frequently asked questions
Our FAQ section addresses common questions about mental health and well-being in agriculture. From understanding available resources to learning about tailored support programs, we provide clear, practical answers to help you navigate mental health challenges unique to farming life.
Farming is not just a job; it’s a way of life. Producers have, over generations, developed & refined a culture within their societies complete with its own values, beliefs, traditions & norms of behavior that are specific to agricultural production and the people who undertake the business & lifestyle.
It is the ability of a mental health professional to understand & respect values, attitudes, & beliefs of producers & their realities, lifestyle & business. This understanding is critical to ensure that MHP’s have the capability to provide client-centered care & develop realistic, specific treatment plans that meets a producer’s individual needs.
Evidence-based practice is recognised as the gold clinical standard for the delivery of safe and effective person-centred clinical care. It is comprised of different models, counselling/treatment guidelines & treatment options for which there is peer-reviewed (published) research, stakeholder feedback, & scientific evidence consistently showing that the practices improve client outcomes.
Producers routinely experience stressors that are not typical in other types of businesses. Most of those stressors are out of the producers’ control (e.g. unpredictable weather) & others are simply realities of agriculture production (e.g. extremely heavy workloads). Routine treatment suggestions for the non-ag portion of the population to manage stress, depression or anxiety (e.g. take a vacation, hire extra help, etc.) are often unhelpful because they are impractical & unrealistic for most producers. Realistic treatment options based on producer’s values, beliefs, & work environment are necessary to meet individual needs & to produce positive outcomes.
Stigma involves the negative or discriminatory attitudes that others have about mental health problems. People often have those same thoughts about themselves and may experience self-stigma. Some may be embarrassed to admit what’s happening to them or feel ashamed about not being able to manage it. About 40% of Canadian producers reported that they’d be concerned about what others might think of them & it might interfere with them reaching out for help.
It is a relationship or opportunities to provide emotional and social support between people who share similar experiences. On a formal basis, for example, a Peer Support Worker with a strong background or understanding of agriculture production could provide support. Informally, a group of producers might get together on a regular schedule to talk about stress & struggles with the daily challenges to support one another.
It is a program designed by Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellness (CCAW) to provide full service mental health assistance exclusively to Canadian producers and their families. NFWN will provide access to free, unlimited mental health counselling services, in addition to a national toll-free intake and crisis phone line. The mental health professionals providing those services are employed by CCAW’s partner, TELUS Health, & will have completed a CCAW tailored training program to understand the unique culture, lifestyle, work environment & needs of Canadian producers & the agricultural community.
It is specialized training developed by CCAW for mental health professional’s who provide services to people engaged in agricultural production to ensure that they understand producers’ specific cultural context & understand the unique stressors that can affect their mental health well-being. Canadian producers have clearly & consistently reported that this is very important to them.
The NFWP only employs mental health professionals who provide clinical services based on evidence based practices and who have demonstrated cultural competence with regard to agricultural production and understand the unique culture of agriculture.
It is a 4 hour mental health literacy workshop developed by founding members of CCAW through Ont Veterinary College. It is for producers and persons with whom they have regular contact, such as family members, peers, as veterinarians, breeders, seed, or feed salespeople, or community members who have direct contact with a producer. The goal is to increase their awareness of signs and symptoms of the most common mental health problems & increase their confidence in talking about mental health concerns with someone.
British Columbia: 1-800-784-2433
Alberta: 1-877-303-2642
Saskatchewan: 1-800-667-4442
Manitoba: 1-866-367-3276
Ontario: 1-866-531-2600
Quebec: 1-866-277-3553
New Brunswick: 1-800-667-5005
Nova Scotia: 1-888-429-8167
Prince Edward Island: 1-833-553-6983
Newfoundland and Labrador: 1-888-737-4668
Yukon: 1-844-533-3030
Northwest Territories: 1-800-661-0844
Nunavut: 1-800-265-3333
Want to learn more about common mental health terms?
We’ve developed a Centre Glossary—to provide clear, concise definitions that can help demystify these concepts. Our goal is to empower you with knowledge, making it easier to navigate your mental health journey and access the support you need.