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A bi-monthly podcast where we share the stories of our Caregivers, patients and community.
& so much more
Adolescent Mental Health: Part 1, School Counselors
The school day doesn’t start at the first bell, it starts the night before, inside group chats where one message can snowball into a full day of distraction. We sat down with counselors from Lynchburg City Schools to unpack what kids are carrying into class: anxiety amplified by social media, conflicts that live on through phones and the quiet ways embarrassment and fear shape learning. Together, we chart a realistic path through the noise with a focus on practical supports, not panic.
Technology is both helper and hazard in schools. Chromebooks streamline learning and accountability, yet blur lines between schoolwork and entertainment. Off-and-away policies help, but counselors explain how last night’s chat still enters the room, fueling late nights, missed breakfasts and frayed attention. The through line is steady anxiety, intensified by a world where small mistakes can travel far and live online.
You’ll hear candid guidance for parents: search the phone, learn the apps and lean in during middle school rather than stepping back. We also open the door on safety partnerships, how School Resource Officers build trust and join threat assessments and how counselors coordinate crisis evaluations with hospitals, therapists and community behavioral health when self‑harm risk appears. Reentry plans, discharge notes and communication help students regain footing after a hospital stay, with academics following health.
If you’re a parent, educator, or community partner, this conversation offers grounded strategies to share the load kids are carrying clear boundaries, consistent check‑ins and a team approach that keeps dignity at the center. Listen, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help more families find practical support.
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Hi, and welcome to And So Much More. My name's Cami Smith, and I am here with an amazing group of women who serve in our local public schools here in Lynchburg. And we want to have a conversation today about our adolescent mental health situation that we have, not just here in Lynchburg, because some of you have served in other divisions, correct? We just want to shine a light on what our kids are really experiencing. And a lot of times, you know, things come out at school that don't come out at home. And just to have a glimpse of where this mental health dial is falling and maybe what we can do about it to help these kids to be successful long term. And so I've got Nikita Brown, Shannon Fisher, and Whitney Boyd from Lynchburg City Schools and specifically Dunbar Middle School. But Whitney, you say that you're kind of division-wide. Yeah. Okay, so you get you probably get a glimpse of the differences between the various schools. Is it just middle school or is it nope? I started pre-K all the way through a high school. Ooh, we're in. That sounds like a lot. But we'll start with you and work our way down. Tell us a little bit about your role and what it is that you do in the local schools.
Speaker 3:So I'll try to keep it, it's a lot of things, but my official title is Coordinator of Family and Community Engagement. So community engagement and family engagement are kind of their own islands unto themselves. Community engagement is more so just partnering with the local businesses, churches, community groups to either come in and offer support to the schools, resources for the schools, speakers, people, things like that. Family engagement is more of the, you know, how do you engage your families? What kind of supports can we provide for our families at the various levels? And then there's a lot of like event planning coordination in between the two roles as well.
Speaker 1:Sounds fun. Yeah. And what about you?
Speaker 4:I'm the director of school counseling at Dunbar Middle School. And so Ms. Fisher and I are there as the counselors in the department. Okay. And we really work together just similarly with breaking down how we manage all the students and things like that. But um we've tried to, since we both were able to start at the same time, it actually worked out, I think, really, really well. And we've tried to build a program. It's um been a little bit slow just in terms of understanding the differences and the nuances with being here in Lynchburg City, um, understanding the need of our students and what the implementation of a program looks like in a middle school here.
Speaker 1:Yeah. What division did you come from?
Speaker 4:I was coming from Campbell. And I was working in a combined school setting. So although I was middle school counselor there, I was able to see students from grade six through twelve. Oh wow, all the way there.
Speaker 1:All right, awesome.
