New Nonprofit Launched To Address Mental Health In Rural America

When a rural family gathered for a weekend wedding in 2012, they never anticipated that, 48 hours later, the celebration would end in the death by suicide of the beloved brother of the groom. The tragedy led his courageous grandmother to make a radical decision.

Urged by some members of their small farming community to keep silent about the cause of 28-year-old Brooks Winton’s death, Elaine Winton took a stand.

“She said we most certainly are going to talk about what happened,” recalls Jeff Winton of his late mother, who helped raise Brooks. “We’ve been silent long enough.”

Thus the seeds for Rural Minds™ were sown. Jeff Winton, founder and chairman of Rural Minds, launched the nonprofit to provide rural Americans with efficient access to existing mental health services organizations and address the importance of overcoming the stigma around mental health challenges. The organization focuses on confronting mental illness in rural America through education and connection with support services.

“When I gave Brooks’ eulogy, we openly discussed what led to my nephew’s death, and how he died,” Jeff said. “After the service, we were swamped with people coming up to us in the receiving line, thanking us for being open – and then opening up about struggles with depression and mental illness in their own families.”

Winton has many decades of experience in the agricultural and human healthcare industries. In addition to being the founder and owner of Wall Street Dairy LLC, a working family dairy farm in Chautauqua County, New York, Jeff is chief executive officer and co-founder of Jeff Winton Associates, a full-service public relations and corporate affairs firm. He has deep experience – on both a professional and extremely personal level – with efforts to educate about depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance use disorder and other forms of mental illness that has led him to create Rural Minds.

Rural Minds’ mission is to serve as the informed voice for mental health in rural America, and to provide mental health information and resources. Rates for depression are higher in rural America than in urban areas (1), and suicide rates among people living in rural counties are 25 percent higher than those in major metropolitan areas. (2)

“Our vision is of a rural America where there’s no more suffering, silence, or stigma around mental illness,” Jeff said.

Addressing mental illness is a significant challenge in rural America due to unique barriers that include

twenty percent fewer primary care providers than in cities (3), in addition to:

• A lack of psychiatrists in 65 percent of rural counties (4);

• A lack of psychiatric nurse practitioners in 81 percent of rural counties (4); and

• A lack of access to broadband internet at home (four times more likely than it is for urban residents (5).

There are additional challenges to mental health that are inherent in a rural lifestyle, which can include:

• Self-imposed barrier of asking for help when taught to pursue self-reliance as a virtue;

• Lack of trust in anyone to maintain confidentiality in a small, close-knit community;

• Fear of negative judgment from others as being incompetent or less capable;

• Difficulty getting an appointment with limited availability of mental health professionals;

• Time and transportation required for long-distance travel to meet with a mental health professional;

• Lack of adequate health insurance coverage;

• Feeling of isolation without having access to talk with someone outside of the community who understands mental health challenges in rural America;

• Weakening agricultural economy, financial instability; and,

• A solitary way of life.

Rural Minds serves the mental health needs of rural Americans by:

• Listening to and providing forums for courageous people to share their experiences with mental illness;

• Connecting rural Americans across the country with existing mental health resources, including crisis and suicide hotlines, via www.RuralMinds.org;

• Identifying gaps in mental health information and services;

• Partnering with community leaders and organizations on mental health initiatives;

• Collaborating with individuals and organizations to improve rural mental health including rural residents, donors and volunteers, large and small nonprofits, and socially responsible corporations with a strong interest in the health of rural Americans; and,

• Developing new educational resources and support services to address the unmet needs for mental health in rural communities throughout the United States.

“I am pleased that Jeff Winton and this new organization are working to bring together individuals, grassroots organizations, nonprofits in the mental health space, and corporations who have a stake in the wellness of rural America,” said Jeff Ditzenberger, founder of TUGS (Talking, Understanding, Growing, Supporting), a support group and Facebook page to help others by sharing mental illness lived experience. “Knowing that an organization like Rural Minds now exists to help people in rural America receive the mental health services that are so desperately need is hopeful news for everyone impacted.”

Jason Medows, founder of Ag State of Mind, said the effort to shine a light on underserved Americans who are feeding the nation is important to the health of the entire nation.

“It is gratifying to know that Jeff Winton and this team have pulled together the concept, vision and mission for Rural Minds,” Medows said. “The silent suffering and stigma must end. This is exactly what the farm families and rural residents need, now more than ever.”

“We recognize that there are many challenges to confronting mental illness in rural communities,” said Chuck Strand, executive director, Rural Minds. “We will focus on collaborating with rural residents, mental health organizations, sponsors, and donors to raise awareness of existing information and resources, identify gaps, and develop new initiatives to better serve the mental health needs of people in rural communities throughout America.”

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Rural Minds™ is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit with a mission to serve as the informed voice for mental health in rural America, and to provide mental health information and resources. Our vision is a rural America where there is no more suffering, silence, or stigma around mental illness. Find more information at www.RuralMinds.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Sources:
1 Capriotti T, Pearson T, Dufour L. (2020, February 18). Health Disparities in Rural America: Current Challenges and Future Solutions. Clinical Advisor. Retrieved from https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/home/topics/practice-management-information-center/health-disparities-in-rural-america-current-challenges-and-future-solutions/

2 NBC. Suicide rates are rising, especially in rural America. (2019, September 6). Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/health/mental-health/suicide-rates-are-rising-especially-rural-america-n1050806

3 JAMA, Assessment of Changes in Rural and Urban Primary Care Workforce in the United States From 2009 to 2017, Original Investigation Health Policy, October 28, 2020; Donglan Zhang, PhD1; Heejung Son, MS1,2; Ye Shen, PhD2; et al

4 Andrilla CHA, Patterson DG, Garberson LA, Coulthard C, Larson EH. Geographic Variation in the Supply of Selected Behavioral Health Providers. Am J Prev Med. 2018 Jun;54(6 Suppl 3): S199-S207. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2018.01.004. PMID: 29779543

5 Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2018, American Community Survey Reports by Michael Martin, Issued April 2021; Table 1. Computer and Internet Use for Households by Selected Characteristics: 2018—Con.; United States Census Bureau, 2018 American Community Survey, 1-year estimates