0:00

There's a quote that goes something like this. The strongest people are those

0:02

who win battles we know nothing

0:06

about coming up one person who

0:06

helps people win those battles

0:21

This is focused on Flagler

0:21

Schools and I'm Jason Wheeler,

0:23

Community Information Specialist

0:23

with Flagler Schools want to

0:26

share the achievements and

0:26

challenges facing our students,

0:28

teachers and staff right here in

0:28

Flagler County, Florida. So

0:32

let's dive right in. We're joined this go around by

0:36

Brandy Williams. She's the

0:39

coordinator of counseling

0:39

services for Flagler Schools.

0:41

First off, thanks for joining us

0:41

with this podcast.

0:44

Thank you for having me.

0:45

Ready? First,

0:45

your background. How did how did

0:47

you get here to Flagler Schools

0:47

in your current position? Where

0:50

are you from? Your background and everything.

0:52

Thank you. So

0:52

my background is actually

0:55

military background, I was

0:55

raised as an Air Force brat,

0:59

both my parents were in the Air

0:59

Force. So I got to live in a lot

1:04

of different parts of the

1:04

country. Awesome in some ways.

1:09

In other ways, not so much lots

1:09

of change all the time. But I

1:13

graduated and after, oh, I spent

1:13

my early 20s running around and

1:20

taking care of others. I knew I

1:20

wanted to make that a part of

1:23

who I was for the rest of my

1:23

life. So I went back to school,

1:27

finished my master's degree. And

1:27

then I spent most of my clinical

1:32

life in Colorado, providing

1:32

direct care, clinical services.

1:37

So my specialty would be trauma,

1:37

depression and anxiety. I worked

1:42

in community mental health in

1:42

Colorado for five years so.

1:45

And Florida. How did Florida come in, in Flagler County come come into your life?

1:49

Well,

1:49

originally, I was from Florida,

1:51

okay. My husband is works for a

1:51

government contractor. And he

1:58

loves water. Perfect.

1:58

Ultimately, what it comes down

2:02

to is he loves water. Yeah. So

2:02

as everybody knows, Colorado,

2:06

you're a little landlocked.

2:07

A little bit. Yeah, you have a river. That's about it.

2:09

That's it, and

2:09

it is cold. The benefit though,

2:14

is we don't have gators. You can

2:14

get in the water. So ultimately,

2:19

when our kids were old enough,

2:19

he decided he needed to be back

2:23

next to water again. We came

2:23

back but I didn't...

2:26

Colorado's loss

2:26

is our gain. Yes. Oh, yeah.

2:29

Orlando. Yeah,

2:30

I wasn't okay with Orlando. So we moved beach side. And that's how I ended up

2:32

here.

2:33

Well, what is the coordinator of counseling services do for Flagler Schools?

2:35

Oh, wow. What's your day like? A

2:39

day in the life of Brandy Williams?

2:41

Everything I

2:41

hoped for and dream to have as

2:43

never having the same day twice.

2:43

And definitely could say that

2:47

that's that's where I land on a

2:47

daily basis here at Flagler

2:50

Schools. I have a lot of

2:50

experience with, with clients

2:57

and seeing and being able to

2:57

provide direct care. But I

3:00

really feel like I am so honored

3:00

to work beside the people that

3:04

that support these students on

3:04

the day to day basis. We have a

3:08

great team of clinicians, a

3:08

great team of social workers. I

3:13

mean, I think that if you're at

3:13

Flagler Schools, you know that

3:16

most people are here just

3:16

because their heart is is

3:18

willing to be here and they want

3:18

to support kids.

3:21

We see now that

3:21

school is more than just

3:24

reading, writing and arithmetic.

3:24

How have counseling services

3:27

changed over the years in

3:27

schools?