Speaker 5:I'm Shannon Fisher. So I'm a school counselor at Dunboard as well, as Ms. Brown said. We do try and uh ensure continuity of care for our students by using caseloads. So she serves students with last names A through K, and I serve students with caseloads L through Z. But because we've been able to function really well together as a team being seasoned and having come from separate divisions, we do work with all students as needed, depending on what makes them most comfortable, or depending on who's available at the time. We've really, I think, done a great job being collaborative and working really well together.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 5:Um, but I came from Bedford County Schools. And during my time there, I served all three levels. I did a couple years at the elementary level, I did a year at Jefferson Forest, did it a year at Liberty Middle, and six years at the alternative schools. So I came with a little bit of everything. Yeah. Um, not on purpose, but during the pandemic, it created some transients of opposition. So it ended up a blessing in disgust.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Well, and I bet that's helpful to have touch points with so many different age groups and seeing them come up too, because um, I know from my perspective, I have two kids, 11 and 13. I guess he's he's 14 now. I always forget. So close to birthdays. Um, so I have two kids, and they spend so much time at school. They spend so much time, more than they do at home. Yes. And um it, it's it's a lot. I want, I want parents to be able to hear kind of your perspective of what you see happening in schools and and maybe even eventually, like how parents can be a better support, how our local health system, how we can be a better support. Um, and then also you think about like the law enforcement component, if it gets to that point, you know, what does that level of support look like for you guys? So um just to start really high level, tell us the what is the role of school counselor? And anybody can jump in. But you know, I think when I was in school, my counselor was more of like an academic counselor, and it was like periodic check-ins on what are your goals, where do you want to go? Um, but now, you know, I know both of my kids have relied in some cases heavily on the school counselor with just situations at home, situations with friends at school that got a little touchy. Um, and it's been such a great resource. And so you won't juggle a lot. So, what is the role of the school counselor?
Speaker 4:So, the school counselors, we do have three domains that we typically try to explain as far as how we serve students, and that's academic, and then there's personal and social, emotional, and career. Um, and again, sometimes what that looks like varies again, certainly from level to level. So elementary. When you're talking about careers or you're talking about the academic, that's gonna look different with their discussions with elementary students.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Um and it's like, you know, introduction to careers and opportunities and things out there. Once you hit middle school where we are, we're we're still talking about those kinds of things and also trying to support students in not just introduction, but making decisions and how now your academics are also impacting the paths that you might choose as you move forward. And then that becomes even stronger once you hit high school, which I think a lot of people are more familiar with that um previous model of school counseling where it was more guidance focused and related. And so that's where a lot of times a high school focus is dictated, unfortunately, um, because of the nature of the academic component and coming into place with that. Um so similarly with the personal and social emotional, um, that's still gonna look different from level to level. Um one of the things that um I really enjoy the social emotional teaching component when we get opportunities to teach students, not just one-on-one when there's like a personal issue or conflict, but we can go um into the classrooms and do a lesson and we're talking about things like even still um and kind of in the vein of what your this conversation entails, what are we seeing? So, you know, there may be in our minds like generational differences between what respect looks like between a student and a teacher. We had our ideas, but now students have a different idea, you know, and so we still can go in and teach or talk about that. Um, and again, specifically also what are the cultural norms because it's maybe not the same. So we still do have to give definition to these things and what that looks like in different differing environments. Um, so the role of a school counselor is to um support students in all the in all three of those areas, specifically, most specifically.
Speaker 2:That's um that's no small task.
Speaker 5:Because you mentioned that there was a time when we perceived a school counselor as strictly academic. Yeah, and I have those memories as well. I met with my counselor once a year and we checked off what I was taking, and I actually asked me where I was going to college, and that expectation is still present. So we've only had tasks added to us rather than taken away from us. Yeah. And I've heard other school counselors, I'm kind of stealing some language from some co-workers, they they refer to us as the juncture of the school. So we have a lot of hidden work that may not be easy to explain or define, but it's an addition and not in lieu of what you remember a school counselor being like when we were kids.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So, not to put you on the spot, but what are some of like the out-of-the-box things you have found yourself doing? Like thinking about that junk drawer, like what are some things where you're like, that's not how I saw my day going?
Speaker 5:We've done everything from being down at the football field with a kid to giving them a new pair of pants because they've spilled something in their lap, and it's and it ebbs and flows, it just depends on the day and the pulse of the building.
