The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program fills a need

The month of March has marked a significant milestone for the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program.

Gerry Friesen, the chief administrative officer says the program which provides free mental health support for farmers and their families has now been operating for a year.

He says it's a free confidential process and setting up an appointment is very simple. 

"People just need to go to our website (https://manitobafarmerwellness.ca) and they can book an appointment. So it's only the counselor and themselves that know what's going on."

Friesen says over the last year they've had overwhelming support from partners with the program and overtime have seen a significant demand for the service.

"We know that in our health care system these days particularly in mental health there can be some atrocious wait times. We wanted to make sure that we had flexibility in our programs so that people could get on relatively quickly and also could be accommodated evenings and weekends."