Training helps people assist those with mental health issues

Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory (COMET) is a two-hour program and a gentle introduction to supporting friends and neighbors in a vulnerable space. A live on-line COMET training will be offered statewide June 24 from 10 a.m. to noon. This training is offered live through the Zoom platform and is not recorded. The training is free but limited to 30 participants. Registration is required. Anyone interested can register at https://forms.gle/q3SsvCF7qLw8oXpt5. The intent of the program is to help people shift their mental health trajectory back to a place of wellness and away from the path of a mental health crisis. This program was developed by the High Plains Research Network Community Advisory Council specifically for rural communities. Rural communities and farm families value supporting each other in times of need. COMET helps people take the next step after noticing someone might be struggling. It empowers friends and neighbors to be more prepared to support others’ mental health needs – especially before a crisis. This training doesn’t expect community members to fix the problem but trains people to feel comfortable initiating a supportive but potentially emotional conversation using a conversational seven-question guide. The training encourages participants to be comfortable and present with someone who is struggling but not yet at the point of crisis. It provides an easy way to start a conversation, teaches how to exit the conversation in a supportive way, and offers resources to share with others if they need more than a listening ear. The University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension is partnering with Farm Well Wisconsin and the High Plains Research Network Community Advisory Council to offer COMET to rural and farming communities and agricultural service providers in Wisconsin. This educational program is supported by USDA-NIFA 2020-70028-32728 through the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network funding. Go to https://farms.extension.wisc.edu/programs/comet for more information, email joy.kirkpatrick@wisc.edu or alexandra.walters@wisc.edu, or call 608-263-3485.