Speaker 1:Well, and you think about those moments, uh, even just specifically like spilling something on yourself, like at that age group with other kids. I mean, that's gotta feel like immediate target on your back. You're you're immediately embarrassed, and um, that's more than just providing a pair of pants. You kind of gotta walk that kid through, like, this is okay, like it's fine, like no one's gonna see. You have to like, I guess, maybe address their fears. And so it's it's so much more than just giving them a pair of pants.
Speaker 4:Image isn't important, you know. Yes. I was literally um with someone else's support. We were doing hair in my office yesterday. The student felt like they were having a bad hair day, and so then to deal with that, they were out of dress code because they had a head covering, and so then we have to deal with how can you continue to be here in the building, not be in trouble, but also feel like you're ready to Okay.
Speaker 1:I don't know why that's making me emotional. Just thinking about probably because I think of my own kids and how, you know, I just I love that there's that level of care put into what they're going through because you know, we've all been there where Yeah, nobody can think about their day. No, and it seems so like trivial, but especially for a kid's that age, like it's it's not, it's not news travels faster than ever.
Speaker 5:So when we were kids, you could have a really embarrassing day, and everybody thought it's later it was it was kind of done and moved moved on from, and now it takes 20 minutes and everyone knows. Um, and there's there's a lot of things happening to try and slow down the travel of news with the off and away policies in terms of cell phones and things like that. But um, you know, kids are so adjusted to instant gratification now and how quickly we can get information and how quickly we can get our needs met, and it just makes it really hard to be a kid these days. So hard. You know, when we went home after school, we went outside and we didn't have cell phones and we didn't talk to you until the next day, and that's just not their case.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So um, I'm glad you brought up cell phones because I know there is that off and away policy, and I'm sure that doesn't always happen. Um, so how have you seen just the impact of devices in school? Whether it is even like I know they get Chromebooks, so like having access to the internet on a Chromebook, like that's a lot to entrust really any adolescent age with. Um but then cell phones too. How are you seeing that impact?
Speaker 3:So for me, I have virtual students. So a lot of times what parents will say is like, hey, can you block YouTube or can you block this certain site? Because yes they requested that as a parent. So on my end of the world, it's more of the not so much of the cell phone, but more of like the that Chromebook technology internet piece of yeah, if you're supposed to be doing an assignment or you get irritated with and we've done it too, we had to close our laptop and take a break and walk away. Yeah, well, like you said, they're adolescents. Like, don't you get on here and watch this video that I want? And then the next thing, you know, three hours are gone and you didn't go back to your assignment. Yes. And so parents, like, well, how do we keep them on track? And so the challenge for me, they're not in a building, like I don't see them every day. They're not with me at a facility. And so the communication between me and my parents has to be a lot stronger because it's it's more of a just send me a text, pick up the phone call, or pick up the phone. And so a lot of times I'm blocking stuff that they you know can't access or shouldn't be able to access. And not because it's you know a bad website, it's just we have to be able to cut off all the distractions. So when you're at home, yeah, you're literally sitting in a big distraction.
Speaker 1:You're you're in your house, you're in a you know, you're in a comfortable space, it's just being responsible for somebody who is not directly in front of you, that's gotta feel a little overwhelming. It's interesting.
Speaker 3:Very interesting.
Speaker 2:Well what about you guys?
Speaker 4:I think I don't know, I'm trying to trying to think of it's again obviously so different, you know, um, because that is how they are getting their education and they don't know like the paper pencil, like when we were in middle school and you had to write your first and last name and your group and the date, and you had to have it right. I can like see it in my head.
Speaker:Yeah, it had to be at the top right.
