Coalition says outreach to agricultural communities must "meet people where they are" after mixed results

Jamie Herst, host and presenter and staff with Tri County Health Network, told the Colorado Agricultural Behavioral Health Working Group that efforts to reach farming and ranching communities across six Western Colorado counties have produced mixed results and require tailored, community‑led approaches.

Herst said the coalition’s local network, called Spark (Suicide Prevention Awards and Recovery Coalition), serves six counties on Colorado’s Western Slope and has documented 181 deaths by suicide in the region from 2020 through 2024. "Voy a hablar un poco acerca de nuestros esfuerzos de alcanzar esta comunidad, que ha funcionado y que no ha funcionado," she said, summarizing months of outreach experiments.

Why it matters: Working with agricultural and rural populations requires different tactics than typical public‑health campaigns, Herst and other attendees said. The group cited persistent barriers including social isolation, stigma, low local provider capacity, and a shortage of Spanish‑speaking and male therapists — all factors that limit the effectiveness…