Brittney Brackett> Facing pressure from school?

Group> Never alone.

Brittney> Self-image?

Group> Never alone.

Brittney> The economy?

Group> Never alone.

Brittney> Climate change?

Group> Never alone.

Brittney> Cyberbullying?

Group> Never alone.

Brittney> Together we'll discuss these issues and ways to produce better mental health outcomes in this episode of SCETV's Safe Space .

♪ ♪ Brittney Brackett> Hi, I'm Brittney Brackett, and welcome to SCETV's Safe Space .

A program designed to help our youth navigate today's societal challenges.

With concerns of mass shootings, climate change, economic instability, and sexual identity.

Pre-teens and teenagers often struggle to maintain healthy mental health attitudes.

But that's what we're here for tonight to provide a safe space and hopefully solutions to the issues our youth face.

Today we have with us some of the Midlands' brightest, representing both Lexington and C.A.

Johnson High Schools, along with administrators and mental health professionals who would love to come together just like this to help share their experiences and insights.

On our panel today, we have Markeshia Grant with "Savvy Skills".

We have Morgan Coleman from C.A.

Johnson High School, Ms. Tiffney Davidson-Parker from N.A.M.I Greenville, Hailey Crick from Lexington, Aaron Robinson, also from Lexington, and Kymiya Keith from C.A.

Johnson.

Welcome, everybody.

Group> Hello.

Thank you for having us.

Brittney> Thank you so much for joining us for this not so fun topic, but necessary.

So as we get started with the chat today, I want you to think about what bullying really means to you.

If you've ever experienced bullying, what that looked like felt like, if you have friends that have dealt with it, we're going to talk about that, in depth, so that we can help reach some more kids and teens.

Sound good?

Group> Yep.

>> All righty.

So, as we talk about bullying, just a statistic for you to think on, teens who are bullied are 2 to 9 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts.

We're just going to jump into it because I don't want to lose any more students.

Group> Right!

Brittney> Or kids or teens, whether they're my children or not.

Right.

Your friends or not.

So what are your thoughts about bullying?

How we can even begin to unpack that?

Anyone?

Hailey> I would say just taking the first step, because one life lost is one life too many.

And so standing around being a bystander and hearing about these things in the news, scrolling past yet another story because I feel like it's a new one every single day.

It almost seems like it's become sort of mundane.

And not as, you're not as taken aback by it when you see it anymore, which is heartbreaking.

And so I think just taking that first step and doing things like this to spread awareness and truly taking action with that and not just leaving it as a topic to discuss, but a call to action for people to actually start being change makers so that we can begin to see a difference in this heartbreaking reality.

Brittney> I totally agree, totally.

You said call to action.

That's really what it's about, right?

We can talk about what we're going to do, all day, but what are the steps to to making it actually happen, whether it's in the schools, whether we're providing resources in the community, like with Ms. Tiffney Davidson- Parker and N.A.M.I.

Greenville using you as an example.

There are so many different programs, but do people know about them?

Are they able to access them in a way that is easy?

Right?

Do they have transportation to get there?

There's so many factors.

So we're going to talk a little bit about that today and how we can help.

And also in studio we have an amazing group on our couches.

The Safe Space family of students have joined us from Lexington High Schools and from C.A.

Johnson, as well.

And we have plenty of other wonderful people in the studio with us today to have this in-depth discussion.

Okay, so going back to bullying, it can cause in case you didn't know, it can cause anxiety, depression and low self-esteem, which can lead to other physical symptoms like headaches, stomach aches, sleep problems.

Okay.

Students can have issues like grades dropping.

They can avoid school by skipping school because they're avoiding that bully or that person that's messing with them, making them uncomfortable.

7% of South Carolina students have skipped school due to feeling unsafe.

That's too much.

7% doesn't seem like a lot, but it is.

So any of you and you can jump in whenever you like, do you have or have you had a friend that has been bullied?

And what impact has it had on you?

Anyone?

Aaron> I've, I've had a friend who's been bullied and and I learned that you have to do your part as a civilian in this community to take part and help those people.

You can't allow certain people to go through different traumas and things and not say anything.

And I think that we all have to be a strong support in our community and just help out everybody we can.

Brittney> I agree.

but, but here's, here's what people forget too, because bullying looks different to different people, right?

What were some of the symptoms?

What were some of the things that your friends displayed that, that really you knew was not their personality type?

What were the changes in the traits that you saw?

Or if you have children like Ms. Tiffney Davidson-Parker, you know, we know each other personally.

Tiffney> Yes.

Brittney> And I know that you have had some incidents with your sons.

Talk about that.

Tiffney> Absolutely.

So my oldest son, 11 years old, he was bullied from the third grade.

Now, most recently, he's in the fifth grade.

After report, report, report to his educators, to the administrative staff, it got to be to a point where I had to take, concerted effort and action to make sure that, one, they understand that as a parent, I'm not going to tolerate it.

I had to also teach my son how to advocate for himself and not to be afraid and to speak up.

Right.

And so just to say, if you feel something, say something.

If you see something, say something.

If you hear something, say something.

Right?

