For more than three decades, Sheila Lythgoe has been a familiar face in the mission to build a healthier, more resilient future for residents in the Roanoke Valley.
As the community-based prevention supervisor at Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, one of 40 community services boards in Virginia, Lythgoe leads initiatives for the Prevention and Wellness division. Rather than treating mental health and substance use challenges after they occur, she and her co-workers partner with schools, families and other community organizations to help address issues before they escalate.
“We all come together to figure out what our community needs and how we can best fulfill those needs,” Lythgoe says.
A Calling to Help Others
Helping people has always been at the center of Lythgoe’s career.
She was the first person in her immediate family to pursue a college degree and wasn’t sure which path to follow. But she let her intuition guide her to a bachelor’s degree, and then a master’s, in psychology.
“I’ve always wanted to help people. I’ve always had that heart,” she says.
A clinical internship at Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare led to a full-time position. Lythgoe has held a variety of roles, including working directly with mothers experiencing substance use and mental health challenges, and teaching prevention programs in elementary schools.
While her work today focuses on managing staff and supporting the broader community, the goal remains the same.
“Working with others to make the changes we need to see. That’s what makes the job so rewarding,” Lythgoe says.
Meeting Community Needs
No two days are exactly alike. Between creating educational materials and other resources, Lythgoe and the prevention and wellness staff lead training sessions, school programs and family wellness and parenting workshops. They also attend and host numerous community events. September was an especially busy back-to-school month with 24 events.
The team also supports state and national campaigns, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Walk and Asking Saves, a suicide prevention initiative led by five community services boards across Southwest Virginia.
A participant in an event for survivors of suicide loss told Lythgoe about connecting with a fellow survivor over their shared experience. “They’re friends now and they’re talking all the time,” Lythgoe says. “They both had lost a significant other to suicide.”
Stories like these remind her why prevention work matters.
“A lot of people just don’t know where to go for help,” she says.
Prioritizing the Future
While she finds her work incredibly rewarding, it can also be demanding. Lythgoe recognizes the importance of maintaining balance and protecting her own well-being.
“We need breaks because that’s what we’re teaching our community members. We should be role models of that,” Lythgoe says.
Just as she encourages others to invest in their well-being, Lythgoe has also been intentional about planning her future.
She credits her public service career with providing stability and reflects on a lesson that has guided her for three decades: Find a job you love and stick with it.
As traditional pensions become less common, Lythgoe values the security VRS offers and has encouraged her daughter, who also works in public service, to remain in the system if possible.
She offers similar advice to fellow VRS members: “If you can be in a system that’s going to provide some comfort in retirement, stay as long as you can.”
