Rural Minds Introduces Mental health Webinar Series
Rural Minds, a not-for-profit organization with the mission to serve as the informed voice for mental health in rural America, has announced a new four-part webinar series designed to provide actionable information for people who are experiencing mental health challenges.
The new “Rural Mental Health Connections Webinar Series” will focus on the mental health and wellness needs of people living outside urban and suburban areas. Each webinar will be one-hour in length featuring someone sharing their personal experience of living with mental illness in rural America and overcoming barriers and mental health challenges. Each event will also include educational content presented by mental health industry experts, interaction with online audience participants during Q&A sessions, and helpful mental health information and resources available online at no charge. To learn more about each webinar in the series and free registration, click here.
The first session in the series is scheduled for Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at 8 p.m. EDT. The event will feature presentations from:
• Jeff Ditzenberger, a Wisconsin farmer, sharing his story of attempting suicide and founding of TUGS, a mental health nonprofit to address the stigma surrounding mental health challenges and suicide.
• Dr. Mark Frye, M.D., a consultant in the Department of Psychiatry & Psychology at the Mayo Clinic, speaking about the empowerment of sharing lived experience with mental illness and addiction and the value of mental health support groups.
• Dr. Pravesh Sharma, M.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Psychology at Mayo Clinic Health System, sharing an innovative approach to providing patients with telemental health services in rural communities.
• Michael Pollock, Chief Executive Officer of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), providing an overview of the organization’s services including a national mental health support group network and the addition of rural-focused support groups.
Additionally, Jeff Winton, Rural Minds Founder, and New York dairy farmer, will provide an introduction to Rural Minds and website access to suicide crisis and mental health services. The webinar will be moderated by Julie Lux, Rural Minds Vice President of Communications, and it will include Q&A sessions.
“We are pleased to offer this webinar series featuring compelling, and sometimes tragic, stories of people dealing with mental health issues in the often-underserved rural areas of our country,” said Winton. “It is our goal to bring together experts in the mental health field as well as real people from rural America to advance the discussion and find new ways to address the issue of mental illness that are specific to those who are living in remote areas and rural communities across the country.”
Rural Minds Executive Director Chuck Strand noted, “We are grateful to our webinar presenters for sharing their personal experience and professional expertise with mental illness and suicide to help break down the stigma and confront mental health challenges in rural America.”
Webinar participants will have the opportunity to submit questions to the panelists. The second webinar of the series is planned for June.