3:31

Wow. Big

3:31

question. Well, I would say, you

3:38

know, we definitely have

3:38

different a different tiered

3:41

system for our schools for our

3:41

kids right now. And over the

3:45

years prior to us, having this

3:45

mental health allocation in the

3:49

school district. The school had

3:49

to partner with community

3:54

agencies to get services

3:54

provided for their students. But

3:57

now that we have the mental

3:57

health allocation, we are able

4:00

to provide those direct care

4:00

services with our licensed

4:03

clinicians. It's a significant

4:03

change and being able to be

4:08

available and on site for our

4:08

students as they need us. So a

4:12

big benefit has just been this

4:12

change in being able to have the

4:15

funds allocated to provide

4:15

mental health services by our

4:19

team and employees. It's not

4:19

cheap. It is not cheap. No, and

4:23

we always need more. We have a

4:23

great amount of funds that are

4:27

allocated to us and we're

4:27

grateful for it but at the end

4:30

of the day, it only a lots for

4:30

five mental health clinicians

4:34

for the entire district. So yes,

4:34

we could always use more

4:38

funding.

4:38

And it's a growing district. Flagler Schools is still though is seen

4:40

as a small rural district. The

4:44

problem is the difficulty in

4:44

trying to connect students with

4:49

providers. It's it's still

4:49

there. It's been it's been I've

4:52

been with the district for seven

4:52

years and it was a problem seven

4:55

years ago and here we are seven

4:55

years later still an issue isn't

4:59

it?

4:59

Absolutely. And

4:59

unfortunately, the pandemic

5:01

hasn't helped or coming out of

5:01

the pandemic hasn't helped. But

5:06

yeah, being in a rural

5:06

community, even when we were in

5:08

Colorado, I struggled with that

5:08

we would work with teletherapy,

5:12

in Colorado, because some of our

5:12

folks were so just distant, you

5:18

know, in the mountains and not

5:18

accessible, right. So it's

5:23

something that they shifted to

5:23

here when the pandemic happened.

5:27

And I think it's certainly it

5:27

can provide services for some,

5:32

when it's when it's a good

5:32

connection, right. But there are

5:35

some that that's just not the

5:35

best delivery format. So but we

5:41

do still struggle, we have great

5:41

partnerships with with our MOU

5:45

providers, but they are also

5:45

struggling with keeping people,

5:49

you know, on staff and Flagler

5:49

County, because it is so rural,

5:52

the cost of living is going up

5:52

here. Unfortunately, pay doesn't

5:57

go up with the cost of living.

5:57

So it's definitely a nationwide

6:03

problem.

6:04

I know there may be many people out there listening to this, who may not

6:05

have kids in school and have not

6:08

been in a school in many years.

6:08

And you start talking about

6:11

mental health services for

6:11

students. And they're like, I

6:13

didn't have that back. And I

6:13

didn't need that. Just because

6:17

we didn't talk about it back

6:17

then doesn't mean that the need

6:19

wasn't there. We now know more.

6:19

And we know the importance of

6:23

mental health supports, how is

6:23

it getting that word out the

6:28

challenges of saying it's okay

6:28

to talk about this kind of

6:31

stuff. And we have people here

6:31

to help, maybe as many as we

6:34

want to have. But there are

6:34

supports here.

6:38

Our team works

6:38

really hard to address stigma

6:42

but we I just want to put a

6:42

shout out there to the students

6:45

and our families. They also work

6:45

really hard to reduce stigma for

6:49

one another. Our teams are

6:49

readily available. We constantly

6:56

are talking about mental health

6:56

being just another form of

6:59

health, right mental health, we

6:59

know the science has indicated

7:03

that there's a correlation

7:03

between our mental health and

7:05

our physical health. So we want

7:05

to be healthy in all aspects

7:09

body, mind and soul. Right. So I

7:09

think that we definitely are

7:14

coming around to having folks be

7:14

more open to the services that

7:18

are available. But we're also

7:18

very respectful of those who

7:22

declined services. Sometimes

7:22

it's just not appropriate or

7:25

something. It's not a right

7:25

level of care for a student. But

7:28

we're here if it is.

7:30

There is still a stigma and I guess what does it say about our community or about

7:32

our about people that we don't

7:36

really talk about mental health

7:36

until after there's been a

7:39

horrific violent attack on a

7:39

school? That's what it looks

7:44

like. I mean, it's like every

7:44

time there's a headline, I

7:48

imagine you probably guys, your

7:48

phone started ringing. Yep. What

7:51

does that say about our, about

7:51

who we are?