Because what, what, what has happened for him is, As the one that was being bullied and started to then defend himself, it started to turn the tables and say, oh, now he's the bully.

Whereas, when it was being reported time after time after time.

Right.

And then there's a stigma.

I'm just going to say it.

Our brown boys oftentimes get stigmatized as being the aggressor, when in fact he has been the calmest child you know, for years and got fed up.

And so what I've seen in him was not wanting to go to school, having the hardest time to get him up out of the bed, not wanting to participate in social activities, not wanting to go outside and play with his peers.

So see, my son, he lives with multiple diagnoses.

He's part of my why, why I serve the way that I do.

You know, he lives with epilepsy, central auditory processing, ADHD, dyslexia, and recently on the autism spectrum.

And so when you have a child who is dealing with neurodivergence, with other mental health concerns, with medical concerns, and he's quirky.

He's smart.

He's bright.

He's intelligent.

He's sharp.

Right?!

But he's different too.

And so his differences stood out amongst the rest.

And so because of that he was called names.

You know he's a, he's a, he's a larger guy.

I mean just tall in stature and you know, and solid.

And so he got called names and he was ostracized.

And, and then you got with ADHD in and of itself, there's, there's challenges with social skills and developing those social skills.

And so for him it was a double whammy, like you just couldn't get ahead.

So, as an advocate for my child, as an advocate for Greenville County, as a clinician, a mental health care therapist, we have to take a stand.

We have to educate our children.

We have to also support our administrators to let them know that we're not going to stand for it.

Brittney> That part.

Tiffney> That we're not going to stand for it.

You know, all of our schools here in South Carolina do implement, and they do have a zero tolerance bullying policy.

But guess what?

We have to hold the schools accountable to actually implementing it.

Brittney> That's right.

Tiffney> Right.

There was a school, I won't say the name.

And they said, oh no, bullying doesn't occur at my school.

I said, well, then you're not tapped in.

You're not tuned in to your school or to your students because I'm here telling you what my son just said, in after school program.

And so I digress, because I can, you know, get on my soapbox.

Brittney> But that's, that's unfortunate.

Tiffney> Yeah.

Yeah.

Brittney> But I'm glad that we're able to talk about it because we do need to hold the schools accountable.

Tiffney> Yes.

Brittney> This is happening inside of the schools.

Tiffney> Yes.

Brittney> They do need to know and be aware of what's taking place.

So, on that note, what do you think schools need to know?

What's something that you feel they need to know about how they can better serve you when it comes to bullying?

Markeshia> I think she spoke to it.

Tiffney spoke to it, like having support.

I think sometimes, like, teachers are so busy, or administrators are so busy that they don't realize, like, kids are crying out for help.

<Right.> Markeshia> And it may not just be that they're quiet.

It may, They may be acting out.

So just having that support, from, you know, the state level, the, you know, administrator level, just making sure they have the support that they need.

Brittney> Right.

And, Marquita (Markeshia), I want to...

I want to know more about "Savvy Skills".

You know, I saw the...I saw the title and I was like, oh, "Savvy Skills".

What skills, are you bringing to the table that make, you know, that help make us savvy?

Markeshia> So, "Savvy Skills" actually was birthed, May 7th in 2020.

I was working for a nonprofit, you know, providing life skills, literacy.

And it was an afterschool program for inner city kids.

And so during COVID, you know, you know, COVID happened, so we had to transition to online learning.

And so with that, we were furloughed.

And so, I felt like there were skills that kids did not have transitioning to online learning or being away from sports, you know, all those things that were safe havens.

And so I created "Savvy Skills" because I think we need to build those skills for the students to transition, if we have a pandemic, pandemic or anything like that, going forward.

So that's what "Savvy Skills" is.

Brittney> Awesome.

And you're right, those life skills, sometimes you're thrust into something and you have to learn a life skill, but wouldn't it be nice if we were all prepared and we had a little bit of extra coaching to be able to have your skill set taught to us?

Thank you for that.

My youth, I, I don't know what bullying is like for you.

I know what it was like for me when I was younger, but times change.

So what is it that as you're listening to us today, talk about how we can serve you better?

What is it that we don't know that we need to know from you?

Morgan> Bullying is... Brittney> I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Go ahead.

Kymiya> Oh, I feel like y'all need to know basically everything, what they feel what they're going through in school maybe you can go in a school, and see how, like, how to classes are going, how the teachers will act.

You know, some kids come to school every day with their head down, not talking, very mute.

You ask them, how they're doing, they don't say anything.

It's more to that.

Nine times out of ten, some parents, they will care, some won't.

But at the same time, they all got to come together, administrators, guidance counselors just work together with the student.

Brittney> But we'll come right back to that <Sure> Brittney> and our thoughts, as well.

So bullying is just one of the many issues that our youth face.

And sometimes that feeling of loneliness and insecurity can lead to tragedy.

But even out of darkness, there can still be a ray of hope that can help someone, somewhere.

♪ Tanesha Cook> I just want to remind all children in attendance today that words can hurt.

Bullying is not a joke.

It is not something to entertain you and your friends.

It's a real life problem.

Nah'Zia was ten years old, she was, a very good student.

She was very smart.

She was very respectful.

