COMET (Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory) is a two-hour interactive training that teaches participants how to reach out in a meaningful, respectful and supportive way to friends, co-workers or acquaintances who seem to be struggling somewhere between wellness and a mental health crisis.
Pastors like Matt Danielson of Our Saviors Lutheran Church of Baxter near Montevideo attend a lot of trainings, as do many others who come in contact with people struggling with mental health concerns.
“This one is different,” says Danielson, who also farms, of the COMET training he is certified to lead through University of Minnesota Extension. “It’s been tough mood-wise for the farmers. COMET is simply just a way to open the door to tell someone, ‘I see you.’”
While designed for rural and farming communities, COMET can also be used in urban and suburban settings.
A new approach
What started in Colorado has made its way to Minnesota because partners in Extension, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) have made responding to mental health a priority. Support from these partner organizations, as well as the USDA Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, allows participants to take the course free of charge.
“It’s about noticing so someone feels seen and heard and that is powerful,” says Mary Jo Katras, Extension family resilience program leader. “People are trained, partly through role-playing, on seven questions that can help move someone away from crisis towards flourishing.”
The role-playing is a part Danielson values, knowing that mental health care is not immediately accessible in rural areas, or even in cities.
“So how do we fill that gap? With COMET, we're not waiting for a crisis situation,” he says. “The role-playing is meant for people to talk through how we might respond to ask someone about their feelings. It’s not as risky as we make it seem. When we think about how we would feel if someone asked us, it feels pretty good to know that someone cares beyond the surface.”
According to Katras, the question guide provides an easy way to start a conversation. Participants also learn how to exit the conversation in a supportive way and discover resources to share with others if they need more than a listening ear.
Register for fall offerings
In 2024, Extension has reached more than 400 people through the in-person and online trainings. A team of 20 educators from Extension and other partners and community members, including the MDA and MDH, were trained to deliver COMET to Minnesota communities. By the end of 2024, Extension expects to have reached close to 1,000 people.
Demand for the program led Extension to offer more in-person workshops this fall and winter throughout the state as well as virtual sessions. In addition, trainers conduct agency-specific training.
Evaluations have shown that individuals who have participated in a COMET training increased their willingness to engage in mental health conversations within their communities — with family, friends and neighbors.
“Work on mental health can be slow,” says Danielson. “We just have to normalize that people are unique individuals with a variety of gifts and a variety of burdens. We’re all this mix of wonderfulness and terror, and that's okay.”
Learn more and register for an upcoming COMET training.
COMET was developed by the High Plains Research Network Community Advisory Council.
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