Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning, everyone.
It's a pleasure to be back before the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food on behalf of Farm Credit Canada. My name is Michael Hoffort. I'm the president and CEO of Farm Credit Canada or FCC as you may know us.
I last spoke to you in June when I outlined FCC's plans to address mental health challenges faced by Canadian farmers, ranchers and producers. Today I'm pleased to provide you with an update. I'm also honoured to be here with our partners from 4-H Canada and Farm Management Canada.
FCC supports the industry and its customers by being more than just a lender. Our deep commitment to agriculture means we care about the wellness of our customers. We make our customer support programs available following agricultural disasters like floods and droughts. The ag crisis fund has supported hundreds of customers dealing with unexpected difficult circumstances like a farm accident or a death in the family.
When it came to mental health, we knew that we could do more. We set out to support awareness and access to mental health resources for those in the agriculture industry. By collaborating with industry partners, FCC is helping to remove the stigma around mental health. We're focused on promoting general awareness of mental health, encouraging dialogue and enabling people throughout the agriculture industry to seek support if they need it.
FCC partnered with mental health experts and relied on customer research to guide our decisions on how to design a mental health publication, public service announcements and partnerships with interested groups.
Earlier this year FCC contributed $50,000 to the Do More Ag Foundation to fund 12 mental health first aid workshops. One hundred and two applications were received, a clear indication that rural communities see the need for this knowledge and training. Those who go through the workshop will be trained to help someone who's experiencing a mental health problem or crisis. The evidence behind mental health first aid training shows that it builds mental health literacy, decreases stigmatizing attitudes, and helps people identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness. The workshops begin in February and they will run until April.
We're also excited to partner with 4-H Canada in the launch of their healthy living initiative, which will begin this year. As we just heard, this program supports the emotional and physical well-being of rural youth across Canada. It's an investment in our young people who will play a large role in shaping the future of Canadian agriculture.
Another important initiative is the publication titled “Rooted in Strength”, and I believe you all received one on your chairs today. At FCC we're not mental health experts, so the booklet was created with the assistance of people who are. Those experts included psychologists and mental health groups, and 176,000 copies of the booklet were mailed to Canadian producers last November. The publication offers personal stories as well as tools producers can use to better understand and address their own mental health challenges. The publication has been well received and is described by many in the industry as a “must-read booklet”.
In addition to the publication, we created a series of print and radio public service announcements that direct people to resources they can access in times of need. We're honoured that Canadian country music recording artist Paul Brandt offered to voice the English radio spots for us, knowing that his endorsement will go a long way in amplifying these messages with a rural audience.
The response we've received from the agriculture community since the mental health initiatives began shows the need for this conversation. Producers have said they appreciate FCC acting as a catalyst to encourage dialogue and promote awareness of available resources. FCC is committed to supporting the agriculture industry and proud to partner with others who share our mission.
FCC is also committed to supporting our employees. Mental health first aid training is offered to managers so that they're equipped to help their staff. The training is extended to front-line staff as well to help them serve our customers. We're also assessing our internal practices against the 13 factors of psychological health and safety in the workplace, as approved by the Standards Council of Canada. These are the same standards recognized by the Government of Canada joint task force on mental health in the workplace. This will help determine next steps in our mental health strategy. This is also FCC's second annual mental health awareness week. The focus this year is on taking care of ourselves and our families. The week includes daily articles aimed at employees and managers to help raise awareness and increase comfort in using services like our employee and family assistance program and the Kids Help Phone.
Tomorrow is Bell's Let's Talk Day, when Canadians engage in a national dialogue around mental health. FCC will participate on social media by sharing our content from the “Rooted in Strength” publication and launching three new mental-health-focused videos. We will also share a special edition of our online customer newsletter focused on mental health.
FCC is also partnering with Farm Management Canada to explore the connection between business management practices and mental health and the benefits of executing a mental health study to gain more insights on this front. At FCC, we're committed to agriculture. We're here for the industry and for our customers. We will continue to be a steady partner, both in times of celebration and in times of challenge.
I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I look forward to any questions the committee may have.
Thank you.