Into TikTok.

So she liked to do TikTok.

Nah'Zia> Hey, why are you crying?

And why is that crown off your head?

Uhh Uh Uhh Uh Let's go ahead and pick that up.

Put that right back on your head There you go.

You're my baby.

Beautiful.

And don't you ever, ever let nobody tell you different.

Mwwwwah.

Have a beautiful day.

Tanesha> She was just amazing, honestly.

And she was bullied, starting about fourth grade.

I let her express herself, however, she felt necessary.

So she wanted her hair blue.

Her hair is blue.

She wanted her hair purple, pink, green, it was whatever color she wanted.

She was solid and, and tall, you know, for her age.

So kids teased her a lot for it.

I guess she couldn't handle it.

It was.

It was too much pressure.

Even when I, you know, would tell her like, "this is temporary".

I would tell her, you know, "these people may be working for you one day".

This is not going... this is not going to be a permanent thing.

And I guess the pressures of being a child and fitting in, was just too hard.

And so she, she committed suicide.

LaTonya Jackson> Bullying is one of the number one reasons, and then lack of support in the home as one of the number one causes for dying by suicide and an increase in suicide.

John Tjaarda> We lose about 800 to 850 people a year to suicide in South Carolina.

LaTonya> There are different severities, of suicide ideation.

It could be a kid saying "Oh, I don't feel like living today."

And that teacher might take that as a suicidal threat.

So we have to evaluate, "Did they really mean that, or were they just saying it "out of other things that were going on?"

Then you have a situation where somebody might have been a cutter, and it's more severe then we have to admit them in the hospital right then.

So it's different levels.

But first key is assessing to see, if they have means to the threat.

And then if not we will sit down and get them a crisis intervention plan to follow for the next 24 hours.

If it was something that was severe, we would, refer them over to the hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

♪ And then we would follow up with them with therapy.

♪ John> The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention was founded nationally in 1987.

The mission of the organization is to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide loss.

We host, about 23 different fundraising events throughout the year.

We bring advocates from across the state and from other organizations here to Columbia at the State House to, to talk to our legislators about issues related to suicide prevention.

This year, we were able to talk about expanding the Jason Flatt Act that requires teachers to receive at least one hour of suicide prevention training in order to be re-certified.

We wanted to expand that to include faculty, because you never know who in a school system is going to be a safe space for a child.

Our second bill that focused on youth was a student I.D.

bill expansion, as well.

And that put the 988 number, the Crisis Lifeline on all student ID cards in middle school, high school and college level.

This year we're trying to expand that to include elementary school, as well as private schools.

With all of our prevention programs, we really just encourage talking, whether you're the person struggling or whether you're somebody who's noticing something different and feel like somebody else is struggling.

LaTonya> I do recommend that anybody that's seeking therapy look at Psychology Today , whether that's an adult or a child, plug in Psychology Today.

Plug in what you need in your zip code.

And then it gives you a list of therapist, and you can kind of shop for therapists to see, "Hey, they do C.B.T., cognitive behavioral therapy.

", or, "Hey, they do this.

", "They have a sliding scale."

"They're around the corner from my house."

So you can kind of shop for a therapist on Psychology Today.

So I recommend everybody to lock in that website.

♪ Tanesha> And I just want to dare all of you to do something.

Make a new friend with that person that nobody really talks to, the person you see sitting alone, and that goes for adults, as well.

Tell your friends when they are wrong, when they bully others, and most importantly, be a leader.

Thank you.

♪ (applause) Brittney> All right.

So that piece was very emotional for me.

Like you said before, one too many that we're losing.

It's, it's... very tough to hear that a child doesn't want to be here anymore because they weren't supported.

As an adult, I feel like that's part of my job, running a nonprofit organization.

And much like, you know, the three of us here, ladies.

But I want to hear more from you, teens.

Morgan, I know you wanted to say something a little earlier.

You might not remember, but give us your thoughts on, what support really feels like, whether it's from your parents, whether it is from your teachers your school counselors.

Because we all know some of the statistics that we've heard.

You know, one school counselor might have 400 students they're responsible for, which is not reasonable.

Morgan> It's not.

It's a hard job.

And so, you know, having multiple people to look up to and to go to whenever you feel uncomfortable or uneasy, you know, a place where you should feel supported and loved, like your parents or, you know, when I was younger and I had issues with bullying.

My friends, my best friends were always there for me.

They would always, go to the office or go to the counselor and talk to somebody and talk it out, or they would talk it out with me.

You know, it's important to have multiple different support systems.

So that, you know, the burden isn't just on one person.

And it's not a burden.

It's...

I want to rephrase that.

Brittney> I know what you mean.

>> Yeah.

Brittney> Sometimes people don't want to report it because they feel like it feels like a burden to you.

Morgan> To you, yeah.

Of course.

Brittney> And that's, you know, I use the weight we carry because that's the way that I express what it might feel like to someone.

We're carrying around grief.

We're carrying around stress.

We're carrying around anxiety.

You know trauma, in lots of different ways sometimes.

So we need someone to, we need someone that we can trust to lay that upon.

Right?

It looks safe to do that with people sometimes.