Speaker 4:Um, and these students, you know, so I think about like even when debit cards became more popular, and you know, there were all the conversations about managing money differently because it could almost in a way seem off in a way. And sometimes I do still think, even though the students are used to it in a way that we were not, I still think there's still this little bit of a distance sometimes, it feels like between them and their work and their education and they what they need to access and how they need to be sometimes accountable for things like these, you know, they can check their grades anytime you can see them. They don't have to wait for a teacher's red grade book and go try to like sneak and look at a line and find, you know, or like, hey, can I see my grade? And we got to cover up everything. You can literally go. Um, but we find that that's something that we have to teach a lot. Like this is something that you are accountable for. This is how you log in and see on this platform what your current grade is, you know. Um, when report cards come out, that should not be a surprise to you at all, if ever it was to anybody in time, you know. Um, so it's just the interesting thing of still teaching the skills because this is, you know, the Chromebooks, um, which I I I think that the division has tried to emphasize more this year, especially with our middle school students. This is an educational tool. Yes. Um, and so I've explained it to a couple students, you know, just like if you had a textbook and you had to turn that textbook in at the end of every year, this is essentially your textbook and how you how you manage that. Um, I definitely love the the off and away for students. Unfortunately, yes, no, it doesn't always happen as it should. But again, I think it just helps to help have students to try to retrain themselves to focus and what is the importance of what we're here for and to value the work.
Speaker 1:Yeah. You know, it's it's such a weird, I think about the comparison of at home and devices. You know, this is a lot of times how they are socially interacting with their friends, they're playing games online, or for a while there, my son was like zooming with his friends like constantly. And so, you know, you want to limit screen time because you want them to get outside and get outside with their friends, but it is you have to factor in that this is a part of their social connection, and that's that's difficult for me as a parent. I can't imagine what that is like in the school setting when it's an integrated part of their learning plan, and yet you're also like, yeah, but push pull.
Speaker 5:It's a blessing and a curse. Yeah. No, granted, I haven't worked in a high school in four or five years now. But I've actually heard that kids aren't in a hurry to get their driver's license like they used to be. Like that used to be such a feel for like a countdown. And for them, they have access to each other all the time, so they don't necessarily need to drive to their friends, and that's not the case for you know the entire population. But I do think there are kids, they're like, I'm not in a huge hurry because I have the connections that I need through gaming. Yeah. Um, that that's definitely a very big and present thing for children now. The technology is a blessing and a curse because there are times where with my own kid who's middle school aged, he has ADHD, and if he forgets to turn something in, we can take a picture of it and upload it in Google Classroom. So nice. And it's been turned in before the end of the day. So there's some some advantages. And the reality is that technology is going to be a present part of their workplace, their home life, their you know, their friend circles. So they're going to have to at some point learn how to navigate it and manage it. But a lot of times that evening time feels so quick and um so hurried as families, even our well-adjusted families are we got five minutes to eat, and then we got to get to this sport, or we got to get to this event, and then we've got to get into bed, and we've got to get back to work. And so we're almost um, no matter you know how well adjusted the family is, tasked with supporting families with that social emotional piece when it comes to technology. Yeah. It's just because, you know, in a two-parent working society, and with the demands of school and the demands of work, we sometimes just find that even with our own children, we're doing all that we can. But I've asked my own child school counselor to help me with some of some of his emotional skills, social emotional skills. Just because I gave it everything I got, but I ran out of time.
Speaker 1:It's true. It's well, it has to be a partnership. Yeah. Just again, kind of revisiting the amount of time that our kids are entrusted with you guys versus with us. Um, I feel like there should, there could be and there should be more of a partnership and um just like probably shared information, and it probably is just parents even knowing to reach out to you and seeing you all as the resource that you truly are. Um, so kind of to touch on that, what are you seeing? Obviously, no names or anything, but what are you seeing as the most um biggest issues and or um, I don't want to say issues. I don't ever want to imply that like kids have issues. I have issues. But like what are you seeing when it relates to like the mental health of this particular generation?
