Western Slope suicide‑prevention coalition says outreach must be tailored after FarmTalk pilot drew no attendees

Jamie Hurst, coordinator of the SPARC regional suicide‑prevention coalition at Tri County Health Network, told members of the Colorado Ag Behavioral Health Working Group on Oct. 28 that outreach to agricultural communities on the Western Slope requires locally tailored strategies and sustained relationship building.

"I thought FarmTalk was the solution to everything," Hurst said, describing a four‑week pilot modeled on a coffee‑break outreach project. Despite flyers at co‑ops, the Department of Agriculture office, the grain elevator and farmers markets, and a local farmer who served as the pilot’s public face, Hurst said "we never got a single person to show up." She called the failure a learning opportunity rather than proof of lack of need.

Hurst gave a region overview and data summary: Tri County Health Network serves six counties — Gunnison, Montrose, Delta, Ouray, San Miguel and Hinsdale — and recorded 181 suicide deaths from 2020…