But what makes you feel safe with someone, to be able to tell them about a tough topic like that?

Whether it's bullying or something else, what does a safe person look and feel like to you?

Kymiya> Well, my opinion I feel like a safe person is somebody who doesn't judge you, like who won't make facial expressions, who won't go back and tell somebody else what I said.

It's just between us, two.

No judging.

She...or they can either express their own experience on that topic.

(whispers) That's what I feel like... Brittney> The anonymous part stood out to me, with that.

Because, you know, we all have friends that we confide in.

We all have people that we trust, but...

It doesn't always feel simple to go to someone that seems like a teacher or a counselor.

So what's another anonymous way you feel that would work best for students?

Something that would be, you know, whether it's a little like at church, you know, you have the little box like, "We'll accept a prayer for you.

", you know, like, what is a, what is a way that we can do a better job to serve you guys?

Aaron> Well, our school we have on the back of our IDs, hotlines and numbers to seek for help, ask for help...988, the suicide hotline number.

Brittney> Awesome.

Aaron> Different things, surveys, anonymous surveys that you can give your own opinion and feelings about.

Those are the types of things to check in and indulge in your students to make sure they're doing okay.

I think that'll help a lot.

Brittney> That's awesome because it's at your fingertips.

Aaron> Yeah.

Brittney> Literally.

Right.

And if we know that that's there I mean, in my opinion, I feel like there should be workshops at the beginning of each school year.

<Right> Brittney> That say we're here just in case you need us.

You might, you might not, but just know we're here.

These are the programs that we offer.

And I'm always big on safe spaces and sensory spaces for all ages because we need that.

Adults need that, too.

You know, we're responsible for a lot.

You guys are responsible for a lot.

So we're just trying to help you carry that burden.

But going back to school counselors, what type of training- This is for my professionals here?- What type of training do you feel like should be necessary for them, especially working in the schools?

Now we know they have to be certified and trained and licensed and all that.

But is there something that should prove that they're emotionally regulated before they try to help emotionally regulate other people?

Markeshia> Yeah.

I mean, I think she can speak more to the therapy and the, therapists side, but I say, like, I feel like people should have emotional intelligence and have some type of and training and understanding, like, you know, somebody might come from a different background, and understanding, like what that means.

Like what- You know, they may have grown up in a single parent home.

Like, what does that mean?

And understanding how to meet them where they are.

And then speaking a little bit too, like, the resources and the things that I think kids need, like decompression rooms going to places where they can just decompress.

Brittney> So this is good.

I hate to go.

I hate to go, but we are going to be right back with it.

Across South Carolina, lives are being changed by hope, education and community.

N.A.M.I., the National Alliance on Mental Illness is leading the charge with the powerful suicide prevention, mental health advocacy, free mental health classes and unwavering support for families and individuals.

In this video, we'll explore how N.A.M.I.

is making a difference and how you can be a part of the movement to help save lives and break the stigma.

♪ Zenethia Brown> N.A.M.I.

started in 1979.

It started with a parent who understood the need for mental health services for her child, but couldn't get those services.

We pride ourselves on being the largest grassroots mental health organization in the country, but on a local level, we are the roots.

We are the grassroots.

We're the ones that are connected to the people.

Kelli McClure> N.A.M.I.

provides support group services both for those who are supporting someone living with a mental illness, as well as those who are living with a mental illness.

They also provide something called a family match, where someone can be trained with an individual that's going through a mental health journey that just kind of needs some coaching.

They provide family to family, which is an eight week course to help families kind of know how to support their loved one living with a mental illness.

Zenethia> And the family member part is very important because oftentimes a family member can recognize the changes in an individual before they recognize it in themselves.

So we have a lot of signature programs, and then we have a lot of local programs that our affiliate does.

We go out into the community and talk about mental health 101, suicide prevention, self-care, mental health in the workplace.

We offer a lot.

So if it has to do with mental health, and there's a way for us to, get in front of an audience, we'll make that happen.

♪ Kelli> Another one that N.A.M.I.

provides that I've been a part of is called "Ending the Silence".

And that's a free 50 minute presentation where lead presenter, and a young adult presenter will go into schools, usually in person or virtually.

And that program is designed to help students become aware of the signs and symptoms of a mental illness and suicide, and how to respond to both of those.

Eric McClure> Some of the things that I do for N.A.M.I.

is being a young adult presenter for N.A.M.I.

's " Ending The Silence " presentations primarily focusing on, kind of just my own personal story and some of my coping strategies that I've instilled and used in my life today.

There's multiple different reasons why I like to do it, but one of the main reasons that I strongly enjoy sharing my story and being a young adult presenter for N.A.M.I.

is when I was younger, I had situations where, you know, I was going through some depression, some anxiety, and I didn't fully understand what was going on.

It wasn't till later in my life I got a clearer picture of what was going on, and a lot of students, I think being able to hear someone else's story and kind of, it gives you a sense of, you know, you're not alone.

♪ So something I found with giving presentations, with N.A.M.I.

's "Ending The Silence" is there's a lot of stigma around mental health and a lot of students, you know, they have bits and pieces of information that they've, they've heard or observed from, you know, whether it's on social media or on television.