Speaker 3:So I would kind of to their point and Shannon's point specifically when it comes to technology and social media, that's it's a different social, like it's different from how we grew up. We we grew up outside. You didn't come, you know, don't come back until the street lights flicker. Yep. You know, you had not that neighborhoods are any more or less safe, but like you, you were just outside. Like you your parents weren't trying to figure out where you were, you didn't have to share a location. And so I think, at least for me, I feel like the education system, just like you know, law and government, I I think we're struggling to keep up with how quickly um what the social component of our students' lives look like. And I think for parents, and I'm you know, this is gonna be shared all over, I'm 36, and there's still stuff with technology that my nieces and nephews, like, hey, can you? I'm like, what is that? Like, and I don't know what it is. And so I can't they're like, can you help me do this? And I'm like, and that's a plot, what are you talking about? Like, oh, it's an app. Like an app for what? For what? You know, and so imagine, you know, our grandparents that are raising kids or parents that are in their 50s, they don't know what they don't know. And so this, the, the our students are brilliant, and I think sometimes their brilliance is their demise because they know how to go all they they know how to do all the backdoor stuff, and so I don't know that you could even do this thing. I don't know what to look for to then have the conversation of like, hey, you probably shouldn't be you know in a chat with 50-year-olds as a 14-year-old. It's like this is not safe, but I don't know it's happening, so I can't because it's silent, it's not like us, you snuck out. You either, you know, you knew the step that creaked, so you you missed it, or you, you know, we do all the things, but like digital world is quiet. So if you don't know what is there, you don't know what's there. And so then you have students, and out I had when I was in Bedford County, our kids thought it was crazy. Like, wait, sharing a nude is is against the law, and I was like, Yes, that's an actual law that you were breaking. Oh, I didn't know that. Oh wow, yes, guys, like one person, like stop sharing things, and I think it's just a lack of the education is lagging behind the amount of access that students are having, well, and then the parents, I mean, we're older, so some of the stuff we don't even know that you can do. And so, and then they get hurt, like that's how you get the students to like, oh, this situation happened, protect them, yeah. And so it's almost like we can't ours we feel like our reach isn't far enough to all the places that they're getting to.
Speaker 1:Like you don't know until they're hurt because that's when it comes to the surface and they and they want to talk about it, or it, or you need to intervene. And it and that's so unfortunate. And I and I think about what you even said about like sharing nudes. I feel like that's happening younger and younger and younger. And you would never think to have some of these preemptive conversations with such a young person. Um, but it's so important to talk about um at home for sure. Um, but also I think it sounds like you guys are having these conversations already at school. And so maybe that's important for parents to know if they don't already, um, the partnership that's happening here, like they can and will be having these conversations at school. And so it's just important to talk to your kids about the things that are happening, really, and probably younger than you think. Yeah. Younger than you think you need to start.
Speaker 4:I think a lot of what we're what I feel like that um I've seen a certain significant increase in over the last several years is students dealing with anxiety. Um and I think that the um, like you kind of what you were saying, like the social construct that they are living in that's different from what we had is is you know, impacts that. Um and you know, don't necessarily obviously, like you said, it's it's a tool, it's a blessing and a curse. I don't want to make it the enemy, but technology certainly has a role in that. Um, you know, and how students connect and relate. And, you know, again, it's already such an interesting developmental time, and like we were talking about gaining that independence um and that personal identity, and what do my peers think about me and what they think about me starts to outweigh what my family thinks and that you know, that importance. Um so I think it's just really challenging for them to figure out sometimes with all the opinions and all the voices, because there is that added layer of the access to more. Um and it's beyond just their, you know, local social group. Um and so then that can be very intimidating and overwhelming. And so I think um to kind of put it of just that that little bit or whatever, I would say that I think that's a lot of of what we're seeing, and students having to navigate the world um with some additional things impacting that.
Speaker 1:I mean, our minds, in my opinion, our minds are not meant to take in the world. Our minds are are created almost like at a community level. Like, here's what's happening in my family, here's what's happening with my neighbors, here's what's happening in my community. And yet, you know, when horrible things happen all around the world, we know about it almost instantly. And that's a lot for me to handle as an adult. I can't imagine. Every time there is another tragedy that I learn about online, I know that I need to be really intentional about talking to my kids about that because that's it's a it's a lot to hold space for as an adult. And I just can't, I mean I don't want that for them. But but it's there and it's accessible, and then rather than hear about it for me, you know?
unknown:Yeah.