7:54

Yeah, as human

7:54

beings, right? Like we say, I

7:57

saw this thing the other day

7:57

that said something like what

8:00

said, what said at a funeral

8:00

should be spoken at every

8:04

birthday. Right? And it's kind

8:04

of the same concept is the more

8:08

we talk about it, the more the

8:08

list, stigmatizing it is, and

8:13

the less shame there is. And so

8:13

I think that that's just part of

8:18

what our role is on on school

8:18

grounds, as well as just to

8:21

remember that we want to bring

8:21

more attention and a

8:25

compassionate and empathetic

8:25

way.

8:28

And to you, you

8:28

may mainly deal with students,

8:31

but what about our teachers and

8:31

staff? They're going through a

8:35

lot of the same things,

8:35

especially after the last couple

8:38

of years. And I'll get to that

8:38

in a second. But are there

8:41

supports for them? For us?

8:44

Yeah, yeah. So

8:44

I'll say that our team this year

8:48

has come to be probably more

8:48

often to just talk about the

8:53

multi level of supports that

8:53

that just kind of organically

8:56

happen on campus. There are

8:56

teachers and staff that come to

9:01

us occasionally and just need a

9:01

just need a place to, to dump

9:06

whatever's going on.

9:07

Right. A lot to be said about just to talk it out.

9:09

Yes, there is

9:09

really science behind putting

9:12

words to what we feel right and,

9:12

and being able to let go of some

9:16

things. So we are available, not

9:16

at not on an ongoing, you know,

9:22

basis for our teams. Because

9:22

again, we we only have five for

9:25

the whole district. So we barely

9:25

covered, you know, enough for

9:28

the students. But but we are

9:28

here and we want to be able to

9:31

support. We want to offer ideas

9:31

for self care. We want to offer

9:35

things that they can use

9:35

techniques that they can use.

9:39

But ultimately, we do have the

9:39

employee assistance program that

9:44

we offer for folks who need a

9:44

little bit more support.

9:47

Sure. What have

9:47

we learned after the past two

9:51

years, when it comes to mental

9:51

health? I'll be talking about

9:55

COVID Because about me, we were

9:55

shut down this time two years

9:59

ago. I mean literally shut down,

9:59

everybody was shut in. I guess

10:03

we learned a lot about ourselves

10:03

and, and probably lost a lot

10:07

about ourselves during that time

10:07

period. How's it been coming out

10:10

of that?

10:12

You know, I

10:12

think I was having this

10:15

conversation the other day, I

10:15

think the adrenaline of the exit

10:18

from the norm on the day to day

10:18

basis, kind of helped almost

10:24

support or protect our psyches

10:24

in some way. And the reentry has

10:29

been a lot more challenging. But

10:29

I think one of the things that

10:34

that I would like to consider is

10:34

to remember how resilient we are

10:39

as human beings. I have seen

10:39

people overcome amazing things.

10:45

And so I always try to remember

10:45

that. But we all have our own

10:49

stories, we all have our own

10:49

traumas. And I think that one

10:53

thing that is driven home for me

10:53

is just that as human beings we

10:58

are, we are just wired to be in

10:58

relationship. We're wired to be

11:03

amongst others. We're wired for

11:03

connection. And we need to share

11:08

those experiences, not just of

11:08

the despair and the challenges,

11:12

but also, and our triumphs and

11:12

our joys. Being able to feel

11:18

someone LOVING YOU IS is a human

11:18

experience. And we need those

11:23

experiences. So connection is

11:23

really important.

11:28

I'm a dad, two

11:28

boys 20...17. I don't know how

11:32

that is since I'm still 25. But

11:32

our family dynamic, my wife and

11:36

I, it's changed, obviously over

11:36

the years. And there's no longer

11:41

the dinner table because

11:41

everybody's coming and going.

11:45

And everybody's connected

11:45

electronically now. What has

11:50

that the electronic say? I don't

11:50

want to blame anything.

11:54

But...but life is different.