And a lot of things I think are very heavily misconstrued when it comes to, mental health diagnoses.

Kelli> I believe there is a stigma.

I'm an educator, and I have observed in my years of teaching that students just want to look like everybody else.

They don't want to stand out in any way.

And so the "Ending The Silence" presentation breaks down those barriers, especially when they hear the statistics of how prevalent mental health conditions are, even if they don't see the relevance of it right now, that they're going to remember something I said when they get a few years down the road and they're going to say, "Oh, I remember that presentation that came and I remember that young adult presenter.

And they will have some skills, at least to know, to reach out to N.A.M.I.

and say, "I need some help."

And so that that's why getting this information into the youth is so important.

But I do want to say that one reason my husband and I got involved with N.A.M.I.

is that when we were in a crisis moment with our son, who had a mental health emergency, there were N.A.M.I.

brochures in a hospital waiting room.

And that's how we found out about N.A.M.I.

and its resources.

And so, because N.A.M.I.

has provided a safe haven for us and helpful information for us, and people who are willing to walk with us on this journey, that's why we are such big advocates for N.A.M.I.

♪ Zenethia> I see N.A.M.I's impact all the time.

I see N.A.M.I.

's impact in our support groups.

I see N.A.M.I.

's impact in our activities that we do, to see people that come to our support groups and have absolutely no direction, no hope, and are just kind of going through the motions.

And then the next thing you know, months later, they're bringing someone else to the support group, and they're talking about how it helped them and how it took them out of their dark place and how they're basically, still here, because of N.A.M.I.

and the support that they received.

♪ Brittney> All right.

So now I'd love to hear from our panels in the audience.

It's not often that we have full couches.

So I'm excited to hear from all of you, your thoughts on this conversation because, so much is going on in the world today, even as I listen to NPR with that plug for...SCETV, Safe Space and, and, ETV.

But I think about loneliness.

They're promoting a story about how young people are increasingly lonely.

So, Ms. Riley, I want your thoughts on how we can combat that, because, you know, adults experience the same thing, but it might look or feel different to a young person.

So tell us your thoughts.

Zandrina> Yes.

I'm so glad to be here.

And I do agree.

I see a lot of young people's postures.

You could tell by their posture their head is hanging down, their whole body is showing depression.

You know, we can say things like how are you doing?

You know, just a smile or a pat on the back, because some people have garnered such a shell, it's hard for them to break out and talk.

You know.

Just, just some simple, nice gestures.

Oh, you look nice today.

You know, a greeting is a good way of an intro to help someone that's going through loneliness or showing the body language of loneliness.

Brittney> I agree, I agree, and once again, it could be a learned behavior, right?

This could be something that they've seen from their parents, from people that they know, their friend group.

It could just be the way that they interact.

So what are some ways that we could maybe help them to...improve upon that?

What are some programs that, you know, you've either been a part of or you've served with that might be able to help with that?

Zandrina> You know, one of the things I've implemented is arts and crafts, color.

You know, I, I've worked in an elementary level, I've worked in high schools, I've worked in the streets.

And, the last job I had was district two, working with the elementary level.

And I saw quite a few children going off to "themselves", lonely.

And when you put pencil and paper and a lot of color, first thing I say is, draw a beautiful picture of yourself.

<Awwww> Zandrina> And, you know, a lot of the children will end up drawing pictures of flowers or them picking flowers.

So I've added color therapy.

Thinking about what are the things that you like to do.

You know, you got to sometimes take someone's mind off of whatever's depressing them, because it's not easy to fit in, especially the, you know, dealing with the younger children and older children.

I mean, you start at a younger age not fitting it, you know, and you can carry that all through elementary up to high school.

It's got to be broken.

It's got to be intervened by professionals or someone like yourselves.

You know, you can say something like, you know, you look real nice today and smile and pat them on the back.

Compliments always make you feel good.

Brittney> I agree.

But one of the things with the younger children at elementary is we did color therapy, drawing flowers, pictures, pictures of themselves, any compliment, dealing with art, a walk in the park, the sunshine.

You know.

"Don't you feel good being outside?"

"Let's play a game."

Brittney> Let's get some Vitamin D. Zandrina> Get some Vitamin D. Yes.

Brittney> I'm with you.

So we'll come back to this side.

But I want to hear from this side, because we just talked about art therapy, color therapy.

I mean, you'd be amazed if you're, you know, I'm...

I have some marketing background.

So I think about certain colors evoke certain emotion.

Right?

That's something that they're taught in school.

So the color green is healing.

The color yellow is..., you know, and blues are calming.

So what does that look like to any of you.

You know, what are some activities that, that help put you in a more calm place, despite all the stuff that's going on in the world today?

Guest #1> So I think it's really important to just be connected within your school.

I think when students feel like they have their, they're belonging and they have their group of people, they want to be somewhere and they feel valued and loved there.

There are kids who go to school and they have something there that they're looking forward to doing or they have their people that they know is there safe space there.

They want to be somewhere they want to show up, and if they are going through a hard time, they know they have that peer or that teacher or that coach that they can go to and say, "Hey, like, this is what's happening, "but I still want to be here "because this is what I love doing "or these are the people that I love."

