“Every Brilliant Thing” a one-man play, is the story of a man who as a child sought to cope with his mother’s depression and suicidal tendencies, and to find a way to cheer her up. At first glance, “Every Brilliant Thing” may seem to be a play that labors and strains under the profound, harsh realities of depression and suicide. But a critic called it “the most hilarious show about depression you’ve ever seen.”
Mental Health
Flagler Cares Offers One-Stop Help Night on Range of Social, Medical and Legal Services
Join Flagler Cares and other community partners for this one-stop Help Night offering a range of social, medical, legal and other services from 3 to 7 p.m. Jan. 29 at Flagler County Village, City Marketplace, 160 Cypress Point Parkway in Palm Coast. Help Night is on the third floor of Building B, Suite 304.
Rotary Club of Flagler County Hosts 988 Suicide Awareness Walk Nov. 15
The Rotary Club of Flagler County is hosting a 988 Suicide Awareness Walk on Nov. 15 in Palm Coast. The walk will promote the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Hotline, which provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources. The event aims to bring awareness to mental health issues in Flagler County.
Palm Coast Fire Department Mourns Loss of Former Colleague Zachary Shane Mahaney, 43, to Suicide
The Palm Coast Fire Department is mourning the loss of Zachary Shane Mahaney, a 43-year-old former firefighter who spent a year with the department until last June. He died by a self-inflicted gunshot on Sept. 25 or 26 in Ormond Beach after going missing from his parents’ home on Sept. 25.
33-Year-Old Man With Mental Health Issues Again Arrested After Crash with Injuries and 5 MPH Chase on U.S. 1
Kyle McNary, a 33-year-old Palm Coast resident Baker Acted and arrested after a severe mental health breakdown in late August was again arrested on numerous charges after allegedly attacking his step-father and causing a severe vehicle crash on U.S. 1, after which he led police on a crawl of a chase at 5 miles per hour on the highway.
A Man’s Arrest Over a Mental Crisis Highlights Needs, Available Resources–and Perils to Law Enforcement
A 33-year-old Palm Coast man’s mental health breakdown and subsequent arrest on Thursday highlights the depth of needs for services for people in crisis, the perils law enforcement and health care providers–the first line of response–face when attempting to manage the crisis, as do families, and the help available to Flagler County individuals and families facing those situations.
Flagler Cares Adds Sunshine Psychiatric Care to Village
Flagler Cares, a one-stop health and social care organization, welcomed Sunshine Psychiatric Care to the Flagler County Village in Palm Coast, on August 1 as a community partner.
Mother of Tristin Murphy, Who Killed Himself with Chainsaw in Prison, Pleads with Judge on Brendan Depa’s Behalf
Cynthia Murphy, the mother of Tristin Murphy, a schizophrenic who used a chain saw to kill himself in prison, where he was serving a sentence for littering, pleads with the judge about to sentence Brendan Depa–the autistic student who beat his paraprofessional at Matanzas High School last year–not to believe Florida state prison officials’ claim that mental health treatment is adequate there for people like Depa.
Flagler Cares Partners With Re-Nu Mental Wellness Center, Formerly Known as Palm Coast Counseling
Flagler Cares, a one-stop health and social care organization, welcomed Re-Nu Mental Wellness Center to the Flagler County Village in Palm Coast, on July 1 as a community partner. Re-Nu Mental Wellness Center, formerly known as Palm Coast Counseling, was recently sold to Dr. De-Shaunah Dixon, who also owns Wellness Centers in Pompano Beach, Fla. and Myrtle Beach, S.C.
At Brendan Depa Sentencing, Prisons’ Mental Health Chief Draws Bizarrely Rosy Picture of Services Awaiting Him
To hear Suzonne Kline, chief of mental health at the Florida Department of Corrections, mental health services in Florida prisons are so extensive, so thorough, so attentive, you’d want to get imprisoned just to get a piece of them. She testified during the first portion of the sentencing hearing of Brendan Depa, the former Matanzas High School autistic student who pleaded to severely assaulting his teacher aide, and is facing the possibility of prison time. Kline’s testimony was a tactical success for the prosecution.
The Dis-Education of Brendan Depa
Brendan Depa, the now 18-year-old former Matanzas High School student to be sentenced on May 1 on a first-degree felony count of assaulting a teacher’s aide, is alone being punished for what in fact amounts to a systematic and catastrophic failure, on the part of Matanzas High School and district officials, to follow Depa’s Individualized Education Program, which set out guidelines and requirements on how to contend with his mental health issues.