11:54

dramatically different than it

11:58

was 5 or 10 years ago. What is

11:58

the the proliferation of, of

12:03

online, electronics done to to

12:03

mental health?

12:06

Yeah, well,

12:06

that's a huge question. And

12:10

something that's near and dear

12:10

to my heart, too, because I have

12:12

a 20 year old and an 18 year old

12:12

and I'm still 20. So how that

12:15

happened. But But I think that

12:15

prior prior to the pandemic, the

12:21

research was showing that just

12:21

like anything else, too much of

12:26

a good thing can be too much.

12:26

Right? It definitely impacts

12:28

brain development. We're

12:28

actually airing a documentary

12:33

called screenagers, that was

12:33

filmed pre pandemic, based on

12:37

pre pandemic research about how

12:37

screen screen use impacts the

12:43

development of, of our brains,

12:43

specifically as a young person.

12:49

But I have said, quite often

12:49

since the pandemic, I think

12:53

almost all of our adults are

12:53

struggling as well, we are

12:56

seeking input, right. And so

12:56

when we are built and designed

12:59

for connection, and

12:59

relationship, if that connection

13:03

is, is being achieved by getting

13:03

online and getting, you know, on

13:08

social media, or even shopping,

13:08

or whatever it is, right, we're

13:12

getting that input, we're

13:12

getting that sensory input of

13:15

feeling something. So I'm a big

13:15

advocate for balance. Because I

13:21

also recognize that some of our

13:21

some of our young people find a

13:25

lot of value in and how

13:25

relationships are now being

13:29

built. And I think when it's

13:29

done in a healthy way, and in

13:32

good balance, and someone's

13:32

helping support that process for

13:36

our young people, it does have

13:36

value,

13:38

And I was

13:38

speaking again, and my dad had

13:40

on, my oldest when he started

13:40

getting into gaming, you would

13:44

see him change, and we would

13:44

have the conversations like

13:47

you'd realize, screen life is

13:47

not the same as real life that

13:50

there is no, you know, if you're

13:50

doing a first person game and

13:54

you lose a life, you're not

13:54

going to go back into a corner

13:57

and you're automatically

13:57

reconfigured. Because I

14:00

understand that Dad, I know, you

14:00

know, I know what their life you

14:03

know, real life and gaming life,

14:03

but then it would get a little

14:07

bit more and then we'd actually

14:07

have to pull away from the game

14:10

and he would over time he would

14:10

he would see it in himself. And

14:14

he also sees in his brother when

14:14

his brother got into the gaming

14:17

it's like oh my gosh, there's a

14:17

change so they know that it's

14:21

just a matter of just having

14:21

that that fortitude to pull them

14:24

away from it.

14:25

It's amazing to

14:25

me the the interventions they

14:29

put in place for themselves

14:29

again, we as human beings are so

14:32

resilient and including our

14:32

young people probably the most

14:35

resilient yeah now of us all.

14:35

They're able to recognize Wow

14:40

hours have gone by I don't even

14:40

know what's happening in the

14:43

world. Yeah, well, I miss

14:43

dinner. That's usually what my

14:48

20 year old something's

14:48

happened, right. I miss dinner.

14:52

But yeah, I think that they

14:52

recognize it, but that's why we

14:56

that's why we as parents guide

14:56

them. They have us there for us.

14:59

To help them

15:01

As we record

15:01

this, we're a week away from you

15:03

mentioned screenagers. It's a

15:03

growing up in the digital age of

15:06

what it's called, talk a little

15:06

bit about this project and

15:09

bringing it to Flagler County.