So I've seen a lot that kids who have their part or have their group or their club that they go to, and they have that support system there, they have that more value.

And so it's not as hard when they are going through something because they know they have that connected group of people.

Brittney> Oh, that's so good.

I mean, even being able to tap in to become leaders, you know, to help other students.

Because let's be real, y'all don't always want to talk to adults.

Like, I understand.

Wouldn't it be nice if you had some youth leaders that led some of these, you know, these peer led groups that you could talk to?

You could say, look, this is confidential.

It's not going anywhere.

It's just between us.

Would that be easier for you as opposed to coming to even someone who's licensed or certified?

Would that be easier for you, if it's not already in place at your school?

Guest #2> Yeah, I think having the opportunity to talk to somebody your age who really understands the struggles that you may be going through, I feel like since there's been so many advances over the past couple of decades, it can be hard for an adult and a licensed professional to put themselves in the shoes of a young person today, and it's a lot easier for that to be done with a peer.

But I think it's important that those peers also are trained and have that emotional intelligence and are properly equipped to handle those conversations because, we're all going through struggles and that must be realized.

But some of us can step up and be an option for people and be a person of trust, and I think that's really important for young people today.

Brittney> I, I totally agree, and maybe you should record some of those because your voice is so calming.

You were speaking and I was like, I feel calmer right now.

Popping back over to this couch.

So... creating a safety net, what's most effective?

You know, we're talking about what could be, what are you what are you currently doing?

Whether it's a faith based program that you guys go to, like during the week.

I know I teach Bible study at my church for the, for the young, the kiddos, the young'uns, but what is something that you tap into to help you with your mental health?

Guest #3> I would like to say that I feel like a lot of kids are missing an output, because when it comes to mental, like mental health issues, when it comes to building, like being alone, and especially when you're feeling like self-doubt, a lot of people need an output, like something that you do in your free time, something that you like.

My output is writing poetry, and a lot of us are going through adolescent life crisis at the moment, because we're making a transition into life, like where we're going from high school.

We're in a controlled environment into where we'll have to live our life on our own.

And I think that's a big step for a lot of people.

And that's something that we're all facing at the moment.

Brittney> I agree.

Guest #3> So yeah.

Brittney> Yeah, it's tough for... all of you are in high school for the most part.

You remember what that transition was like from middle school to high school, and then from high school, if you choose to go to college.

Right.

Let me come back to my panel.

We have 11?

We have 12th grade and 10th grade, correct?

So let's talk about that.

Let's talk about high school.

It can be hard, not just bullying.

You know your body's changing.

Your hormones are raging.

There's a lot of stuff going on.

How do you all manage that on top of school activities?

You know, we talked about output.

You know, y'all have a lot of output.

And then we're trying to input information, teachers, people that come into the schools.

I know I teach sensory workshops with my children's books.

So, We're just trying to create that, that communication that best serves all of you.

So as I, minister unto others, I minister unto myself.

Right?

I try to make myself feel at ease and more comfortable with being in the schools to show the kids what they can potentially become.

But what does that look like for you as you get ready to go to college?

You know?

Are you thinking about what that's going to look and feel like, how we can provide resources when you're getting ready to go to college?

What does that look and feel like?

Kymiya> Oh, the feeling is very anxious.

You're excited, you don't know what's next, but you're never supposed to just give up you're supposed to keep trying, go through every step, every obstacle.

Just keep going.

Never stop Brittney> I like it.

I need to keep you in my pocket.

That was so motivating.

Anyone else want to add?

Aaron> I mean, just get, a part of organizations that help to give back and service and different things like that.

Like me and Hailey are part of a team called "Students In Action" , where it's a student based service, learning class where we lead our peers and we do initiatives like our bracelet now, "You Matter", where we go to students and we give them things and we tell them that "You matter".

"You exist," to check up on each other.

So that's the types of things that we do.

Hailey> And I think just in any transitional stage of life, finding community and finding people that, you know, you can be rooted in, no matter what happens, I think that, when you're going through changes and difficult times, it's so important to remember that, those challenges and those obstacles are always temporary.

And if you have a permanent, you know, support system that you know you can rely on and you have that safe space within whatever kind of hard times you're going through, I think it's vital because so many things can change, so many things can go wrong, maybe right, whether you're sharing triumphs or you're sharing tragedy, I think it's so important to have people that you can share that with, because what is life if you don't have anyone to live alongside?

Brittney> That's so good, so good, so poignant.

Markeshia> I want to add to that, we're always going to go through transitions, like we're going to transition from middle school, well, elementary school to middle school, to high school, to college, to professional.

So in those stages of life, you're always going to learn life skills, right, that you're going to apply to the next stage of your life.

So like she said, make sure you're having a support system and a safe space to be able to help with those transitions.

And, you know, you just never know what's going to happen in life.

And of course, you're going to grieve the last stage of your life, but you're going to have those life skills to prepare you for what's in the future.

Brittney> I love it.

I love it all.

Good conversation.

We're going to come back.

Cliffhanger.

