Stuff that Matters, Episode 21 - Brandon Guffey, SC House of Representatives, Suicide Prevention, Mental Health, Digital Safety, Youth Advocate

We talked with Brandon Guffey, who is on the South Carolina House of Representatives. In his few short years as an elected official, Brandon has made significant changes to the state and his impact has been felt like few that have come before him, passing transformative bills at a rapid pace and putting into effect new policies and laws to combat some of the most delicate issues in this country such as the mental health crisis, digital safety and suicide prevention. Brandon wasn’t always into politics, however. Up until a few years ago, he was enjoying a career full of extensive sales and business experience, when tragedy struck his family, as his son, Gavin, took his own life as a teen. It was a complex situation, which Brandon outlines some of early on in this episode, but it sparked something within Brandon. With the help and motivation of his wife, he set out to make changes with the goal of preventing the same thing that happened to his son from happening to more youth. He finally decided to run for the city council in 2020 during the pandemic, and once he was elected, Brandon has been leading with his passion and, as Matt so eloquently put it, his Get Stuff Done attitude. He passed Gavin’s Law early on in his freshman year on the House of Representatives, which he explains to us. He also started a non-profit in his sons honor called Less Than Three. As a husband, father, elected official, suicide prevention, mental health and digital safety advocate, Brandon’s mentality and approach to how he lives his life and leads the state of South Carolina is truly inspiring. 00:02:08-00:12:01 - His story and background, Rock Hill native, his son’s suicide as a teenager. 00:12:03-00:33:27 - Protecting today’s youth, the power of big tech, his approach and mindset as a politician and how he started Gavin’s Law in South Carolina. 00:35:24-00:40:52 - Where the mental health epidemic in America stands as it relates to politics and policy makers. Why and how it sometimes falls to the waist side and how Brandon is making sure that doesn’t happen. 00:40:53-00:52:04 – His non-profit, Less Than Three <3. 00:53:28-1:00:28 - Where he sees mental health awareness, suicide prevention and digital safety in the next 5-10 years; how South Carolina is leading the charge to combat the issues. 1:00:29 - The stuff that matters. Subscribe and like, you can also watch full episodes on YouTube. VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/@NewHopeTreatmentCenter WEBSITE: https://www.newhopetreatment.com/