After Tragic Suicides in Rural Colorado, Health Center Targets Mental Wellness Among Ranchers

In 2017 a reporter called Dr. JC Carrica, who was the Chief Executive Officer of the Community Mental Health Center serving six rural and frontier counties of southeast Colorado. She brought grim news of four suicides in Kiowa County, all tied to the agriculture field, all occurring in a county of only 1,400 people.

"She wanted to know what we, as the CMHC, were going to do to address the mental health of this population," said Carrica. "The question hit me hard. As a fifth-generation resident of Southeast Colorado, with deep ties to agriculture, it really opened my eyes to the fact that our marketing efforts were falling flat when it came to the mental wellbeing of farmers and ranchers, who are the main drivers of our economy."

Carrica gathered a few members of the ag community who were tied to local businesses, and began to form a plan.

Carrica is the acting Vice President and Chief of Innovation and Strategy of Valley-Wide Health Systems, Inc. following the merger of the local CMHC and FQHC. Efforts to duplicate the Coffee Break Project are in the works for south-central Colorado, expanding to represent the 14 total rural and frontier counties served by Valley-Wide.

The Beginning of The Coffee Break Project

Economic and environmental conditions make farming and ranching a stressful occupation. While awareness of mental health issues has increased since COVID-19, attention to addressing the mental and emotional well-being of agricultural workers lags behind. The Coffee Break Project, an initiative developed by agricultural community members, is intended to raise awareness of stress and mental health concerns among farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers and use the relational networks that exist in rural agricultural communities to address these issues. The Project sprang from the concerns of community members who regularly interacted with the agricultural world in their personal and professional lives about the growing number suicides among their neighbors-fellow farmers and ranchers in rural Southeast Colorado. The group's efforts grew into a partnership between members of the area's agricultural community and Valley-Wide Health Systems, Inc., the region's integrated behavioral health care provider.

Do You Look After Your Neighbor as Close as Your Crop or Herd?

Since its beginning in 2018, the program has supported a simple message: Do you look after your neighbor as close as your crop or herd? The simple reminder to take time for human connection has made a powerful impact, which has allowed The Coffee Break Project to grow immensely, and led to more than 250 people to be trained in COMET, Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory, a conversation toolkit developed by High Plains Research Network to help community members address signs of depression among their friends and family, and intervene safely.

In 2020, a brick and mortar drop-in location was added in Rocky Ford, Colorado, offering a safe place for members of the ag community to use as they see fit; whether it be to simply gather, drink coffee, share resources, invite expert speakers, among many other uses. This building sees around 70 regular visitors a week, and has become a staple for many in the community. The movement has also gathered momentum in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, where efforts are underway to duplicate model in the Southeast region of the state, but with modifications to better fit the unique needs and cultural differences of the region. For more information about The Coffee Break Project, visit www.thecoffeebreatproject.org or email [email protected].