Maine Agrability Supports Farmer with Physical and Emotional Disabilities

by Sharon Wachsler

Having experienced the physical and mental healing benefits of working with animals and being outdoors, I'm particularly eager to share the story that WABI TV ran on Winterport goat and chicken farmer, Che Sweetland. Sweetland owns Gentle Meadow Goat Farm.

"UMaine Program Helps Farmers with Disabilities" tells Sweetland's story:

“In 2010, I started having problems with PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety, where I found that I was not choosing to leave my house as much as I should.”

Che Sweetland acquired some chickens as a therapeutic tool. 

“To make it so I had to leave my house once a day to take care of the chickens,” she explains. “And when I realized that my body and my emotions really liked the farming lifestyle, I ended up getting some goats.”

Both the text of the story a video of the news clip are online. (It is not an autoplay; you click on the video player to view or listen to the story.) There are lots of fun sounds and sights of happy chickens and goats, as well as Sweetland's story of creativity and ingenuity in creating a rich life following years of trauma.

The WABI story also shows how the UMaine Cooperative Extension School can help disabled Maine farmers continue farming. Because Sweetland has back and neck issues that were interfering with farmwork, she contacted them and got help setting up an ergonomic milking station and other assistance:

“Maine Agrability is a state-wide program that helps farmers with disabilities or chronic illnesses keeping farming,” explains Richard Brzozowski, an agriculture extension educator. 

It started four years ago through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The idea is to provide those in agriculture as well as future farmers with informational tools. The program is also available to veterans and will soon be reaching out to those in the aquaculture and logging industries.

“You don’t look at the disability part,” explains Brzozowski, “you think of what they can do, the ability part.” 

To view or read the complete story, click here. More information on the Maine Agrability program at umaine.edu/agrability or at 800-287-1471. To order goat milk soap, visit Gentle Meadow Goat Farm.

Smithfield, Oct 24, Therapeutic Horsemanship Exhibit for Veterans

by Sharon Wachsler

Today I came across a story in CentralMaine.com that I think is an exciting opportunity for veterans or anyone with a disability or chronic health condition in the Farmington area who enjoys animals, especially horses. The article is entitled, Maine AgrAbility to sponsor therapeutic-horsemanship demonstration for veterans Oct. 24. Having benefited from horse-assisted therapy, myself, I am excited to pass along this posting and hope those who read it will share it.

The AgrAbility Project is a national organization sponsored by the USDA that, according to its website, seeks to

enhance quality of life for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers with disabilities. While the term "disability" often brings to mind conditions such as spinal cord injuries and amputations, AgrAbility addresses not only these but also many other conditions, such as arthritis, back impairments, and behavioral health issues.

The demonstration will take place at Thistle Ridge Equestrian Centre, 1289 Village Road, Smithfield from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24. The presenter for the demo is Charmaine Bouford, certified rehabilitation counselor for SpiritHorse Therapeutic Center and a registered therapeutic riding instructor.

The presentation is free to veterans. Non-veterans are asked to donate $20 in support of Thistle Ridge programs. For more information on the therapeutic horsemanship exhibition or to request a disability accommodation, contact Lani Carlson at UMaine Cooperative Extension at 207.944.1533 or 800.287.1471.

UMaine Cooperative Extension partners with Maine AgrAbility to work with farmers, farm workers and farm family members with a chronic health condition or disability.

Harper Named Acting Superintendent of Riverview psychiatric Center

An Associated Press story picked up by numerous news outlets throughout New England, including the Portland Press Herald and WABI, reported yesterday that Robert "Jay" Harper has been appointed acting superintendent of Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta. Harper has served as a patient advocate for the Disability Rights Center and as a professor in the Human Services department at the University of Maine.

UMaine Welcomes New Advisor of Adult Learners & Students with Disabilities

The Penobscot Bay Pilot recently reported on the University of Maine Hutchinson Center's new appointment of Patricia Libby to the position of coordinator of instruction and student services. According to the article:

Libby will serve as academic advisor, scholarship coordinator, tutor coordinator, Maine Disability Support Services liaison and facilitator to career center resources. She will also serve the UMaine faculty in instructional technology support for instruction and as a key member of the Lifelong Learning Advising Center team, based in UMaine’s Division of Lifelong Learning in Orono.
According to Associate Dean Virginia Nees-Hatlen, "Libby’s background as a veteran advisor and her strong grounding in social work and instructional technology gives the team — now engaged in recruiting adults who want to finish college degrees — great depth and breadth."

For more information, read the complete article.

Panel on Maine's Mental Health System Focuses on "Public Safety"

by Sharon Wachsler

Last night a panel was held at the University of Maine, Augusta, on the state's mental health system. According to an October 31, Sentinel article by Susan McMillan, the scheduled facilitator was Senator Roger Katz of Augusta, and the event was spurred by an incident at Riverview Psychiatric Center:

...where a patient seriously injured an employee in the spring. The hospital, which is the state’s only mental health facility for patients who commit crimes, stands to lose an estimated $20 million in federal funding because of problems with governance, overcrowding and safety.

Panelists include various government and agency representatives and administrators, along with Helen Bailey of the Maine Disability Rights Center. Conspicuously lacking in the lineup were panelists who are consumers of the mental health system, themselves.

Overall, the article -- and seemingly the panel -- focuses on mental illness as a public safety concern. This fearmongering that people with mental illness are dangerous is in direct conflict with the data which show that people with mental health issues are no more likely to commit violent crimes than those with no diagnosed mental illness, and that people with psychiatric diagnoses are, in fact, much more likely to be victims of violence.

I could not find any articles about the panel after the fact. It is to be hoped that stereotyping and fearmongering did not carry the day. (If you attended or participated in the panel or have a link to an article reporting on the panel, please comment or drop us a line.)