MAYVILLE, NY – Rural Minds, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit with a mission to serve as the informed voice for mental health in rural America, and to provide mental health information and resources, today announced the launch of a comprehensive online resource center to provide actionable mental health information. The material is designed to address the unique challenges faced by rural Americans and offer information that can be used by anyone at no charge to help address the growing mental health crisis in rural communities.
The Rural Mental Health Resilience Program is a partnership with the National Grange, one of America’s oldest nonprofit, nonpartisan, fraternal organizations established in 1867 to advocate for rural America and agriculture. The Program is being launched today, National Rural Health Day, at two industry events. Leadership from Rural Minds will introduce the program at The Annual National Grange Convention in Niagara Falls, NY, and at the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) Trade Talk event in Kansas City, MO. Rural Americans across the country are encouraged to access the program materials and raise awareness that rural health includes mental health today and throughout the coming year.
“There is a mental health emergency in rural communities across the U.S.,” said Jeff Winton, founder and chairman of Rural Minds. “For example, people living in rural areas have higher depression and suicide rates but are less likely to access mental health care services compared to people living in urban areas.
“The free online resources available through the Rural Mental Health Resilience Program are available to all grassroots organizations and individuals across the country,” Winton noted. “Our goal is to provide the information that can lead to lasting positive change by giving rural residents the tools they need to address mental health and provide hope for the future.”
The program material topics include overcoming the stigma associated with mental illness, common myths about rural mental health and suicide as well as conversation starters to discuss mental health with a friend or loved one.
“The partnership between Rural Minds and the National Grange has been incredible,” said Betsy Huber, president of the National Grange. “We are thrilled to see local Granges open themselves up to these difficult conversations. Grange members nationwide are helping to influence public opinion as we work together to break down harmful stereotypes about seeking help. Mental illness deserves to be treated with the same respect as any other illness or disease.”
All materials are available at ruralminds.org/resilience and can be easily downloaded and copied. There is no fee for any of the material in the program.
ABOUT RURAL MINDS
Rural Minds is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with a mission to serve as the informed voice for mental health in rural America, and to provide mental health information and resources. Our vision is a rural America where there’s no more suffering, silence, or stigma around mental illness.
For more information about Rural Minds, please visit our website at www.RuralMinds.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL GRANGE
Since 1867, the National Grange has brought individuals and families together to support their communities and advocate on behalf of rural America and agriculture. Our nonprofit, nonpartisan, fraternal organization has more than 140,000 members in 1,500 communities across the country. The Grange is a leading advocacy organization for rural Americans, where members provide millions of hours of service and dollars in funds to support the needs of their hometowns identified through our grassroots process. For more information, visit www.nationalgrange.org.