Mental Health Services for International Agricultural Workers in York-Simcoe
International agri-food workers (IAWs) play a critical role here in the Holland Marsh and across Ontario’s nearly $51 billion agri-food sector, and we want to ensure they feel welcomed and integrated into their communities.
Our government and the federal government is investing up to $1.8 million over two years to provide IAWs in Ontario with enhanced access to mental health supports in Spanish, Tagalog, French and English. This investment reinforces our commitment to the health and welfare of IAWs while supporting the goals of our Grow Ontario Strategy, which include making Ontario a destination of choice for IAWs and skilled agri-food talent.
By investing in our IAWs, our government is helping create the right conditions for the long-term health, competitiveness, and growth of our agri-food sector.
The governments of Canada and Ontario also recently announced a $178,000 expansion of the existing Farmer Wellness Initiative to include delivery of services in Spanish for Ontario farm workers. Visit https://farmerwellnessinitiative.ca/ or call 1-866-267-6255 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year.
The Farmer Wellness Initiative provides Ontario farmers, farm families, farm employees, and spouses and dependents of farm employees with free, unlimited mental health counselling, specific to the unique challenges that can be experienced by the agricultural community.
Learn More: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1005190/governments-strengthening-mental-health-services-for-international-agricultural-workers