Jimmy Carter in Hospice Is Still Better than Trump in White House
Biden is old. He’s slow. He’s forgetful. He trips all over the place, he’s in hiding, and the Democratic Party is a pitiful band of backbenchers who couldn’t give us a more convincing alternative. For all that, compared to Trump he’s still the only credible choice, if it’s a republic we still want.
Where the Humanities and Medicine Meet
While there is a long history of doctor-poets – one giant of mid-20th-century poetry, William Carlos Williams, was famously also a pediatrician – few people seem to know this or understand the power of combining the humanities and medicine. Literature has had a large role in helping the author define the kind of physician she strives to be – one who is not only empathetic and a good listener but also a fierce advocate for changing the sociopolitical forces that affect patients’ lives.
GOP Measure Would Forbid Government Agencies from Using Individuals’ Preferred Pronouns
Mirroring a House bill filed in November, a Senate Republican on Thursday proposed a measure that would place restrictions on government agencies in the use of personal pronouns.
154 Participants Later, Flagler Cares’ Opioid Recovery Initiative Marks Its First Year, With New Wheels
The Coordinated Opioid Recovery initiative launched in Flagler County a year ago under the umbrella of Flagler Cares, umbrella. It’s a multi-layered approach that shepherds individuals toward recovery through medically-assisted treatment, peer-to-peer counseling, mental health and other services. Last week it marked its anniversary with, among other things, the ribbon-cutting for an outreach vehicle run by Flagler Open Arms Recovery Services.
Before Her Leap Off the Flagler Beach Bridge, Untouched Drinks and a Purse Left Behind
The Flagler Beach Police Department identified the woman who jumped from the Flagler Beach bridge Wednesday afternoon and survived as Mandy Michelle Mincey, a 47-year-old woman with no reported home. She was also known as Mandy Monroe. Earlier that day she had been at a bar and had ordered drinks, but left them untouched as she ran to the bridge.
Against Family’s Wishes, Chad Cordoma, 21, Is Sentenced to Prison for Texting His Little Brother a Threat
Chad Cordoma, 21, of Palm Coast, who’s had numerous mental health issues, was sentenced to 13.5 months in prison and 18 months on probation for texting his younger brother a death threat and the picture of a gun he was carrying. His parents called 911 thinking they were getting him help. He was arrested, charged with two felonies, and sentenced today, despite the family’s plea against a prison sentence.
4 Suicide Attempts, 6 Baker Acts, No Disputes About Mental Health Needs, Yet He’s Sentenced to Prison on Minor Violation
L’Darius Smith is a a troubled man prone to confrontations, delusions, depression, and self-harm who twice avoided prison in high-profile trials in Flagler in the last five years, but minor probation violation resulted in a prison sentence Thursday even though the court acknowledged that he suffers from deep mental health problems and needs treatment.
Flagler Open Arms Recovery Services Receives Recovery Leadership Award
Flagler Open Arms Recovery Services (Flagler OARS) is pleased to announce that the organization was recognized with a Recovery Leadership Award this month in St. Pete Beach at the Floridians for Recovery Leadership Summit 2023.
Jeannette Simmons on Mental Health Month
The City recently collaborated with Jeannette Simmons, a Licensed Mental Health counselor and Chief Innovation Officer of local non-profit organization Flagler Cares, to highlight some of the most important mental health issues in our area.
Annual Mental Health Summit Set for March 29 at St. Augustine Amphitheatre
The third annual BRAVE Summit, a free event for teens that aims to break the stigma surrounding mental health, will the held on March 29, 2023, at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. The event, hosted by Flagler Health+, is free and open to all high school students throughout Florida.
Judge Orders Mental Evaluation for Matanzas Student Who Assaulted Aide
A judge has ordered a mental evaluation of 17-year-old Brendan Depa, the Matanzas High School student accused of attacking his paraprofessional. Court documents related to the order for the first time confirm that Depa has been treated for mental illness and is on various medication for psychological issues.
Group Seeks to Legalize Homegrown Medical Pot with 2024 Ballot Proposal
A political committee has started moving forward with a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow medical-marijuana patients and patients’ caregivers to grow cannabis at home.
Two Inmates at Flagler Jail Who Attempted Suicide Within 24 Hours Each Had a Disturbing Backstory
On Dec. 8 and 9, in the span of 24 hours, detention deputies–and an inmate in the first case–intervened and halted the attempted suicides of two inmates, a man and a woman, in unrelated incidents. Each had a harrowing back-story, suggesting that the individuals’ attempts may not be their last.
