AIM has been awarded a $2 million, five-year contract by the New York State Office of Mental Health to launch a new peer-driven program to improve behavioral health outcomes and reduce suicide risk among farmers, agribusiness workers, and their families.

The Farmers Supporting Farmers program will serve all of New York State, with a focus on Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Yates, Ontario, Livingston, Allegany, Genesee, Monroe, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.

Services will include mental wellness support and agricultural technical assistance focused on financial management, business planning and decision making.

Program staff will refer and connect individuals with behavioral healthcare, community resources, and social services if needed.

AIM will operate a free, confidential helpline to provide services.

Program outreach and community engagement will target rural communities and include free workshops, training sessions, and conferences on mental health and financial well-being.

AIM has hired a team of five staff members, including a senior director, business development director, and three agricultural support mentors. We are targeting a November 2025 launch for the program.

Farmers Supporting Farmers was developed in response to the well-documented link between economic crises and the resulting stress that puts farm workers and their families at an increased risk for poor behavioral health outcomes, according to the New York State Office of Mental Health.