Speaker 5:I think uh what I tend to experience with students and how it impacts them during the instructional day is how distracting it is, even with an off-in-a-way policy. If you think about it, when you're having a face-to-face conversation, if you say something to someone, you witness and see their reaction right away. However, with the internet, with your computer, with your phone, there's a delayed response. So it gives you a bit of courage, essentially. You're not face-to-face. So you may say something that's a little more um reactive or a little more impulsive. Whereas when you see that person directly beside you, maybe use a little more tax or tact or a little more reservation. Yes. And so a lot of our children are on these massive chat groups. Um, if I could give any advice to a parent, it would be search your kids' phone, search your kids' phone, search your kids' phone.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 5:Um, because when we give them independence, it's a difficult thing for them to manage, even if they're a great kid, it can be a hard thing to manage.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 5:Um, sports teams have chat groups because it's convenient and there's a communication element. Oh, that's true. And you know, a group of friends might leave someone else is the only kid not in the chat group. Or if there's a kid in the chat group that they don't like, they make a new chat group and it creates this whole conflict where everybody's at home at night, not getting along, and they bring that into the next school day. So even if the off and away policy is in effect and the students are doing what they're supposed to do at school, the conversations are about did you see what so-and-so said in the chat last night? And then that creates a huge and massive distraction in our school environment. And then managing that social situation becomes their priority rather than the content that they're supposed to be taking in in that moment. And it just creates educational gaps.
Speaker 1:Wow. I had not even considered that. And when you guys talk about the silent thing that's happening, like that's just like a the elephant in the room that you don't even know is in the room as the person outside of the situation, you just see the impacts and the effects on these kids. You're like, okay, something's going on, I don't know what's going on. And I'm sure every parent, I know I have had that moment where you're like, something is going on, and I don't know what, but clearly you are dealing with something. Yes.
Speaker 5:It ends up being a domino effect because when you're preoccupied with the conversation going on in the chat group, you end up staying up a little later than you should, and then you're tired, and then you're rushing to school, and then you forget your breakfast, and then you're hungry and tired and preoccupied with the peer interaction that took place last night, and now you have to deal with that person face to face when you get to civics class or once you get to PE, and then everyone's talking about it, and then your best friend means well, and they go, Well, I heard that, and then it kind of reignites the conversation for you, and children are living like this day after day after day. That's exhausting. And so I think sometimes, especially for us, and and I can speak from experience, you kind of perceive your child as a little more grown-up when they hit middle school, and so you kind of back off and you say it's time to be more independent, and it's time to, you know, be a little more responsible. But I would love to encourage parents to lean in and not step back because they're dealing with a lot and they need your support to deal with it. We can make them more responsible, but lean in at the same time. Yeah, it's challenging, but we can do it.
Speaker 1:It is, and and for those parents who are watching, like there's so much grace. Like we're trying to figure this out, right? And and I know I I could and should lean in more. What's that?
Speaker 4:I'm gonna write a book one day. The parenting manual.
Speaker 1:You should. Oh my gosh. I would read about the parenting manual. Um, it is, it's so difficult. And and you guys are giving such good insight for um for those who are watching. Um, and I want because I feel like we could just kind of linger here for a really long time. There's so much you guys see, but I do want to hear um like the collaboration and the partnerships that you guys have. So you mentioned that there is um like a security officer in school. And so, what does that partnership, that extension of law enforcement look like in the schools? And how is that a partner for you?
Speaker 4:So, our resource officers, we we love having them in the schools, and I've seen them um establish great relationships with our students, learn to help them um be more comfortable and understand what our officers in general, like in the in the city, are for, how they can support the community and what they're here for. Um, and then in building those relationships with students in school, and it's it's all of our students, and then sometimes who those who need a little bit more support of understanding about what's going on with their choices and decisions and those paths that they can take. Um, and so because it's somebody then that they see every day and they're able to build that relationship with and have rapport, then that gives more opportunity for for listening and for understanding. Um and then we've even had some situations where um you're trying to support a family um in different various needs. It might be sometimes even like a mental health situation situation with a child. There have been even safety situations where having that resource officer wound up being like critical to the safety of the student. And so we welcome them. And are thankful for them and their support roles in our buildings.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So how many resource officers? Is it one per school?