Sheriff’s Office Lands $1.3 Million Grant to Expand Drug-Abuse Treatment at the County Jail
The Flagler County jail is the only residential treatment facility in Flagler County for drug-addicted men, and a rare location where they may get medically-assisted treatment. The Department of Justice is noticing, awarding the Flagler Sheriff’s Office a three-year, $1.3 million grant to expand the Successful Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Treatment, or “Smart” program at the jail.
2nd Annual Flagler Open Arms Recovery Music Festival Draws Hundreds in Flagler Beach
The event included live music from Dakota & Hurley with special guests Jay Wirth, Haley Chase, David Lane Band, Musical Chairs, and Ferris Deluxe.
Latest Lawsuit Against Obamacare Could End Free Preventive Healthcare for 150 Million Americans
More than 150 million Americans now have access to scores of preventive health measures at no cost, sparing many from illness and catching diseases early for others. They no longer will, if the latest GOP-backed effort to undo Obamacare is successful.
Arming Teachers Is Not the Answer. Limiting Access to Guns and Addressing Mental Health Is.
Problems have escalated to such a point that it has helped drive good people out of the classroom and negatively influenced people willing to become teachers. This is especially true in schools with a reputation for having a culture of discipline issues or weak community support.
Doctor’s $1 Million-a-Year Endowment, Largest of Its Kind, Launches Flagler Cares Initiatives for Neediest
In what amounts to the largest health-related private endowment in Flagler County’s history, Dr. Stephen Bickel is pledging to award Flagler Cares, the Palm Coast-based non-profit focused on health and social services for the neediest, $1 million a year, every year, leading to a self-sustaining endowment worth $10 million. Flagler Cares today is launching mold-breaking innovative grants and local health initiatives with the money.
For the Mother of Curtis Gray, Lost to Gunfire, Keymarion Hall’s Death Triggers Grief and Impulses to Help
Carmen Gray, the mother of Curtis Gray, murdered three years ago when he was 18, had been preparing for Saturday’s Rise Above the Violence “Mindfulness Event” at Washington Oaks State Park when she learned of the shooting death of Keymarion Hall. She talks about her reaction, her PTSD and the goals of Saturday’s event.
SMA Healthcare Foundation Hosts 7th Annual Who Is Jay Mental Health Symposium
The SMA Healthcare Foundation (the Foundation) is pleased to announce it will feature suicide prevention keynoter Jeff Yalden and This Is My Brave – The Show at the 7th Annual Who is Jay? Mental Health Symposium, coming up on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.
Flagler Access Center for Mental Health and Substance Disorders Opens as Glimmer of Help in Crisis
Flagler Access will provide guidance and services to people with mental health or substance disorders through a partnership involving SMA Healthcare and Flagler Health+, and mostly state funds, operating from the building that used to house the Bunnell Branch Library and Sally’s Safe Haven on State Road 100 and U.S. 1.
How Social Media Can Crush Your Self-Esteem
Comparing ourselves on social media to people who are worse off than we are makes us feel better. Comparing ourselves to people who are doing better than us, however, makes us feel inferior or inadequate instead. The social media platform we choose also affects our morale, as do crisis situations like the Covid-19 pandemic.
For 3rd Time in 7 Months, Deputies and Paramedics Talk 17 Year Old Off I-95 Overpass
For the third time in seven months, Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies and members of the Palm Coast Fire Department late Tuesday night talked a 17-year-old girl down from the I-95 overpass at Palm Coast Parkway.
It’s After Christmas. Here’s Why It Sucks.
The holiday season is usually a joyous occasion, but many people feel “blah” soon after the celebrations. What is it about Christmas that makes people feel this way? Here are a few answers.
Flagler Access Mental Health Center Will Have Its Ceremonial Opening on Jan. 11
Flagler County and its partners SMA Healthcare and Flagler Health+ are hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Flagler Access Center, which will provide an open door for education, screening, and connection to behavioral healthcare services in the area. The event will be held at 10 a.m. January 11, 2022 at the center located at 103 E. Moody Boulevard, Bunnell.
‘It’s Stressful to Kill Somebody’: Health Workers Behind Assisted Dying
New legislation in Britain laying groundwork for legalizing assisted dying are part of a wider international movement towards formally allowing some form of assisted dying. That means addressing how and whether healthcare professionals will be involved in facilitating assisted dying, and the effect this may have on them.
