Harder, Padilla Introduce Legislation to Combat Gaps in Mental Health Care Access for Farm Workers
Farm workers’ jobs are among the most dangerous professions, but a survey of California farm workers shows 31% of male agricultural workers have never visited a medical clinic and less than half have seen a doctor in the past 2 years
The Supporting Farm Workers’ Mental Health Act would help fill the gap in mental health care services for farm workers, who are disproportionately affected by mental health concerns and lack access to adequate health care
WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Josh Harder (CA-9) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced bicameral legislation to fight the lack of access to mental health care for farm workers amid the worsening mental health crisis affecting all Americans. About 50 million people in the US are suffering from a mental health condition, but the ratio of mental health providers to people is 350 to 1. This legislation aims to fill gaps in care and improve peer-to-peer mental health services to address the behavioral health needs of farm workers. The Supporting Farm Workers’ Mental Health Act would require the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), which provides mental health support to agricultural workers, to explicitly include farm workers as an eligible group.
Farm workers face significant barriers to care, including a shortage of culturally competent providers and low health literacy in addition to the challenges associated with accessing health care in rural areas. According to the University of California, Merced, 19% of farm workers reported symptoms of anxiety and 14% reported feeling depressed.
“The Central Valley is the breadbasket of the world – 25% of our country’s food is grown right here,” said Rep. Harder. “None of this would be possible without our hard-working farm workers. It’s vital that they have the health care, including mental health care, they need to keep our country fed and healthy. This bill is a big step towards making that a reality.”
“Our farm workers feed our nation, but they face higher rates of mental health challenges due to long, physically demanding work hours, little to no benefits, and low wages,” said Senator Padilla. “Given their mental health needs, it is critical that farm workers are clearly able to access the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. I’m proud to lead this bicameral effort to ensure that some of our country’s most essential workers receive the health care they need.”
FRSAN was authorized in 2008 in response to the high suicide rates among ranchers and farmers. The Supporting Farm Workers’ Mental Health Act specifically would require FRSAN to initiate, expand, or sustain peer-to-peer mental health services to help address farm workers’ unique mental health challenges.
The bill is endorsed by the National Rural Health Association and the National Center for Farmworker Health.
Rep. Harder has been a strong advocate for expanding access to mental health care. Earlier this year, he introduced a bill to bring more licensed mental health practitioners to San Joaquin County Schools and highlighted the significant need for early intervention efforts.
Full text of the bill is available here.
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