Speaker 4:Yeah. So secondary for Lynchburg City, I believe is one per school. Okay. And at the elementary level, they're called SSS. SSO. Yeah. SSO. School Security Officers. Yes. Yeah.
Speaker 3:And I think that what's the difference? The firearm is different. I think so. Okay. Yeah.
Speaker 1:That I bet that's a really good support to just kind of know that that presence is just even in the building. I know for me, I think of that the SSO at elementary school, my kids were over at Bedford Hills and Bedford Hills, and then my son was at RS Pain. And they both knew by name their resource officer and loved their resource officer. And you know, I'm sure in middle school and high school, that's going to change a little bit. But just knowing that along with the partnership of a school counselor, like this is kind of like a team approach to just ensuring that there's care in the local school system. So Center is obviously a community hospital. And um, and I think about when you guys unfortunately do have situations where you're having to either refer or lean on an emergency situation, what does that referral process look like with your local health system?
Speaker 5:So in a situation where we may be speaking to a student because either a note was written or a hunch was um presented to us by a teacher, there are a lot of different ways in which a student might be referred to us, right? And so let's say we determine that this student needs to be evaluated for suicidal litigation or a plan in place to commit suicide. When we contact that parent, they're given options as to where they can go to have that evaluation done. One of them is the hospital. I do have to be transparent. I'm I'm aware of how busy an emergency department can be. Yes. And so I will often use other community partners as an option. Yeah. If the student regularly sees a therapist, that is an option. Or our Horizon Behavioral Health in the community is an option as well. They have a walk-in person available from eight to five all the time. And once we determine or mandate that conversation, an attendance note is required in order for that child to return to school. But a lot of times where the partnership truly takes place is if that licensed person says, let's admit the child, let's admit the child to the hospital for a stay, where they have um intensive family sessions. Sometimes there's a psychiatrist that makes a recommendation for medication, they are a small group that takes place and they stay overnight at the hospital. When that happens, um, I certainly think there's a goal of communication between us and a hospital.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 5:But during the school year, the reality is there's sometimes not even a bed available for a child. I I have a child that is staying at Roanoke this week because price six is full.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 5:And so that does create a natural disconnect. How busy we've all become as individuals essentially means that our holistic approach is our goal, but not always something that is fully implemented. So typically what happens is when they return to school and we're having a conversation with the parent, we request the discharge documents.
Speaker 1:Gotcha.
Speaker 5:Um, that gives us just a scope of the notes taken by the doctor, how those conversations went, and what they recommend for the child moving forward. Yeah. And then that way we can mark the attendance as excused as well, not unexcused.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 5:And unfortunately, academics are not prioritized at that time. So they miss the week of school typically. I mean it can be anywhere from three to seven days, is usually the length of stay. And then that way we can allow the child to have that many days to make up their work.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker 5:So it's that dominant effect I talked about with cell phones. You know, you're sleepy and hungry and behind because you're distracted. Their mental health needs, when they reach that level, impact them in the same way. Because at that time, academics are secondary. So you do end up a week behind.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 5:And sometimes that's where that anxiety that Miss Brown mentioned spirals out of control because not only did I have a need, and essentially strangers are the ones providing that care for me, but then I come back to school and I've missed a week of school too. And then everybody asked me what's happened and where I went.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And then our um our SROs are also parts of our threat assessment teams as well. So it's a school administrator, school counselor, school resource officer. Um, and that idea, and y'all correct me if I'm wrong, was to kind of have that village holistic team at the table. So it's not, it's all these different components to kind of cover the whole child. So everybody comes to the table when those assessments come up to kind of determine what do we do.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so for any reason a child would be at risk of harm to others, that's when that conversation takes place. They're not always privy to that information when they're simply at risk of harm to themselves. Um, but that way we can we can best combat what the what the feelings are that that child is experiencing and who could be in danger, even if they're in danger themselves, we can best discern whether that team approach because our environment is in danger, or whether it just needs to be our school counseling department doing an in-house personal conversation if the child is struggling.
