U.S. senator visits MSU to discuss ag and mental health program funding

Mar. 18—U.S. Sen. Tina Smith visited Minnesota State University Monday after announcing that two local programs are finalists for federal funding.

The Center for Rural Behavioral Health could receive up to $1 million and the Mainstreet Businesses Focused on Food and Agriculture program up to $775,000 from congressionally directed spending if chosen.

Smith told The Free Press after a roundtable discussion with program organizers and university officials that she appreciates how federal dollars almost act as start-up money to get projects such as these off the ground.

"Then they run with it and have so many excellent ideas about how to support local food producers, how to address training needs in mental health and behavioral health," she said.

While separate topics, it was relevant to talk about ag and mental health in one discussion because they often go hand in hand, Smith said.

"Rural health care and the need for rural health care is a huge gap in our system, and what we saw today is how there's so much overlap just in that, so think about the needs that we have for people that are actually trained to practice in rural communities. It's very different, as we heard, to be a nurse practitioner working in Fairmont than it is to be at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis," she said.

Center for Rural Behavioral Health Interim Director Megan Mahowald said while the center is on track to open its clinic this fall, the additional funding would help them implement what they've envisioned from the beginning.

The clinic will have a two-pronged approach, offering both an on-campus training experience to students within the university's five behavioral health programs and offering affordable mental health services to the community.

"To provide the level of services that our community needs, as well as provide the academic and clinical opportunities for our students that are going to be most impactful, having the funds come in is going to be huge for what we're able to do within the center," she said.

Also based at MSU, the Mainstreet Businesses Focused on Food and Agriculture program is planning to expand across Minnesota's1st Congressional District.

Through the program, the university, in addition to the program's other community and industry partners, work to provide counseling, training, technical assistance and access to resources for small businesses in the ag and food sector. It's all in an effort to reduce barriers for small businesses seeking government resources.

The program currently serves south-central Minnesota.

Teri Wallace, interim associate vice president for research and dean of extended campus, said the funding would help hire personnel, provide education and training, and offer scholarships to students interested in associated programming for the expansion.

"We're expanding from the Mankato-area region all the way through Congressional District 1, so it'll be a lot," Wallace said.

"In some cases (a scholarship) would mean everything. Because this is just one year, it would only get them in and paid for likely one year, but at least that's a start to get them into some of these programs."

During the roundtable discussion, Mankato Mayor Najwa Massad noted the importance of local retention in the ag industry.

"Southern Minnesota is the ag capital," she said. "I'm very, very strongly (for) having our young sophomores in high school connected to the community. Don't wait until they're seniors or juniors, because it's too late."

Center for Rural Behavioral Health leaders also brought up the need to make it easier for professionals to get their licenses in order to practice.

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