Mental Health in Rural Communities

 

Original Presentation Date: 11/21/2019

Facilitator Lesson Plan

The Mental Health in Rural Communities teaching kit contains all you need to host your own team-based, active-learning event featuring work by Diane Rohlman, PhD, Professor and Endowed Chair in Rural Health and Safety at the University of Iowa.

American farmers are facing a mental health crisis. Farming is a high-risk industry, and farm incomes are impacted by many factors including weather, market prices, interest rates, and regulatory requirements. Compared to other industries, we see higher suicide rates among farmers. There is a need to understand the factors that impact mental health in rural communities. It is important to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of distress and to learn strategies and resources that are available to help you or someone else.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Identify factors associated with stress among rural communities.
  • Discuss barriers associated with accessing mental health care in rural communities.
  • Apply resources to patients experiencing distress.
  • Develop strategies for patient treatment while taking into account the unique aspects of farming.
Diane Rohlman

Diane Rohlman, PhD
Professor and Endowed Chair in Rural Health and Safety at the University of Iowa

Steps

Before your session
  1. Recruit your teams. Ideally, 4 teams of 3-5 participants.
  2. Schedule a room that can accommodate all your participants and AV to play the presentation.
  3. Distribute the Pre-Session link
  4. Download the Presentation Slide Deck.
  5. Review the Slide Deck. Be sure to look at the presenter notes.
During your session
  1. Arrange your participants into teams within the room.
  2. Facilitate your session by following the prompts in the presenter notes of the Slide Deck.
  3. Facilitate general discussion with the full group. Go over any lingering thoughts.
  4. Evaluate the materials on your experience.
Click to download the presentation slide deck

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