COMET training in Dodge County

What: COMET Training

When: March 19, 5:30 p.m. light meat, followed by training from 6 to 8 p.m.

Where: Ashland Town Hall, 18944 660th St., Dodge Center

Registration: Free. Registrations appreciated but not required. Please RSVP to gail@mfu.org.

More information:

COMET: Changing our mental and emotional trajectory

COMET is a two-hour interactive training program designed to help people support others who may be seen sad, anxious, distracted or depressed. It was developed collaboratively by the High Plains Research Network Community Advisory Council, a grassroots group of ranchers, teachers, small business managers and others from rural eastern Colorado, along with rural mental health professionals and health researchers. In Minnesota, the program is offered free of charge.

How does COMET work?
COMET helps people feel more prepared to start conversations about mental health. Often, we want to support our friends, neighbors and colleagues in times of need, but may not know how. COMET empowers us to be more prepared to support others’ mental health needs, especially before a crisis. This training doesn’t expect community members to “fix it,” but instead trains people to feel comfortable initiating a supportive and potentially emotional conversation by using a simple seven-question guide. In 2025, the percentage of participants likely or very likely to invite family or friends to talk more about a potentially emotional situation increased from 66 percent before COMET to 87 percent after the training.

The event is sponsored by Dodge and Olmsted County Farmers Unions.