They set up a board of directors made up of their members and people from the community at large. That board is still admi what we do and how we it, but the agency is strictly non denominational." In addition to funding received by the churrbes aro services clubs, the 04stn'a Bush Rural Ministries a Io Maned a $20,000 fwd .h OMAF this pest felt • The fund was established to help farm families who, either can't get on welfare or are waiting for unemployment in- surance, bridge the gap. Ireland explained that the Queen's Bush Rural Ministries is a support group with a sym- pathetic ear. To this date, the agency has had a rewarding success rate in helping with strews related to financial or mental d health problems, he "Weare happy to take any allir—and the is why we have a 24 hour answering machine," •said Ireland. Farm stress is one ting that Ireland knows something about. In 1985, Ireland had his own farm shut down by a bank, but has since been able to establish a part-time operation. "After 1 was shut down by the bank I decided to help other people cope with similar problems," explained Ireland, who later got into financial consulting. "Then I saw an advertisement for this job and I applied and got it." Ireland said problems related to a poor growing season com- bined with the stresses that have had a major impact on farmers over a long period of time, have resulted in a sig- nificant increase of people socking help this year. "Calls coming into our office this fall have increased 80 to 100 per cern and we are expec- ting a very busy winter and spring," said Ireland. '"The aitttetions out there are not real good and there are a lot of depressed farmers. We are being faced with a lot of farm family break ups." Ireland said that the variety of calls that come into the Tees - water office range from in- quiries about birth certificates and water tests to very serious tuwancial and emotional problems. But he added that the best method he funds for dealing with the serious problems is to meet the farmer on his own turf, and in finan- cial situations, "meet them before the bailiff comes to the door." "With the calls we get I find that 99 per cent of the time it is most effective to meet them on their own territory," explained Ireland. "They can tell you their problems over the phone, but when you get out to see them you usually find the problem is much more complex than originally indicated. "That's why it is effective for me to go there because anise they realize I'm a fanner also and have experienced the same problems, they will opera up quickly and we can get to the Ithe problem" furthered nd. When facing farm families one-on-one, Ireland explained that eituedues often vary. "Sealedatee the wife will do all the mpg, or the huutbend will do.gtl,Ab She " Miikitig. Melly, situation to a point where ape ;die *potpies will not even attend the meeting or will sit in another room," explained Ireland. `There are so many different situations and after a while you tend to develop a sixth sense. "What makes our service unique is that we deal with so many different aspects of farm family crisis, but in the end everything is really intertwined," added Ireland. "It is up to me to sort everything out and get the various assis- tance." Ireland said that some of the situations he has dealt with involve people who are suf- fering from hopelessness and the challenge is to help change this attitude. It is this challenge, and the hope that people will be able to turn things around, that makes Ireland's job rewar- ding. ""When we start talking you can see the release in their eyes," said Ireland. "The initial despair makes this a very trying job. But when they call you back and say that they were able to solve some of their problems, that's en Hugh reward. One or two calls a month like that is good enough for me." Ireland acknowledges that fanners are often the last people to try and seek help, but he said the stigma attached to mental health problems has been lifted over the past years as more and more of society seek help for their mental con- ditions. "Anyone out there suffering from stress or mental ,health problems, all I can tell you is that you want to try and deal with the problem as early as you can," said Ireland. "Don't let it stew inside you or within .;yqw family. If you have a • igmblem, seek help. Don't let it jet to the point where it will :.cause damage." - Ireland said there is no one formula for dealing with each case he comes across and that he usually deals with any situation on an "as -you -ace -it basis." "Some people i meet with are mad as hell and some will cry," said Ireland. "If a guy is mad, I'll get mad with hun. Let him blow ofY`iiome steam. Then we will talk about what we are going to do. If someone is crying i will sympathize with them. Then I will say we have cried enough. Let's deal with this situation." Ireland admits that some situations are genuinely hopeless, but added this is often related 104 will,to.win or got to win. "In some cases, I sec the people have the resources to win but they bail out," said "It's not for me to j e them because of that. For them it was the right thing. We have 4rnt over-riding goal to keepfpotn in farming, but aoteetinses this is not possible. In Ibis case my job is to help diem get out with as much Zlity and es munch cash in thatas ossometimes" M a person's faith will be used to assist in curing some problems, but he said that was only one option and if the farm family didn't want to take this route, it wouldn't go any further. "We don't always touch base on religion," said Ireland. "If they don't want that then we say fore. If they do, we may bring in their denominational clergy. There are so many prongs to use in helping with these stress related situations." Ireland encourages farm families facing the difficulties of stress and economic related problems to call collect to the Queen's Bush Rural Ministries office in Teeswater. The num- ber is 392-6090 and if no one is in the office your message will be returned promptly. TALK TO A PROFESSIONAL Dealing with mental health has become a career for Dr. Robert Shepherd of Seafonh. Operating out of his home, Shepherd has established him- self as one of Huron County's only qualified psychologists. Because of the demand for people like Shepherd, he has established a very,substantial clientele, but he remains very concerned about the stress levels existing within the local agricultural community. "We are experiencing some 1/very terrible situations like addictions and wife assaults," said Shepherd. "And the big- gest problem is that fanners are so resilient that they tend to try and deal with their problems themselves. "But the; plow has spelled a lot of defeat for farmers this year and the signs of the stress related to this arc already beginning to show," added Shepherd."All I can say is don't keep it inside. Talk to your neighbours and friends. Consider calling a professional. But talk. The problems get worse when people dont talk about what is bothering them." Shepherd said when there is a lack of communication concer- ning individual or farm family stress, the problem tends to enter into a downward negative cycle, and this results in con- siderable damage to the farmer and farm family. "Farmers must know from experience in their occupations that if there is a problem, you must address it inunediately to the beat of your ability " said Shepherd. "But I realize it is bard to ask for help when you can't even put food on the .gable." Shepherd said the stress within the farm community will lly reach out into every NOW and the levels are reaching proportions that "we haven't seen in this county before." "I can only say that they shouldn't be afraid to call someone," said Shepherd "I can refer them and get things going. There is no point in trying to diagnose yourself. Just call somebody. They'll find you some help "