Second in DWU lecture series focuses on rural mental health

MITCHELL – Dakota Wesleyan University will offer its second free lecture of the academic year on Tuesday, Nov. 7, in the Sherman Center, at 11 a.m.

This lecture will feature Dr. Andrea Bjornestad. The title of her lecture is “Mental Health in Rural America: Challenge and Change.”

Dr. Bjornestad is an Associate Professor in the South Dakota State University School of Education, Counseling, and Human Development and is the mental health specialist for SDSU Extension. She is recognized as a key leader on agriculture behavioral health in the United States and is a dedicated researcher.

In South Dakota, her outreach efforts have been extensive as she has presented to thousands of producers at agriculture events, led efforts in creating a free counseling voucher program for farm families, established a farm stress team in SDSU Extension, organized the first farm stress summit and is currently working to create a farm stress assistance network by conducting a comprehensive needs assessment on farm stress and mental health. Nationally, she is an invited speaker and has served as a consultant on numerous USDA projects. Her research and outreach efforts have been featured in local, regional, and national media.

The lecture is free and open to the public. The presentation will also be livestreamed at dwu.edu/live.