Matanzas High School Student Who Assaulted Teacher Is Found Incompetent to Stand Trial
An 18-year-old student in a Matanzas High School class class for behaviorally challenged students, facing a felony charge after assaulting a teacher, was found incompetent to stand trial–and not qualified to be sent to a state psychiatric hospital while awaiting a return to competency.
Afraid of Homelessness and Risk of Violating Probation, A Woman Asks Judge to Send Her to Prison. Judge Agrees.
The case of Tonya Bennett is a succession of disturbing catch-22’s that expose the threadbare condition of the social safety net in Flagler County, the uncompromising severity of the judicial system’s probationary system, and the way the local jail and state prison end up being the default asylums for people suffering from mental health illness, and having nowhere else to go for treatment.
Conversion Therapy Is Lethal Bunk, But Fewer Than Half the States Ban It
Many LGBTQ youth live in states, Florida among them, that have no ban in place protecting them from conversion therapy – a practice that the scientific community has long since shunned, and that nearly doubles the incidence of suicide among gay, lesbian and bisexual people victimized by the fraud.
With County as Farrier, Whispering Meadows Ranch Takes a Step Closer to Permanent Home at Fairgrounds
With Flagler County government clearing the way lease, free, a large portion of a 44-acre parcel, Whispering Meadows Ranch, Flagler County’s equine therapy non-profit on John Anderson Highway, is a step closer to its next permanent home on the grounds of the county fairgrounds.
What’s Behind ADHD
ADHD affects more than 6 million U.S. children. People who have ADHD develop symptoms by age 12, and it usually continues into adolescence and young adulthood. The condition can affect people throughout their whole life.
How Facebook’s ‘Dangerous’ Algorithms Can Manipulate You
Social media platforms rely heavily on people’s behavior to decide on the content that you see. In particular, they watch for content that people respond to or “engage” with by liking, commenting and sharing. Troll farms, organizations that spread provocative content, exploit this by copying high-engagement content and posting it as their own, which helps them reach a wide audience.
49-Year-Old Bunnell Man in Mental Crisis Decapitates Family Parrot of 48 Years and Faces Animal Cruelty Charge
A 49-year-old Bunnell man with a recent history of mental disabilities faces a felony charge of animal cruelty after killing a parrot that had been in his family for 48 years, and threatening to do harm to other pets and family members in the household.
Pot Products Are Being Sold as Sleeping Aids. Do They Help?
As with many issues in research, there isn’t a neat answer to how effective cannabis is in improving sleep. How the drug is prepared, the way it’s taken and the person’s expectations are just some important factors that may influence the outcome. And, as with all health products, there is a risk of side-effects.
Facebook Has Known of Instagram’s Documented Harm to Teens for Years
Facebook officials had internal research in March 2020 showing that Instagram – the social media platform most used by adolescents – is harmful to teen girls’ body image and well-being but swept those findings under the rug to continue conducting business as usual.
Why 7,000 Steps a Day Is the New 10,000 Steps a Day
Researchers found that those taking at least 7,000 steps a day had a 50 to 70% lower risk of dying during the study period compared with those taking fewer than 7,000 steps a day. Next time you see your daily step count is below 10,000 steps, do not get demotivated and remember you will get some health benefits from doing around 7,000 steps.
Whispering Meadows Ranch’s Fate Hangs on a County Commission Vote Monday After 14 Years of Serene Service
On Monday, the Flagler County Commission will decide whether to allow Whispering Meadows Ranch to continue operating as it has for nearly 14 years, as an equine therapy retreat for disabled children and veterans, or whether it will be shut down. But none of the commissioners have visited the ranch. Here’s a profile of Whispering Meadows.
Key Victory for Venerated Whispering Meadows Ranch as County Board Recommends in Its Favor in Emotional Hearing
Whispering Meadows Ranch on John Anderson Highway survived a key vote this evening as the Flagler County Planning Board recommended approval of a special zoning use of the grounds, enabling the ranch to keep operating. That’s assuming the County Commission follows suit when it considers the matter in coming weeks. Absent the special exception, the ranch will face closure.
Woman Facing Attempted Child-Kidnapping Charge Is Judged Incompetent to Stand Trial for Now
Zarut Jean-Pierre Theolin, the troubled 26-year-old Palm Coast woman arrested on a burglary and attempted kidnapping of a child in a case that rattled three W-Section families on March 3–hers included–was judged incompetent to stand trial today and will be sent to a state mental hospital in Chattahoochee for treatment.