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CareSource invests $100,000 in farmer mental health programs in Georgia

Source: Georgia Farm Bureau


During a press conference held at the Georgia National Fair on Oct. 2, CareSource, a nonprofit, managed care organization that offers comprehensive health insurance plans, announced it is making a $100,000 investment to help the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA) expand farmer mental health programs statewide.


CareSource’s investment will fund programs offered through the GFA, Georgia Farm Bureau networks and the Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance (GAWA) to deliver peer support, youth-focused wellness pilot programs, and community leader training designed to meet the unique mental health challenges farmers face.


CareSource Senior Director of Strategic Community Partnerships Jason Anavitarte, second from left, & CareSource’s Georgia Market President Jason Bearden, fifth from left, presented a $100,000 donation to the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture accepted by GFA Board of Directors Chairman Tom McCall, fourth from left. Joining the check presentation were state legislators and officials who represent rural communities that will benefit from CareSource’s investment in the work the GFA and the Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance (GAWA) will do to address the mental health challenges facing farm families and rural communities along with partners including the Georgia Department of Agriculture, UGA Extension/4-H and Georgia Ag Ed/FFA. Pictured from far left are Sen. Larry Walker, Jason Anavitarte of CareSource, Rep. Robert Dickey, GFB President/GFA Chairman Tom McCall, Jason Bearden of CareSource, Rep. Patty Stinson, GAWA Director Dr. John McElveen, Rep. Angie O’Steen and Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King. / Photo by Jennifer Whittaker
CareSource Senior Director of Strategic Community Partnerships Jason Anavitarte, second from left, & CareSource’s Georgia Market President Jason Bearden, fifth from left, presented a $100,000 donation to the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture accepted by GFA Board of Directors Chairman Tom McCall, fourth from left. Joining the check presentation were state legislators and officials who represent rural communities that will benefit from CareSource’s investment in the work the GFA and the Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance (GAWA) will do to address the mental health challenges facing farm families and rural communities along with partners including the Georgia Department of Agriculture, UGA Extension/4-H and Georgia Ag Ed/FFA. Pictured from far left are Sen. Larry Walker, Jason Anavitarte of CareSource, Rep. Robert Dickey, GFB President/GFA Chairman Tom McCall, Jason Bearden of CareSource, Rep. Patty Stinson, GAWA Director Dr. John McElveen, Rep. Angie O’Steen and Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King. / Photo by Jennifer Whittaker

“Georgia farmers feed our families and fuel the state’s economy, yet their own health and well-being are too often overlooked,” said Jason Anavitarte, senior director of strategic community partnerships and account management, CareSource Georgia. “Through this investment, CareSource aims to ensure every farmer has access to the care and resources they need to thrive.”


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Georgia farmers face some of the highest levels of stress and isolation in the nation. A statewide survey available at https://gfb.ag/gfafarmermentalhealthstudy conducted in 2022 by the GFA, the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center and Mercer University School of Medicine found that 42% of farmers reported suicidal thoughts in the prior year, while more than 60% of first-generation farmers said they had considered suicide. Nearly 60% of farmers reported lacking access to basic medical care, and most said they could not access a psychologist either in-person or virtually.


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