Governments Enhancing Mental Health Supports for Farm Workers

Toronto, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $538,000 through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to expand the Farmer Wellness Initiative to Ontario farm workers. Of that total, nearly $178,000 will be dedicated to supporting the delivery of services in Spanish.

Delivered by Agriculture Wellness Ontario, a suite of free programming managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division, the Farmer Wellness Initiative provides farmers, farm workers and their family members in Ontario with unlimited access to a free, 24/7 phone line that connects them to tailored mental health counselling. Earlier this year, the line expanded to include farm workers, and now the expansion includes the delivery of mental health services in Spanish to better serve international agricultural workers.

Services offered through the 24/7 phone line include crisis counselling, risk assessments, and face-to-face, phone or video sessions with a counsellor.

Today's action builds on a series of recently launched and expanded free mental health supports for workers in the farming sector. It also supports the priorities of the Ontario government's Grow Ontario Strategy, which include strengthening the stability of our agri-food supply chain and attracting and growing local agri-food talent.

Sustainable CAP is a 5-year (2023-2028), $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada's agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.