A lot of steps need to be taken says Mental Health Commission of Canada.   Ottawa—The federal government's intention to raise awareness of the importance of mental health should boost efforts to do just that already underway in the agriculture sector. The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) says mental health is among the country's most pressing health issues and welcomed the announcement in the Throne Speech to work with the provinces to close the gaps that leave 1.6 million people with an unmet need for mental health care. “Ensuring everyone has access to a family doctor is an important first step, since primary care physicians are often the initial point of contact for someone experiencing a mental illness,” said MHCC President and CEO Louise Bradley. “Properly supporting those living with mental illness and/or substance use disorder while promoting mental wellness and whole health from an early age, will be a defining feature of a progressive government in the 21st Century. “Combating stigma is an essential step in creating an accessible system of quality, publicly funded services and supports for these individuals,” she said. Farm Credit Canada has been supporting mental health programs in agriculture for several years, said spokeswoman Eva Larouche. The Throne Speech announcement “serves as a broad acknowledgement of the importance of mental well-being for all Canadians, and that FCC's priorities are very much aligned with the government's. “FCC will continue working with our partners to promote mental health awareness in agriculture,” she said. “There's certainly no question that additional attention to mental health is a positive. For farmers, the primary challenge we hear is about access to resources that understand the realities and challenges associated with farming. “So, we certainly applaud efforts to invest in more universally accessible mental health services, but believe there's a need to look specifically at the needs of farmers to ensure they respond appropriately to their needs.” Scott Ross, Assistant Executive Director of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, said, “There's certainly no question that additional attention to mental health is a positive. For farmers, the primary challenge we hear is about access to resources that understand the realities and challenges associated with farming. So, we certainly applaud efforts to invest in more universally accessible mental health services, but believe there's a need to look specifically at the needs of farmers to ensure they respond appropriately to their needs. “We continue to support research efforts into evidence-based agricultural mental health training and services, and believe there's an ongoing need for 24/7 mental health resources over the phone, but continue to explore how we can ensure that any such service would adequately respond to farmers' needs,” he said. Among the steps FCC is taking is a partnership with 4-H Canada to sponsor the new 4-H Healthy Living Program two-year initiative. The intended goal of the program is to increase awareness of mental health with over 25,000 youth members and 7,700 volunteer leaders. These 4-H leaders are vital mentors and role models to our 4-H youth, working together in youth-adult partnerships. FCC contributed $50,000 in 2018 to the Do More Ag Foundation to fund 12 mental health first-aid workshops for which 102 applications were received, “a clear indication that rural communities see the need for this knowledge and training,” Larouche said. In August, FCC doubled its financial support to $100,000 enabling more training sessions to take place across Canada. “Those who go through the workshop were trained to help someone who is experiencing a mental health problem or crisis,” she said. “The evidence behind mental health first aid training shows it builds mental health literacy, decreases stigmatizing attitudes and helps people identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness.” Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.