Speaker 1:It really is like a cross-community partnership, because I know like Centre leans strongly and our and vice versa on the community partners in this area. Um, because you know, if there is someone who is providing a resource and doing it really well, like let's not duplicate the situation, let's partner. And so creating that handoff from place to place, and there are so many amazing community partners here in Lynchburg and Bedford and Southside and all the various places. And so, are you seeing that number of students who are in these types of situations increase?
Speaker 4:I feel like it's it's almost steady right now. I wouldn't say um There's not there's not an escalation necessarily. Okay. Not right, not right now. Um, as you know, as we were talking a little bit before about some things to discuss today, you know, they're it's it's kind of weird sometimes, like feeling at this point, 2025, like five years out from everything shutting down and COVID and how students sort of came out and re-emerged from that and the needs that were present from that. Um, maybe in that time frame were a little bit higher with how people were feeling and what things were going on. But again, at this point, I feel like it's just been a little bit kind of the study, um, in a way, almost sort of norm of the ebbs and flows of when students are having the situations that may require a deeper conversation or an evaluation. Um things like that.
Speaker 5:Forgive me, I can't think of the name of the author at this time, but that there's a huge push for this book called The Anxious Generation right now.
Speaker 2:I have it, yes.
Speaker 5:Um I haven't had the time to read it page to page, but I've read some of it and what he talks about, it feels so very present in my world of work. Um, like Miss Brown is essentially saying, it does feel steady right now, but that's because there's been a surge for so long. Yeah, it's been present for a while now, and it's interesting how he can connect it to the modernization of technology. I don't know if there's really truly only that. I think it is multifaceted, but essentially it feels steady because kids have been sad for a long time.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I think social media and I think technology amplified it. Because to your point, all of our embarrassing moments and all of our things took place in isolation to a degree. Now it's almost permanent, it's permanent, but it the impact radiates so much. It's almost like everyone feels like they have their own individual little like reality show. Like if something were to happen to me and I post it, everybody like it's not just, oh, just my six friends know. Great. Nope, the school knows, Lynchburg City knows, you know, like whoever my platform is connected to. So some kid in California is like, oh, there's a kid in Lynchburg City School that you know, so it's it almost magnifies their just the normal development of children. And I think that also is one of the reasons why the education with the students, but with the parents, it's like, yeah, you want your kid to be more independent, but I don't think middle school, elementary, middle schoolers developed mentally cannot handle what social media is.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Um, you're and to your point, our brains aren't meant to take in all of the world's information simultaneously. So imagine you spill in a stain on your pants, but now thousands of people know that it happened versus just a couple. Yeah. Or you posted a video because you really liked your cool TikTok dance, but now thousands of people are like, well, that was dumb. And and you know, so it almost amplifies the problem. Yeah. And I don't I don't know if there's a what do you do?
Speaker 5:Our children are feeling. Yeah when they when you hear celebrities in interviews talk about the limelight and how it, you know, it comes with the good and the bad, children are experiencing that feeling because so much can spread so quickly.
Speaker 1:Yeah. It's a lot. These kids need a lot of support. Um, and thank you guys for doing the work that you do. I mean, I think it's in this conversation has been encouraging for me. Um, definitely enlightening because there are some things that we don't realize our kids are walking through. Um, and so I hope as people are watching this, it's just almost like an open awareness for the partnership that is available with your school counselor and the care. I'm gonna call it, we call it a care team when there's like multiple people on you as a patient who can speak to your care. And you guys kind of have that similar approach. You have like this care team approach for these kids. Um, and so that support is available and it's out there. Um, so we're gonna continue this conversation in a part two with um some of our mental health counselors here at Centra to just kind of hear from a clinical side of things, um, because this is the reality of what kids are dealing with right now. Um and you know, maybe it varies from city to city, from state to state. But I think at the heart of it, it's probably all very, it's very similar, um, especially since they're connected from city to city and state to state now. Um so um thank you all for joining us. Yeah, of course. And thank you guys for joining us and stay tuned for part two.
