A local nonprofit with a focus on mental health in agriculture and rural areas, Rural Minds, has partnered with Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, to release a new online course that was launched in mid-September. The course, titled “Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Rural America,” is catered towards veterinarians, vet students and agribusiness professionals. It is designed to give learners practical support strategies and resources to navigate mental health challenges in rural communities. While it is focused mostly on veterinarians and agribusiness professionals, the course is free and open to anyone with an interest.

A new resource is available to provide practical support strategies and information to help navigate mental health challenges in rural communities. Julie Lux says Rural Minds has partnered with Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and NY FarmNet to provide the “Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Rural America” course. “It’s targeted to veterinarians because we know how important veterinarians are in rural communities and what a big part they frequently play,” he says. “They may be the people that can see those signs.”

We live and work in rural communities. I (Jeff) am the founder and chairman of Rural Minds and from rural upstate New York. I (John) spend part of my time in the least populated county of North Carolina and serve as the chief medical officer and executive vice president at Otsuka in the US. Our experiences in rural America have shown us that in rural communities, though unique in their people and landscapes, mental health inequity is ubiquitous. Across the country, rural residents are struggling to address the growing and seemingly intractable mental health crisis.

Forty years ago, the nation was dealing with the onset of an historic crisis with the farm economy. Land was foreclosed, livestock were sold and people left the farm for the city.

And sadly, farmers were dying by suicide, partly because they didn't know how to deal with the impact.

It is better now, but a great deal of work remains to be done to ensure rural residents have adequate access to mental health care.

“Iowa is 45th in the nation when it comes to mental health providers per capita,” says David Brown, Extension behavioral specialist with Iowa State University. “Fifty percent of Iowans live in areas where mental health care is not very accessible. Things have gotten better, but a lot of work remains.”

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Mental health care can be hard to access in Kansas. One study’s findings suggest things could be looking up.

The 2024 State of Mental Health in America report shows a big improvement in Kansas’ ranking. Kansas jumped from being the state with the worst mental health care access to number 22 in rank.

However, Mental Health America, the organization putting together the report, says this year’s report can’t be compared to previous years.

Listen to Amica Simmons-Yon, PharmD, PhD as she spills the tea on mental health in rural America with special guest, Jeff Winton (Founder & Chairman of Rural Minds). During this episode, Jeff discusses the vision and mission of the non-profit organization, Rural Minds. Mr. Winton highlights the challenges and differences around mental health for those living in rural America. Lastly, he describes the future goals and initiative of Rural Minds and share key resources with listeners about this hot topic!

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Dozens gathered in Kansas City’s Hale Arena to shine a spotlight on horsemanship as well as mental health in rural America.

Jeff Winton, the founder of Rural Minds, has spent a lifetime around horses. But moreover, he has spent a lifetime around heartache.

In 2012, Jeff’s 28-year-old nephew, Brooks, died of suicide in rural America.

“When that happened it became very apparent that no one wanted to talk about it because there’s an embarrassment factor,” Jeff said. “We even had the pastor tell us that some of the people in our small town of 500 farming people, that we should make up an excuse for his death - we should have said he died in a farming accident or something.”

Rural Minds partnered with the nonprofit Horses for Mental Health in the making of a video to help increase awareness and improve access to programs that incorporate horses for mental health in rural America. As a horse owner and avid equestrian, Rural Minds Founder and Chairman Jeff Winton was delighted to take part in this project.

MAYVILLE — America’s mental health crisis became personal for Jeff Winton of Wall Street Dairy in 2012 when his nephew, Brooks, committed suicide. “It was very sudden and we had no idea he was struggling,” Winton said. “It caught us off guard. In rural America, we don’t always talk about our struggles.” A few years later, Winton became the founder of the nonprofit Rural Minds. He credited the idea for the nonprofit — with its main goal to help those in rural areas who are suffering with mental health needs — to his late mother.

The discussion of mental health in America has never been more important. With an estimated one in four Americans struggling with their mental health, this nationwide health crisis carries a weighty impact. Jeff Winton and his family became acutely aware of this fact when tragedy struck close to home in 2012. Jeff grew up in a town of 500 people in rural upstate New York, where his family still resides today. As a multi-general farming family, the Wintons are incredibly close-knit. This made it even more shocking when, in 2012, Jeff's nephew Brooks passed away by suicide at the age of 28. The Winton family, which includes Brooks' fiancé and then three-year-old twin boys, was devastated by the loss. They made it their mission to preserve Brooks' memory and legacy. Jeff spent the next decade researching the mental health resources available to those in rural areas and discussing with established mental health organizations the specific needs to the rural community. These organizations encouraged Jeff to start a foundation dedicated to serving those in rural America. Finally, once he was satisfied that he was well-educated and properly equipped to help, Jeff founded Rural Minds in 2021 in Brooks' honor.

Rural Minds Founder and Chairman, Jeff Winton, featured in The Invisible Americans Podcast – Episode 15: Rural Mental Health with Jeff Winton & Escaping Poverty with Dapper Dan

Brooks Winton died by suicide at 28 years old. He was Jeff Winton’s beloved nephew, and this tragedy inspired Jeff to found the nonprofit Rural Minds. Both Jeff and Brooks come from a long line of dairy farmers in upstate New York in an extremely small community of only 500 people. Some members of that community urged Jeff’s family to lie about Brooks’ cause of death. Though perhaps well-meaning, Jeff’s mother refused to be silenced, and they opened up this important conversation around mental health issues in rural communities.

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.

For the first time in 20 years, rural stakeholders say mental health and addiction will be more pressing over the next several years than access to basic health care. For the past two decades, the biggest issue in the survey was access to health care. But now, mental health ranks No. 1 and addiction ranks No. 2, regardless of age, race, occupation or region of the country… To address these issues, the Grange has partnered with the organization Rural Minds, a nonprofit whose mission is to serve as an informed voice for mental health in rural America and to provide mental health information and resources.

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.

Vice President of Communications Julie Lux represented Rural Minds in Fort Worth, TX, at AgRally 2023 – a live, nationally-broadcast television show on RFD-TV and the Cowboy Channel that celebrated National Ag Day. During the second hour of the show, Julie was featured along with Farm Fit Momma Amanda Nigg in a segment that provided tips on mental and physical wellness.