Prevent Suicide Wisconsin Conference: Holding Space

Mental Health America of WI is excited to host the 13th Annual Prevent Suicide Wisconsin Conference, taking place over Zoom April 13-14th, 2023. This year’s theme is Holding Space, and our intention is to hold space for our communities and various practices of prevention. Suicide is not just a mental health issue, but a public health issue that requires us to think bigger and collaborate across communities and professions to build a world worth living in. This means we must hold space for the field of suicide prevention to grow and change through the incorporation of peer support, social justice and lived experience. We will explore current efforts in Wisconsin, what’s working and what we could be doing better, and continue to imagine a world worth living in. We hope you’ll join us to learn ideas and skills you can take back to your work and communities! Learn more here.

Farmer Angel Network’s breakout session titled "Bringing Farmers' Mental Health Struggles Out of the Shadows" will share the vision to farmer-to-farmer suicide prevention in and around Sauk County, Wisconsin. This session will explain how Farmer Angel Network came to exist, the approach to build a coalition and impacts of their efforts. The Farmer Angel Network builds strong rural communities that support agriculture by providing education, resources, and fellowship with a focus on mental wellness and suicide prevention. A grassroots effort of local farmers impacted by the suicide of one of their own have built a coalition of farmers, agriculture professionals, healthcare organizations, public health, land conservation, extension educators and many other individuals and organizations. The network serves as a model of how thriving rural communities appreciate and celebrate agriculture through fellowship in order to decrease the stigma of mental health and serve to promote the health of its farming community as an asset to the wellbeing all within the community. The group has been recognized locally and nationally including articles by The New York Times and Washington Post and a documentary by The Thomson Reuters Foundation. www.farmerangelnetwork.com

• Objective 1: Understand risk factors for farmer suicide.
• Objective 2: Learn how a farming community came together to build a stronger community and prevent suicide among farmers, farm workers and their families.
• Objective 3: Learn how to build a network coalition of partnerships to make an impact without many resources.

Speakers include Farmer Angel Network board members Christy Wehler, Amanda Coorough and Brenda Statz.