Decatur, IL (WAND) – A statewide program is providing free, confidential mental health support to farm families across Illinois.

The program, called Farm SOS, is a partnership between SIU School of Medicine, the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the Illinois Department of Human Services.

The program launched in 2019 as a pilot serving six central Illinois counties under the name Farm Family Resource Initiative (FFRI). It has since expanded to all 102 counties in the state and recently changed its name to Farm SOS.

“It’s so important that farm families have access to trusted information and resources that they can reach out to,” said Karen Leavitt-Stallman, project coordinator with Illinois Farm SOS with SIU School of Medicine Center for Rural Health. “It is not something that you have to park your truck in town to get counseling, or it’s not something where you have to drive a distance.”

Farm SOS operates a helpline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at no cost. The number is 1-833-327-6767. Leavitt-Stallman said callers can remain anonymous and are connected with a trained mental health professional.

“There are a lot of stressors that are unique to agriculture that the urban populations don’t experience,” Leavitt-Stallman said. “Some of those stressors are the weather, they’re the markets. We continue to see such volatile markets, markets going up and down. Farm succession is a big issue.”

The program also offers up to six telehealth counseling sessions for individuals, couples or groups, at no cost. The Farm SOS website includes a monthly podcast, videos, webinars and an electronic resource guide.

Leavitt-Stallman explained that they structured the program around some of the main hurdles farmers face when they need access to care. These include having to travel for care, having enough providers compared to need, and a fear of the stigma for getting help.

“It’s really, really hard for a person to pick up the phone and talk to a stranger,” Leavitt-Stallman said. “And it’s particularly hard for a farmer or someone in a farm family to pick up the phone and call someone. Of course, you can access resources on our website without anyone knowing, in the privacy of your own home.”

The program launched in 2019 as a pilot serving six central Illinois counties under the name Farm Family Resource Initiative. It has since expanded to all 102 counties in the state and recently changed its name to Farm SOS.

More information is available online.