In a time when teen anxiety and suicide rates are on the rise, one Greenville, S.C. - based nonprofit organization is using the power of storytelling to educate the masses about mental health awareness.

The Outstanding Youth Awards initiative is transforming lives through award winning media arts, community workshops and paid mentorships, giving young people not just a voice, but the tools to heal, create and serve, as well as lead.

Tonight, we take you inside the decade long community program that's tapping into mental health resources and capturing hope one child at a time.

♪ >> Hi, my name is Brittney Brackett.

I'm the founder and executive director of the Outstanding Youth Awards Initiative.

We started back in 2015 with just an awards ceremony.

That's why we're called the Outstanding Youth Awards Initiative.

We added initiative because we do a lot.

So I joke with everybody and say, we have a long name because we have a long list of how we help the community.

And the beauty of what we do is, you know, we foster personal and professional growth of young people in lots of different ways.

So recently it's been with media arts.

We have been producing films that talk about the importance of teen anxiety and, and how we can, you know, combat that and and how we can, you know, try to relieve kids and give them a way out and make them feel like they're not alone.

Jordan> I just had a rough day in Ms. Francis' class.

I have to study for a midterm, volleyball practice, piano rehearsals.

It's a lot.

Brittany/Mom> Jordan, why do I sense that you are whining in this house?

There is no room for that.

Do you realize all that your father and I do for you?

You seem really ungrateful right now.

♪ Dad> Hey, baby.

How are you doing?

Jordan> Fine.

It's just.

Mom keeps complaining.

♪ Dad> I see y'all are at it again.

Jordan> Because she never listens.

She's not hearing me.

Dad> It's going to be all right.

Just keep your focus.

♪ Brittney> You name it, we've, we've probably done it in one or two different ways.

We strive to just remind kids that we care about them.

Give them a little extra T.L.C.

You know, sometimes you get advice from your parents, that's different from the advice that you would get from a friend.

So we're just trying to be like that big brother, big sister, uncle, auntie, to be able to show them we care about you.

We love you and, you know you've got something to look forward to out here.

These kids are our future.

And if we don't tap into what they need, they're not going to be as strong as we need them to be, to carry this weight.

♪ ♪ Jordan> How many do I take again?

Three.

Three should help me sleep... ♪ Brittney> The film, "The Weight We Carry" is definitely a testament to what kids are dealing with.

And if we don't help them to navigate those waters, they'll be out there swimming alone, trying to tread water.

And we don't want that.

So my job is just to be able to give them some hope.

Since we started years ago, ten years this past June, I have really been trying to evolve with our products that we offer, whether it's literacy, programing, whether we have, you know, communication cards, conversation cards, everything that we do has a purpose.

And all of the programing that we're able to provide comes from support of those ancillary products.

So you can go to our website outstandingyouthawards.com to learn more about how you can support our impact and sort of see what we're up to.

But besides film premieres and other things that we we have going on to spread the word, we would love to be able to, you know, have your support in some way.

All right.

So that piece was especially special to me because serving kids has been something that I've done for the last 15 years of my life, which is why this show is so special and there is a stigma around mental health, you know, since the pandemic, we've been dealing with what that looks and feels like to all of us.

Life is different.

So when it comes to anxiety and coping with depression and how things make us feel, how can we reduce stigma to make people feel more comfortable talking about the things that plague them?

Guest #4> I think mental health is such a serious issue, but when you're talking to a group of teenagers about mental health, they don't want to be like yelled at or seem, or like, what's the word?

Brittney> Shamed.

Guest #4> Shamed for their mental health.

I think that teenagers should be in a a helpful environment when they are going through something, because it's very difficult, but if you stick teenagers in an environment where they feel discouraged about something that's going through their brain, it's going to make them feel worse about themselves, <Right.> Guest #4> And especially when like a school environment, a school environment, they are told that they need to focus on their grades.

So whenever you're telling a student that they need to focus on just their grades, they put their own mental health on the back burner because that's what they're told in a school environment.

And I think that needs to be changed.

And mental health should be first in a student's life.

Brittney> I totally agree.

I mean, really, you can't function properly if you're not addressing the core issue and you might not see the benefits of it now, but ten years down the road you'll be like, I really would have benefited from some more emotional intelligence.

So with that you know there's crisis support lines, there's 988 which we talked about earlier.

Personally, you don't have to tell a story, like individually, but someone that you know or something that you've experienced, what is it that happened with them that you have vowed to be able to sort of pay it forward?

Right!

If you see someone suffering, what is it that you intend to do differently the next time, to support, you know, a friend or, or you know, whether you're part of a community group?

What is it that you intend to do to pay it forward to help other people not deal with something like that?

Guest #5> I would say like hearing people, like, I feel like you need to hear everyone because not everyone, and like, everyone's not the same.

So, like, I feel like you need to ask them maybe, like, what's wrong.

What's bothering you?

Because, I mean, everyone's not going through the same thing.

Everyone doesn't have the same background at home.

So, like, they can be going through something at home.

They come to school with their head down.

They're not feeling it.

What I do, even if I'm not feeling good, if I'm not, if I'm not feeling up to par, I say fake until you make it.

Go into school smiling.

Talk to people, everyone, I feel like once you talk to people, they'll brighten your day.

