Calling in the Feds: Looking Forward with Drs. Luc Bergeron and Margaret McGeoghegan. Animal Health Insights, Ep. 11c. Dec. 29, 2021

Mental health is an essential facet of health and well-being for everyone, but there are unique facets of mental health that can be affected for all those who work with animals and who navigate the challenges associated with an animal health incident. Dr. Margaret McGeoghegan and Dr. Luc Bergeron discuss the significant mental health impacts of these situations on producers and veterinarians, and review how our government organizations are consistently working to improve communications and supports in these incredibly stressful scenarios.

Dr. McGeoghegan currently works as a Canadian Food Inspection Agency veterinary program analyst and she is also a CFIA liaison for the vet college and the province of PEI.  Additionally, she works closely with the provincial Chief Veterinary Officer, industry groups, and producers in PEI.  As part of her work, she participates as a member of the CFIA National Human Destruction Emergency Response Team and working group. She participated in the 2004 Avian influenza outbreak in the Fraser Valley, B.C., that led to the development of national emergency response teams, and she trains and leads on many disease response exercises. She also was site commander in the Infectious Salmon Anemia outbreaks in Newfoundland in 2013 – so she has a strong understanding of the importance of strong leadership and clear communications to all those involved in an animal health incident. 

Dr. Bergeron is a veterinarian and epidemiologist who graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Montreal. He worked initially as a large animal veterinarian, and currently works in animal health surveillance, and is the coordinator of the surveillance network for bovine diseases at the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Links of Interest: 

Mental health supports for producers and agricultural workers:

• DoMoreAg: a not-for-profit organization focusing on mental health in agriculture across Canada.
• Canadian Mental Health Association: Mental Health in the Agriculture Industry
• B.C.: AgSafeBC Mental Health Resources
• Yukon: Farm Stress resources
• Alberta: Alberta Farm Mental Health Network
• Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan Farm Stress rural support services
• Manitoba: Manitoba Farm, Rural, and Northern support services
• Ontario:
  • In the Know: A mental health literacy program for farmers and the agricultural community
  • Connex Ontario, mental health support services
• Québec: Commision de la sante mentale du Canada: Cette ligne est accessible 24/7 partout au Québec.
• Newfoundland and Labrador: Farmer-specific Mental Health Resources
• Nova Scotia:
  • Producer Specific mental health resources from Nova Scotia
  • We Talk, We Grow: an initiative of Farm Safety Nova Scotia raising awareness and taking action to protect and nurture the mental health and well-being of Nova Scotia’s farming community
• PEI: 
  • farmerstalk.ca : confidential counselling for farmers
  • Farmer Assistance Program: counselling for farmers
• New Brunswick: Mental health resources
• News Release: Agriculture and Agri-food Canada: Governments Supporting Mental Health for Farming and Rural Communities
• Chicken Farmers of Canada: Mental Health and Agriculture resources
• Dairy Farmers of Canada: Mental Health resources
• Canadian Cattlemen's Association Mental Health resources

Veterinary Mental Health: 

• Canadian Veterinary mental health resources from the CVMA
• i-matter.ca: Mental health strategies for veterinarians and veterinary team members from OVMA