My Life-Changing Decision to Focus on Rural Mental Health
By Rural Minds Founder & Chairman Jeff Winton
It may sound like a cliché that life can change in an instant. However, my life did just that following the sudden death by suicide in September 2012 of my 28-year-old nephew Brooks Winton, a family man who adored his three-year-old twins.
THE IMPETUS FOR RURAL MINDS
Brooks was employed as a farmer and steelworker – jobs that have notably high rates of suicide. Brooks hid his personal issues behind an easygoing smile and an infectious laugh. His premature death occurred within days of his brother’s wedding. As I was leaving the reception, Brooks gave me a big hug and said, “Uncle Jeff, thank you for everything you have done for my family.” Brooks was always grateful for any show of support…so I didn’t realize this was his way of saying goodbye.
Brooks was the last person we would ever dream would take his own life, especially due to his intense devotion to his twins. Clearly, underneath his “life of the party” personality, he was suffering in silence.
For nearly a decade, Brooks’ untimely death weighed heavily on me. It still does. His unexpected passing changed how I view access to healthcare and, in particular, mental health services. In 2021, I channeled my grief and desire to make a difference by founding Rural Minds, the only national nonprofit organization focused on mental health equity for the 46 million people who live in rural America.
There were several crossroads in my personal journey that brought me to my role as a mental health advocate today.