Like talk to teachers.

Get, Get more involved in class.

Get more involved in everything.

It'll eventually like, ...before you go in, you'll be like, I don't want to do this.

Brittney> Yeah.

Guest #5> After you're done, you'll be like, I'm happy I did it.

Brittney> Yeah.

Guest #5> You'll feel more.

You'll feel... what's the word?

You'll feel more like, motivated.

Like once you have everyone around you, like, I feel like you'll feel more motivated.

I don't know.

Brittney> Finding your tribe.

You know, finding your tribe is important.

Like minded folks, folks that do a lot of the same activities, but at the same time, you do want to be well-rounded.

Right?

You can't, You can't just be with the guys that play the, you know, the guys and girls that are the gamers or the actors.

Even though most actors do hangout theater kids hang out together.

But you want to you want to put yourself in spaces where you feel comfortable and, Bullying just... there's so much to unpack.

But as an adult, that's... not going to tell you my age, I've been through some things too, and we haven't even talked about, when you're working, when you're an adult and you're in a situation where you are bullied at work, right?

We didn't even touch on that.

So there are lots of ways that we empathize and sympathize with you.

It might not be exactly the same, but we feel you.

So these faith-based organizations and I keep using them because I think they build some clarity in a young person's life.

Is there a time where you have felt like, church, not through, the book at you, I don't want to say it like that, but is there a time where any of you have felt like church did not understand what you were dealing with, whether it was, you know, your, faith based leader, your church leader, anyone?

Guest #6> I, like me personally.

I'm not like, overly like religious person.

I feel like sometimes, like, if you're dealing with something mentally, people will say, "Oh, you should go to God "and you should seek him for help."

And it's like, it can be, it can be helpful.

But sometimes the people, it's just like that's not really going to help me.

Brittney> Sometimes mindfulness works as well.

You know what I mean?

Not everyone is faith based, which is understandable.

And I only say that because, you know, we are in the Bible Belt, South, sometimes and people would like to, to, to discuss that.

But I have found that mindfulness works, as well.

Like I said before, sensory totes and being able to give people a way to relax and calm themselves and, and take their senses to a different place also is very helpful.

Have you found that mindfulness, for any of you, has helped you to kind of face some troubles at school or home or anything like that?

Guest #7> I would say definitely.

I personally I experienced that in my church, like as you were saying before.

I've always felt that like I've been taught Jesus has a plan for me.

And so no matter what's going on, I can just use that as my why.

I don't ever have to look for the, why is this happening to me, that kind of thing, but I also get that in school a lot, because I've always just been the type person to like, be close to my teachers.

I like to have a good relationship with my teachers.

And so, if I'm ever having a bad day or just a hard time in general, I have people that I know I can go to and I can just sit in their room and talk to them, and it helps me ground myself.

Brittney> Right.

>> And I'm able to just like, step back, take a breath and look at the bigger picture of what's happening.

And I won't get so upset so easily.

Brittney> Now, SCETV's Safe Space continues to partner with other organizations around the state.

Recently, we had a chance to participate in a rally filled with energizing and empowering activities at the Statehouse designed to spread the positive message that mental health matters.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> So we started the Buddies Not Bullies rally at the Statehouse in Columbia to just get people to stand together and advocate against bullying and how bullying can really harm individuals.

whether it's physical, whether it's verbal, whether it's social, whether it's cyber.

I just thought it was time to stand together for a positive cause.

♪ I feel like the moment that stuck with me the most from this rally, was the parade.

Seeing so many community people involved in there.

You know, we had the sheriff's department.

We had the mayor, the presence of people who had never been there before.

And I feel like the parade should have not physically brought them there but I'm glad the, attraction of that brought so many people out and it really got attention.

I think the parade itself, was the most impactful moment, but also hearing directly from a mother whose child actually committed suicide, due to bullying.

We had never had a speaker, to share a story like that before.

And for me, that was, also a very impactful moment.

I'm really grateful for the collaborative opportunities I've been afforded through SCETV Safe Space , especially with the Buddies Not Bullies Rally and the mission behind that, because we get an opportunity to see TV in the community.

A lot of people don't realize how much SCETV provides from a community impact standpoint.

And I'm just grateful that, you know, Safe Space was able to come out, stay the entire time, engage with people, and really get messaging that we can share across the state.

♪ I would love for the Buddies Not Bullies Rally to grow beyond this, you know, annual event by people making sure we speak, advocacy against bullying and standing for bullying prevention every single day.

You know, when we see something happening, either for adults in the workplace, like bullying occurs, so making sure we advocate against it, making sure we are able to stand up for ourselves, stand up for others that don't have the will to do it for themselves.

But I think it's something that we need to speak on and against, all the time, and not just October for Bullying Prevention Month.

♪ Brittney> Thank you all so very much for joining us today.

And for more stories and details, just like this one that you've seen today.

Visit our website at scetv.org /safespace, and don't forget to follow us on social media, whether Facebook, Twitter, and or Instagram (at) @SCETV (hashtag)#.

For all of us here at SCETV Safe Space , I'm Brittney Brackett.

Goodnight and thank you so much for watching.

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