15:11

Yeah, I'm so

15:11

excited to show this. So I

15:15

initially was exposed to this

15:15

one, I was in Colorado, doing my

15:17

work in Colorado, and the

15:17

research that's in it, and the

15:22

studies that are in it is so

15:22

interesting to me as a parent,

15:26

but also, after the pandemic,

15:26

it's, it's interesting to me as

15:29

an adult, because some of again,

15:29

some of us as adults are

15:32

struggling with getting away

15:32

from our screen use as well. But

15:36

I think it's really a valid and

15:36

important conversation, what we

15:40

see with our students coming

15:40

back into schools and being

15:44

required to, you know, be on

15:44

time and be in a seat and, you

15:48

know, complete their coursework

15:48

in a different way than maybe

15:51

what they've been doing for the

15:51

previous year and a half. Part

15:55

of how we want to support them

15:55

is being able to balance their

15:58

digital screen use time. And

15:58

that is really just the essence

16:03

of this documentary is how do we

16:03

help you learn how to be an

16:07

adult of a technology driven

16:07

culture, because at the end of

16:11

the day, when they leave us from

16:11

Flagler Schools, they're gonna

16:14

be in a, in a culture and in a

16:14

community and the business

16:17

community or whatever they choose to do next, where they're going to need to know how to

16:19

navigate technology. So we are,

16:24

you know, charged with teaching

16:24

them that piece. But also, how

16:28

do you step away from it when

16:28

it's time to step away?

16:31

And I know people

16:31

point fingers at us like, hey,

16:33

Flagler Schools, you give our

16:33

kids devices, we're one to one,

16:36

and we tout that, but again, the

16:36

these are not an end all be all

16:41

devices, they are just a tool in

16:41

a toolbox for learning. And and

16:45

I guess part of gaining that

16:45

device over to a child is to

16:48

teach them how best to use this.

16:48

And this goes into that I

16:51

imagine,

16:52

Oh, absolutely,

16:52

we still need to be supporting

16:54

how they use technology, just

16:54

like we support, how they're,

16:58

you know, what they're eating

16:58

and their exercise and all the

17:01

other parts of their their

17:01

health.

17:03

And I give a

17:03

little plug Tuesday, April 26

17:05

Flagler Auditorium, begins at

17:05

five o'clock. It's free, doesn't

17:08

cost anything to see it. We also

17:08

have supports there. We will

17:11

talk about things afterwards before

17:13

Yeah, we were

17:13

going to have some of our local

17:17

providers are coming out to

17:17

share what they do for our

17:20

Flagler families, they're going

17:20

to have resources available for

17:22

parents. We do have a few food

17:22

trucks that are coming out to be

17:27

available, low cost food trucks,

17:27

and then we'll show the

17:31

documentary and have a panel

17:31

discussion afterwards. So come

17:35

with questions. On You know how

17:35

we're addressing digital use at

17:39

Flagler Schools

17:40

A dinner in a

17:40

movie. It's great right. Now,

17:42

Brandy my last few questions for

17:42

you. And I asked the same

17:46

question of everyone who sits in

17:46

that seat there by that

17:49

microphone. First one is what

17:49

makes you sad?

17:51

Oh, what makes

17:51

me sad? I think passing up on an

18:02

opportunity to praise especially

18:02

in our with our young people. I

18:07

never want to miss an

18:07

opportunity to encourage a

18:12

student by constantly bringing

18:12

awareness and attention to the

18:18

quote unquote bad side, right

18:18

are the things that aren't

18:20

happening well for that

18:20

students. So missed

18:23

opportunities to remind people

18:23

of their power. It makes me sad,

18:28

Because everybody

18:28

has a story. What makes you

18:31

happy on the other side?

18:33

Oh, wow.

18:33

Relationships. Good, bad or

18:35

indifferent, right? Like I feel

18:35

like I learned so much from

18:39

other people. And again, it's

18:39

such an honor to be walking the

18:43

life that I walk next to the

18:43

people who are around me. I

18:46

truly do believe that they're

18:46

all next to me for a reason. And

18:50

I'm really grateful for those things.

18:52

We're grateful

18:52

for you to spending time with

18:55

us. Randy Williams is the

18:55

coordinator of counseling

18:57

services for Flagler Schools.

18:57

Wish you the very best and

19:00

almost done with the school

19:00

year. Almost there.

19:03

That's right.

19:03

Thank you Jason. I appreciate

19:05

having the time with you.

19:07

And we want to

19:07

thank you for listening to

19:09

Focused on Flagler Schools, a

19:09

production in the Flagler County

19:13

Schools district. New episodes

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there at Flagler Schools. Thanks

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for listening. And remember,

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let's keep Focused on Flagler Schools.