{"id":109748,"date":"2019-11-08T12:32:25","date_gmt":"2019-11-08T17:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=109748"},"modified":"2019-11-08T12:32:25","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T17:32:25","slug":"brindisi-hosts-rural-mental-health-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=109748","title":{"rendered":"Brindisi hosts rural mental health summit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Rep. Anthony Brindisi<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Brings together farmers, mental health care advocates and\nstakeholders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Congressman Anthony Brindisi hosted a rural mental health\nsummit today in Oriskany. Brindisi joined farmers, mental health advocates, and\ncommunity members for a discussion on how to increase access to mental health\ncare in rural areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 1999 to 2016, suicide rates grew in nearly all 50 states<\/a>. New York\u2019s 22nd\nCongressional district has a higher rate of suicide than the state average<\/a>. And\naccording to the Center for Disease Control, the suicide rate is 45 percent higher in rural areas than in urban areas.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBridging the gap between urban and rural when it comes to\naccess to mental health care is important for communities like ours,\u201d Brindisi\nsaid. \u201cSomeone suffering from mental illness in New Berlin deserves the\nsame access to care as someone in New York City. My Seeding Rural Resilience\nAct is a good start, but we need to move the ball forward and think of new and\ninnovative ways to bring care to smaller communities across the state. I heard some\ngood ideas today from the people on the ground and I am hopeful we will\ncontinue to make progress on this important issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local advocates spoke about the importance of mental health\nservices for farmers and rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a dairy Farmer and wife of a dairy Farmer and as someone\nwho suffers from depression\/anxiety specifically related to farming and the\nfinancial state the industry is in I appreciate Congressman Brindisi bringing\nattention to this important issue and making this a priority,\u201d said area\nfarmer Anne Lee. \u201cI truly believe not only Farmers, but many Americans suffer\nfrom mental health exhaustion. And we need to find ways Farmers can feel\ncomfortable talking and asking for help.  Events like this and Congressman\nBrindisi\u2019s tireless work to increase access to mental health care go a long way\nto help our rural communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNew York farmers are an incredibly strong and resilient\ngroup of people that are chronically underserved when it comes to primary\nhealthcare and behavioral healthcare,\u201d said Kate Downes, Outreach Director\nfor NY FarmNet. \u201cFarmers work day in and day out milking their cows,\ngrowing vegetables, harvesting their crops, feeding our communities, and they\nneed support \u2013 both emotionally and financially. Because of deeply ingrained\nsocietal stigma, and generations of pressure, farmers are unlikely to reach out\nfor help. NY FarmNet\u2019s culturally competent services, with completely free and\nconfidential, on-farm consulting, helps farmers in times of crisis, times of\ngrowth, and in times of change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond increasing access to mental health care services for\nfarmers, Brindisi has fought to increase broadband speeds in the area<\/a> and bring down the cost of health care<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year, Brindisi introduced the Seeding Rural Resilience Act<\/a> along with Congressman\nJohn Katko (R-NY) and Congresswoman Angie Craig (D-MN).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bipartisan legislation would:<\/p>\n\n\n\n