From internships, volunteer work, pregnancy crisis centers, facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, prisons, and private practice, Faith has worked in a variety of fields related to mental health over the last four years. Since moving back to her hometown in Niceville, Florida, she has been employed at Bridgeway Center Inc. as the only Certified Children’s Behavioral Health Case Manager (CCBHCM). In April 2023, she was named Employee of the Month for Bridgeway. "In my work, I serve a caseload of twenty children and families. My work consists of meeting with the children and families in their homes, administering different assessment scales, evaluating their needs, and assisting them with finding appropriate resources and services," says Faith. She admits that much of her caseload involves children who recently attempted suicide once or multiple times. For these more intense cases, she conducts meetings with team members across the state of Florida, advocates for services to residential and outpatient facilities, and submits all clinical documents to the Statewide Inpatient Psychiatric Program. According to Faith, “After the children and families have successfully been set up with services and their mental health and well-being have improved, they are reassessed and discharged from services so that the next family is able to receive the help they need.”
In addition to her career at Bridgeway, for the past 10 years, Faith also works in her father’s business, Captain Davy’s Entertainment, as a Mermaid and Pirate Entertainer for children. For the past two years, she has also been the caretaker for a developmentally disabled adolescent. Faith says, “Working with an individual that is intellectually disabled has allowed me the opportunity to practice Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy, which has expanded my knowledge and experience.”
When asked about how her current work is serving the purposes of God, she says, “I get the opportunity to honor God every day by reflecting His image to my supervisors, coworkers, and clients. My current work puts me in contact with hurting people daily, and I remind myself that when trying to serve the Lord, I can do the best in the worst of situations.” Faith emphasizes that for Christians there is joy in knowing that they are not just showing up for work every day, but that they are serving Christ faithfully and carrying out His greater purpose through the little and big interactions they have with others. “There is a lot of brokenness in this world, and Christ gives us [Christians] the ability to help mend those hurting bodies, hearts, minds, and souls. Jesus is the perfect example of a counselor, and the Bible gives us so many tools and instructions on how to care for one another. Allowing Christ to be a part of your daily routine allows you to feel more confident in the work you are doing and gives you strength for when the days are tough,” says Faith.
Faith credits her training at the Baptist University of Florida (BUF), for helping her to develop the skills and qualities that she needed to learn and think. “While BUF prepared me through my coursework, it also provided me with real-world application that I could bring into the workforce,” says Faith. As with many of the university’s programs, there are multiple opportunities for students to participate in the community through campus activities, social events, volunteer work, and internships, which help students to expand their skills and apply the knowledge that is being taught in the classroom. Faith notes that her final semester at BUF was where she did the most hands-on work to prepare for entering the workforce. Faith’s internship was at Wiregrass Hope Pregnancy Center in Dothan, Alabama. It was through this experience that she was able to counsel women and adolescents who had unexpected pregnancies, review videos and development courses with them, and watch them advance to the after-baby program to continue receiving support.
Faith believes that her classes at BUF were instrumental to her growth. “In class, we were able to have open discussions on which psychologists and theories we preferred and why and how we would implement different therapeutic approaches into our future work. We also were able to take the knowledge and techniques we learned and practice them on each other in group and paired projects. My favorite classes were the ones that were interactive. As students, we were pushed outside of our comfort zones. The professors even fostered interaction in the online classes with other students. In particular, this helped me to build relationships, share my experience and preferences, and be more confident in how to practice and utilize the skills being taught. Before graduation, we had to complete a professional resume which helped us use our skills and creative abilities to craft a resume that we felt confident about taking into an interview,” says Faith.
According to Faith, her professors at BUF were an influential component in her growth as a student and now, as a professional. She credits Drs. Ford, Gardner, and Hardin for working hard to ensure that students understood the material. “From stories of their work to getting to know each student, my professors really went above and beyond. When thinking about the relationships between the professors and the students, the professors were intentional about establishing trust. In my opinion, this level of personal care kept students motivated and excited about their future. This also created an environment where students felt safe to go to their professors about any problem, whether academic or personal. The professors were always there to offer guidance and prayer,” says Faith.
Faith came to BUF to follow in her father’s footsteps. Her father David DuVall received higher education here from 1995-1999, and he came back to visit Faith during orientation and on her first day of class. With excitement, Faith says, “It was cool to listen to the experiences he had while attending, to be taught by the same professors who taught him, and to go through my course work and discuss with him how things have advanced and to get his perspective on therapeutic approaches and how to help others.” Faith’s father is a pastor and a counselor. She says, “He has been the best example and inspiration for me growing up. I am grateful to get to practice alongside him, learn from him, and watch him as he helps so many people.”
While at BUF, Faith had the opportunity to attend the 2019 American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) World Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. “I was honored to get to meet Tim Clinton, the President of the AACC and one of my favorite authors, and I had the privilege of listening to some incredible speakers like Sheila Walsh, Diane Langberg, Greg Laurie, and more. I was able to choose the track presentations I was interested in attending and got to visit the Resource Center in my free time to learn about different facilities, churches, colleges, advocation centers, and ministries around the world that serve the purpose of God through the field of mental health,” says Faith. She easily credits this as one of her most memorable moments as a student.
Concluding our time with Faith, she wants current BUF students not to focus too much on the end result but rather to enjoy the total university [BUF] experience and take it one day at a time. She says, “When you reach the end, you will be ready to take the next step. If you are passionate about something, go for it. Do not be afraid to make mistakes because that is when you will learn the most about yourself, grow your character, and gain experience. Do not settle or give up when it gets hard. You will only regret the chances you never take.” As a counselor, she also emphasizes the importance of everyone’s mental health. “Make your mental and spiritual health a priority. Life is guaranteed to get difficult sometimes, and as Christians we are called to help others. We cannot help people unless we are fit to do so, both mentally and spiritually. Make sure to put your time with God at the start of every day; you will see that it makes a difference in how you walk through life,” says Faith.
Please consider making a commitment to pray for Faith’s next steps as she seeks furthering her education and advancing in her work. Specifically, pray about where the Lord wants her and how He can use her now and in the future. Pray also for doors to open where she can serve in areas that are passionate to her heart.