CLICS/CLICS2024A/commsumm.nsf
PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For PRESENTATION ON COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY AGRABILITY PROJECT
JOINT COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES AND AGRICULTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE
Date Sep 18, 2024
Location Old State Library
Presentation on Colorado State University AgrAbility Project - Committee Discussion Only
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11:14:16 AM |
Rebecca Hill, Colorado State University (CSU), introduced her presentation and gave background on the AgrAbility Project. She told the committee about the project's efforts working with farmers and ranchers with physical limitations.
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11:17:23 AM |
Chad Reznicek, Colorado AgrAbility Project, spoke about statistics on Colorado agriculture and the challenges that the agricultural industry faces, including weather, unexpected losses, work-life balance, politics, and market volatility. He discussed suicide prevention among farmers and ranchers and barriers to accessing mental health in rural communities. He told the committee about the Colorado Agricultural Addiction and Mental Health Program.
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11:25:05 AM |
Mr. Reznicek continued
by discussing what CSU and CSU faculty are doing to assist rural and agricultural
communities, including providing competency and resiliency training through
CSU Extension. He told the committee about training and support for professionals
working in rural communities and identifying needs in their communities.
He spoke about the Land Logic program, which aims to design interventions
specific to agricultural producers, and other programs that exist to increase
rural behavioral health resource access.
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11:32:59 AM |
Dr. Hill highlighted
Senate Bill 21-137, which expanded funding to rehabilitation services.
She gave an overview of the members of the AgrAbility Program team and
the extension regions that the team serves.
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11:37:42 AM |
The panelists responded to questions regarding funding for the program, the connection with the Behavioral Health Administration, the impacts on the program if additional funding does not get provided, providing substance-use resources in rural communities, and future college students going into rural behavioral health care.
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