Rural Minds Executive Director Chuck Strand appeared on the Mental Health Matters Podcast with host Andra Hollenbeck. The podcast is offered in partnership with NAMI-Southern Oregon (NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness).

The two discuss the mental health challenges facing rural Americans, the barriers to access to mental healthcare in rural areas, and addressing the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Mental health has become a significant issue in rural communities, where rates of suicide may be 60% higher than in urban communities. People in rural communities may experience isolation that can exacerbate mental health problems; and mental health services are often sparse. Jeff Winton is the founder and executive director of Rural Minds, a nonprofit that aims to provide an informed voice and accurate information and resources on mental health in rural communities. Diana Mason, PhD, RN, spoke with Jeff Winton about his own experience with suicide in rural communities, the stigma associated with mental health problems, and what everyone can do to address these problems. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on July 5, 2023.

In this episode, we have a compelling conversation with Jeff Winton, the founder and chairman of Rural Minds, a nonprofit organization working to provide mental health information and support services for rural Americans. Rural Minds was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the significant impact on mental health in rural areas. The organization offers various resources and webinars on crucial topics like substance use disorder, sleep, and nutrition, aiming to normalize conversations about mental illness and reduce the stigma surrounding it. Through the power of storytelling, Rural Minds is putting a face on mental illness and creating a safe space for people to share their experiences.

In America’s close-knit rural communities, residents are quick to rally when an illness or accident affects their farming neighbors, helping them through the rough patches. But all illnesses are not created equal, and the silent specter of mental illness often brings no recognition and no extra hands to help.

This situation is one that many organizations, health advocates, and individuals in agriculture are working hard to change. For Jeff Winton, a New York dairy farmer, his passion to address mental health in rural America led him to found Rural Minds in October 2021. The nonprofit aims to serve as the informed voice for mental health in these areas and provide mental health resources.

Jeff Winton shared the personal story of his family’s tragedy that led to Jeff establishing Rural Minds with the mission to serve as the informed voice for mental health in rural America, and to provide mental health information and services.