Free Counseling Services Now Available To Montana's Agricultural Community

Helena, MT - In an effort to provide support for Montana's agricultural community, Frontier Psychiatry has partnered with the Montana Department of Agriculture to provide free access to counseling. Funded through a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), this partnership will offer a variety of services, including individual counseling and medication management, at no cost to the participant. Telehealth services ensure broad access to care and maximum privacy to the individuals in the program.

Farmers and ranchers in Montana have demanding jobs that are often complicated by economic uncertainty, vulnerability to weather events, and isolation. Rural agricultural communities also have limited access to mental health services and face the stigma associated with asking for help. The Counseling Access for Montana Ag (CAMA) program was created to address these challenges and ensure that farm and ranch families are receiving the support they need when experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns.

"Working in agriculture is stressful-plain and simple," said Christy Clark, Montana Department of Agriculture director." Montana's farmers and ranchers are carrying heavy workloads, braving the elements no matter the weather, not to mention taking care of equipment, animals, family members, and everything else that comes along with their work of feeding the world. Our department is excited to roll out resources to ensure our producers are taken care of first and foremost, because they are truly the most important part of their operation."

Frontier Psychiatry CEO Eric Arzubi, MD, explains, "Any farmer or rancher can tell you, farm life is stressful. In the last two years alone, our state's producers have faced a pandemic, a worsening drought, financial pressures due to fluctuating commodity prices, labor shortages, and trade disruptions. We are excited to be supporting our Montana farmers and ranchers by increasing access to mental health resources no matter where they live."

The program is open to any Montanan who is involved in the agriculture community including farmers, ranchers, family members, and employees. Those interested can visit frontier.care/beyondtheweather to learn more and schedule their initial appointment.