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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. | |
A Message from Rural Minds Founder
and Chairman Jeff Winton
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This October marks the third anniversary of Rural Minds and we are thrilled and honored to share this milestone with all of you – our valued partners, sponsors, and donors! Thanks to your support, we are having a positive impact on mental health in rural America by providing vital mental health information and resources and speaking up to break the stigma surrounding mental illness. We invite you to read our Progress Report, which was just released and includes highlights of our accomplishments over the last three years and acknowledges the collaborative partnerships that have made it all possible.
As you’ll read in this newsletter, the last several weeks have been quite busy for the Rural Minds’ team, including numerous presentations and media interviews, as well as the launch of a free online rural mental health course through Cornell University: “Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention in Rural America.” In September, we also presented the Connections Rural Mental Health Webinar: “Improving Access to Medicines for People Living with Mental Illness.” If you missed it, you can click here to watch the recording. And be sure to join us for the next webinar on October 29 at 6 p.m. ET – “Managing Postpartum Depression in Rural America.” Find more information and a link to free registration below.
In the past three years Rural Minds has made great progress, yet we realize that so much more needs to be done. We are thankful for your continued support and the opportunities to collaborate with organizations and individuals to eliminate the stigma, silence, and suffering around mental illness in rural America.
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The Next Webinar in the Rural Minds Rural Mental Health Connections Webinar Series: | |
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Managing Postpartum Depression in
Rural America
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Tuesday, October 29, 2024
6:00 pm ET | 5:00 pm CT | 4:00 pm MT | 3:00 pm PT
Click here for more information and free webinar registration
During this 60-minute webinar, Dr. Keisha Reneé Callins, MD, MPH – a physician, public health professional, and obstetrician / gynecologist – will discuss how she works with mothers to manage postpartum depression. She is committed to providing women's healthcare services, especially in rural and underserved areas of Georgia.
In addition, Carrie Banks, peer support programs director at Postpartum Support International, will speak from her experience with living in rural America and managing postpartum depression.
Sponsored by Sage Therapeutics and Biogen, this free webinar will be presented by Rural Minds and the National Grange via Zoom with the option of audio-only.
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Collaboration is key for Rural Minds in our work to confront the mental health challenges in rural America and eliminate the stigma, suffering, and silence that surround mental illness. That’s why we’ve created this feature for 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 the National Association of Wheat Growers.
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The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) is the primary representative in Washington, D.C., for U.S. wheat growers on critical issues related to regulatory affairs, environmental stewardship, production practices, farm programs, and research advancements. Their mission is to unite wheat farmers to promote policy efforts that create an environment that is conducive to the success of wheat farming in the United States.
In 1950, a handful of wheat growers from across the country formed NAWG to work toward common solutions and make decisions for the future of America’s wheat producers. Decades later, NAWG continues to focus on the policies of the U.S. government that affect the livelihoods of U.S. wheat producers.
Today, NAWG is a federation of 20 state wheat grower associations and industry partners that work to represent the needs and interests of wheat producers before Congress and federal agencies. From their offices in the Wheat Growers Building on Capitol Hill, NAWG’s staff members are in constant contact with state association representatives, NAWG grower leaders, Members of Congress, Congressional staff members, and the public.
For more information, visit https://wheatworld.org/.
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Suicide Prevention Awareness: Lessons Learned Living in Rural America
Guest Blog Post by Chandler Goule
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Over the past decade, National Association of Wheat Growers Chief Executive Officer Chandler Goule has become an advocate for increasing awareness and resources around mental health and substance abuse in rural America. In this blog, Chandler shares his lived experience growing up in rural Texas.
“As a person from that generation who has experienced depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, I can personally tell you that you can get through this,” he says. “There are people out there willing to listen and help. Just say something to one person. It can save your life or the life of a loved one.”
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Free Online Course on Rural Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Is Now Available | |
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Last month, we launched a new online course – “Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention in Rural America” – developed through a partnership effort with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and NY FarmNet. The course provides practical support strategies and resources to help confront mental health challenges in rural communities. While it is geared toward professionals in the veterinary and agricultural fields, much of the information is relevant to everyone.
We invite you to access this free rural mental health course at eCornell.
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Rural Minds on the Road – Raising Awareness of Rural Mental Health Challenges | |
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. | |
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On August 19, Jeff spoke to nearly 500 healthcare industry professionals at a Lundbeck meeting in Denver, CO. During his presentation, Jeff shared his personal story and discussed the state of mental health in rural America and Rural Minds’ work to help achieve mental health equity for people living in rural communities throughout the U.S.
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On August 20, Rural Minds Executive Director Chuck Strand participated as a panelist on a Mental Health America webinar: “Hidden Struggles: Addressing Mental Health Stigma in Rural Areas.”
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On September 12, Jeff gave a virtual presentation about rural mental health during a lunch and learn session to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs – Finger Lakes Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program.
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We are grateful to Erma Jean Wolcott for representing Rural Minds on September 17 at a Talk Saves Lives presentation for agricultural students at Cornell University that was hosted by the Cornell University Dairy Club and co-presented with NY FarmNet. Erma is a sophomore at Cornell University and calf manager at Wall Street Dairy – Jeff's family-run dairy farm in the Chautauqua region of New York.
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Chuck gave a virtual presentation about the state of mental health in rural America and the work being done through Rural Minds on October 2 to students in advanced agriculture and psychology classes at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, PA.
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On October 5, Jeff spoke about confronting mental health challenges in rural America at the New York Beef Quality Assurance training course for beef and dairy producers. The course was held at an auction barn in Cherry Creek, NY, near where Jeff grew up.
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On October 8, Jeff participated in a virtual event hosted by the Great Lakes Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Center during which he discussed how the stigma surrounding mental health affects rural communities and provided strategies to help address the stigma.
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Rural Minds is the only national nonprofit focused solely on providing the 46 million people in rural America with free information and resources to confront rural mental health challenges and the stigma that surrounds mental illness. | |
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