Tactics for Tough Times helping the community help farmers

This health and wellbeing program was developed by people and groups to give everyday people the skills to help those in need. Find out how.

Important skills: Paul Lacy delivering a Tactics for Tough Times session to farmers and industry providers.

THE tanker driver arrives at the property and strikes up a conversation with the dairy farmer.

But suddenly the chat takes a turn, and the farmer reveals he is struggling and not sure where to go for help.

It was a scenario that farmers, councils and health groups in northwest Victoria knew was happening as farmers battled dry conditions. So, the Tactics for Tough Times program was born, to give everyday people the skills they need if someone does open up about their difficulties, and where they can refer those people for help.

“Basically it is the community looking out for each other,” says program co-ordinator Paul Lacy.

T4TT was developed by Northern District Community Health in partnership with farmers and four northwest Victorian councils — Gannawarra, Loddon, Buloke and Swan Hill.

Paul says part of the strategy was to target those in jobs that involved farm visits, where a conversation with the farmer could “quickly turn into a mental health conversation and those service providers didn’t have the tools or know where that conversation should lead”.

People who are heavily involved in their communities were also targeted.

“There were stories about the truck driver that would go to the farm … it would only take 20 minutes to unload the hay but he would be there for two hours having a conversation with the farmer who was in tears,” Paul says.

“We felt there was a real need to have lots of people in the community, a little army of helpers, I guess, prepared to have that conversation with someone when they notice that (the farmers) weren’t going so well.”

Since starting early last year, Paul says there have been about 50 sessions given to about 1000 people. He said they had also been trying to develop the program further. T4TT’s funding is due to conclude in September, but Paul says they were looking for “other opportunities”.

But while T4TT may have started around farmer health, some of its messages could be applied during the coronavirus shutdown.

How T4TT is delivered is being adapted to work around the coronavirus restrictions, and Paul says they are trying to find new ways to support people during this time.

But one aspect of the program that Paul says is important to remember at this time is the “five ways to wellbeing”, a pre-existing program referred to by T4TT.

Paul says the five tips — connect, be active, keep learning, take notice, and give — were used to make sure those holding the conversations looked after their own wellbeing. But he encouraged people to find creative ways to apply them during the lockdown, to look out for themselves and each other. “While we may not be getting the conversation and techniques out, the wellbeing stuff is probably more important at this point in time.”

● ndch.org.au/t4tt.html

● Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636