hink

suicide prevention

improvement network

planting strength, harvesting resilience:

Suicide prevention in agriculture

There is a mental health emergency

in rural america

Stress factors unique to the agricultural community including financial pressures due to economic fluctuations in crop prices, commodity markets, unpredictable weather conditions, and working long strenuous hours, all can lead to feelings of anxiety, exhaustion, burnout, mental distress, and depression. Rural Americans are renowned for their unwavering work ethic and resilience to face any obstacle head-on. However, having a mental illness can affect a person's ability to rise to meet life’s challenges.

  • Suicide rates among people living in rural areas are 64% to 68% higher compared to people living in large urban areas
  • About 1 in 5 adults in the US suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year
  • Mental illness is a bigger challenge in rural America due to unique barriers
  • 20% fewer Primary Care Providers than urban areas
  • 28% of rural homes lack access to broadband internet
  • 65% of rural counties do not have a psychiatrist

who hink Spin is

In partnership with Nemaha Valley Community Hospital, HINK has recently been awarded a Rural Health Network Development Grant through the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

This grant will be focused on the following areas of focus:

  • Community Awareness
  • Provider Development
  • Public Education/Stigma Reduction
  • Sustainable Funding

Are you a part of the community and interested in learning how to respond when someone is in crisis? QPR is the most widely taught Gatekeeper training in the world. Enroll for the free 1-hour, on-demand QPR Gatekeeper Training.

Education for Community

Are you a medical provider who wants to know more about responding to individuals in crisis or engaging with patients with behavioral health needs who are farmers, ranchers or agricultural workers? Click for more information.

Education for Medical Providers

This project serves HINK’s 12-county, rural region of northeast and northcentral Kansas, and project partners are intimately familiar with the unique requirements of the people that live in the region and how to meet these needs. The HINK SPIN is focused on a strategic assessment of the region, focused on the mental health and suicide prevention opportunities as well as increased cultural competency training for healthcare providers of rural patients.

 

The overarching goal of the HINK’s SPIN project is to bring a heightened focus on reducing suicide and expanding access to behavioral health care services in its predominantly rural network region. The target population is rural teenagers and adults (age 15-64) at risk of developing or diagnosed with a mental or behavioral health issue in northeast and north-central Kansas.

This project serves HINK’s 12-county, rural region of northeast and northcentral Kansas, and project partners are intimately familiar with the unique requirements of the people that live in the region and how to meet these needs. The HINK SPIN is focused on a strategic assessment of the region, focused on the mental health and suicide prevention opportunities as well as increased cultural competency training for healthcare providers of rural patients.

 

The overarching goal of the HINK’s SPIN project is to bring a heightened focus on reducing suicide and expanding access to behavioral health care services in its predominantly rural network region. The target population is rural teenagers and adults (age 15-64) at risk of developing or diagnosed with a mental or behavioral health issue in northeast and north-central Kansas.

“this life. this night. your story. your pain. your hope. it matters. all of it matters.”

-jamie tworkowski