Our mission is to serve as the informed voice for mental health in rural America, and to provide mental health information and resources. We are working to confront mental health challenges in rural communities and the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

As we settle into the spring season, we are reminded of the power of growth and renewal. It is a time to not only reflect on the beauty of nature, but also on the importance of cultivating our own mental health and supporting those around us. This is especially apparent in rural America when fields are planted with the hopes of a bountiful harvest later in the year.

Here at Rural Minds, we continue to see firsthand how connection, compassion, and improved access to mental health resources can transform lives. As you’ll read in this newsletter, we’ve continued to expand our nonprofit’s outreach and impact by strengthening partnerships, participating in nationwide rural community events, podcasts, webinars, and media interviews, and bringing vital mental health information and resources to the people who need them most – often in places where support can be hard to find.

This spring, we’re especially grateful for you – our community of partners, sponsors, donors, volunteers, and individuals who bravely share personal stories of lived experience. Your continued support of our mission fuels our work in raising awareness of the mental health challenges faced by people in rural communities, breaking the stigma that surrounds mental illness, and creating lasting, positive change.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us. We look forward to all that’s ahead this season and beyond.

With gratitude,

Collaboration is key for Rural Minds in our work to confront the mental health challenges in rural America and our vision to eliminate the stigma, suffering, and silence that surround mental illness. That’s why we’ve created this feature in our newsletter – Partners in the Spotlight – where we take a moment to recognize organizations that collaborate with us as valued members of the Rural Minds Partnership Council. 

In this issue, we highlight Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine is an international leader in veterinary education, public health, biomedical research, and animal medicine. It educates nearly 700 students each year through doctoral programs in veterinary medicine, biomedical and biological sciences, and a master of public health program. Clinicians see approximately 100,000 patients yearly at its seven hospitals and on farms and field settings, and it has a robust biomedical research program funded by a range of sources. The college advances environmental and human health, and provides national laboratory diagnostic testing and wildlife surveillance and protection. 

Last year, Rural Minds partnered with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and NY FarmNet to develop a free online course on mental health awareness and suicide prevention in rural America. Tailored for veterinary students, veterinarians, and agribusiness professionals, the course provides an overview of mental health challenges people in rural communities face and equips course participants with practical support strategies and resources. Click here to enroll in the free online course.

For more information about Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, visit https://www.vet.cornell.edu.

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a condition that causes your face, your body, or both to make sudden, repetitive movements that you can’t control. It commonly results from the long-term use of antipsychotic medications that are prescribed for mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. For people who live in rural America, coping with TD can present unique challenges due to limited healthcare resources, social stigma, and transportation barriers.



In addition to providing coping strategies for TD that are especially relevant for rural residents, this blog includes lived experience shared by Todd Donovan, who is managing TD in a rural community.

We are excited to share that the video developed last year through a partnership between Pfizer, Rural Minds, and the National Grange – “Closing the Mental Health Gap Among Rural Youth in the U.S.” – won Gold for the Best Healthcare Program at the U.S. Edition of the Native Advertising Awards 2025. 

According to the Native Advertising Institute’s website, “The Native Advertising Awards celebrate the art and science of storytelling that resonates – honoring the most innovative, effective, and captivating work in our industry.”

We are grateful to Pfizer for sponsoring this project and choosing Rural Minds to help shed light on the growing mental health crisis among youth in rural America. We also thank the National Grange for their partnership on this video, which featured National Grange Youth member Asheton and her mother, Debbie.

In rural communities, access to mental healthcare can be a challenge. Programs like Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits help ensure that individuals and families can afford the care they need:

• Medicaid covers mental health services for low-income individuals, including therapy, medication, and crisis care.

• ACA tax credits make insurance more affordable, reducing financial barriers to mental health treatment.

Your voice matters. Protecting these programs means protecting the mental health of rural America. Join us in advocating for continued support of Medicaid and ACA tax credits.

Learn more in Rural Minds’ policy paper – “Importance of Retention of Medicaid and Affordable Care Tax Break for the Mental Health of People in Rural America.” 

Take action by using these links to make your voice heard to your members in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

Rural Minds is pleased and proud to present the opportunity for you to view the award-winning feature film Mother’s Day free of charge.

Mother’s Day is based on the true story of the mental health journey of Travis Carlson – the writer, director, editor, and co-producer of the movie – and was filmed in Travis’s rural hometown of Gerry in Chautauqua County, New York. In addition, the introduction to Mother’s Day includes a special personal message from Travis and Rural Minds Founder and Chairman Jeff Winton.

This spring, Jeff has teamed up with Nikki Shaffer, senior director of occupational health and wellness at Pfizer, to provide information and resources in a number of radio and podcast interviews across the U.S. about managing loneliness and social isolation in rural America. To listen to some of the interviews, visit our Social Isolation & Radio Tour webpage. 

In addition, click here for 12 tips on how to manage loneliness and isolation, as well as for links to additional free resources on the topic and a PDF that can be downloaded and printed.

Here are some highlights of the events that featured Rural Minds over the last few weeks to help raise awareness of rural mental health challenges and provide actionable information and resources for confronting the mental health crisis in rural America.

On February 19, Jeff gave a presentation for New York State Office of Mental Health’s 2025 Suicide Prevention Coalition Academy webinar: “Wellness and Resilience in Rural Communities an Overview of Rural Minds.” Click here to watch the webinar.

On February 19, Jeff was the guest speaker at the Chautauqua Community Dinner held at Hurlbut Memorial Community United Methodist Church in Chautauqua, New York.

On March 19, Jeff gave a virtual presentation to the New York Beef Producer’s Association about mental health equity in rural America.

On March 27, Rural Minds Executive Director Chuck Strand participated in a webinar hosted by the Association of Book Mobile & Outreach Services.

On March 29, Jeff gave a presentation on rural mental health at the Newark Grange Hall in Newark, New York. NY FarmNet Outreach Director Adam Howell joined Jeff at this event, which was hosted by the Granges of Wayne County.

On April 2, Jeff participated in a free webinar hosted by NY FarmNet – “Survivors of Suicide Loss.” Click here to watch the webinar.

On April 5, Chuck was a presenter at the Rural Horizons Youth Leadership Conference in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, hosted by the Pennsylvania State Grange. The event was created and led by President Matt Espanshade (pictured with Chuck). The teens in attendance were from rural Pennsylvania and members of the National Grange, FFA, and 4-H.

Click on the links below for some of Rural Minds’ latest media coverage:

• Post Journal – Rural Minds Founder Has Eye on Federal Budget

• e-living Today – Connected Communities: Reducing the Impact of Isolation in Rural Areas 

• American Brain Coalition – Voices for the Brain Podcast

• KSN News 3 – How Tariffs Could Affect Kansas Farmers

• WDAY Radio Weather & Ag in Focus – Interview with Jeff and Pfizer Global Director for Employee Health

Be sure to visit the “Rural Minds in the News” webpage to see additional media coverage of Rural Minds that helps increase awareness about mental health challenges in rural America and the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Rural Minds depends on personal donations and corporate support to develop and distribute educational information and resources to improve mental health in rural America. Your donation to Rural Minds provides content and programs at no charge to help confront the mental health emergency in rural communities and the stigma that surrounds mental illness.