August 25, 2025 • 30 mins
This week’s show featured Scouting America Mid-America Council CEO Chris Mehaffey discussing the benefits of scouting for young leaders. Then, Rawle Andrews, Jr., executive director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, responded to a new survey finding most Americans want schools to provide mental health education.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
This is Community Matters, a weekly public affairs program to
inform and entertain you with some of the great people, organizations,
and events in and around Omaha. Now here's the host
of the program from news radio eleven ten KFAB It's
Scott for Heats.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Thank you so much for being with us on Community Matters.
This week, we welcome back the Scout executive and CEO
of Scouting America's Mid America Council right here out Omaha, Nebraska.
Chris Mahaffe is here our favorite Scout. Hello, Chris, welcome back.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Hey Scott, thanks for having me today.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, we've got popcorn season. It's a great recruitment effort.
As everyone's getting back to school now, this is also
a tremendous opportunity for Scouting.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Right, that's exactly right. Let's start with back to school families.
If you're like mine, I'm glad to have school start
so my kids have good routine during the day. Some
oer activities are over, but now is a perfect time
time to get your child involved in Scouting.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Now, why would that be, Chris?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
So it's character development and fun activities combined, and we're
helping develop leadership at the same time. In our Cub
Scout area age group kindergarten through fifth grade. It's all
about family engagement. So if you're looking for something for
you and your child to do together, then we would
encourage you to look at Cub Scouts. It's one hour
(01:28):
a week, there's an activity usually once a month, but
it's a playing field that you're both on. Parents aren't
sitting in the bleachers with Cub Scouts, And in our
Scout busa program which is twelve to eighteen, this is
an opportunity to maybe separate parents and kids a little bit,
to push them out, to learn some independence and leadership
(01:49):
from peers, and to grow that way with parent oversight
from a safety aspect. So great opportunities for kids.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
And been in this world for a long time here
and there are certain people listening right now who they
did Scouts when they were kids, and how they got
their own kids, and they're wondering, I hear about all
these things that are that are different about Scouting and
so forth. What's the same from the scouting experience as
so many of us had in the seventies, eighties, nineties,
(02:16):
maybe even earlier than that, maybe later, what's the same
from the scouting from decades ago to what scouting is
doing now.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Rank advancement is still really strong. We still produce Eagle Scouts.
Last year, nearly two hundred and fifty young people earned
the rank of Eagle Scout here in Nebraska and Western Iowa.
It's still self driven at the Scout Bussa level. We
just have girls that are involved now like we had
to be a differing that's a difference, but we've got
(02:48):
girls involved now where we didn't in the sixties and
seventies and eighties. They were involved in exploring, which was
high adventure at the time, and the cub Scouts continues
to evolve. There's more technology involved in all of the
lessons that we provide, so it makes it easier for
volunteers and for adults to get information and have conversations
(03:08):
with kids and show up to the fire station and
the other community activities that we do. Those are all
really important. The technology piece is what makes it easier now.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
You mentioned girls are involved now, and then there's been
a name change as well, and we've covered this on
this program before, but just in case, Chris, people don't
hear every single waking moment of this show and they're
deprived of that joy in their lives.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
They're missing out.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I know. Please bring everyone up to speed on what's
going on now with Scouting America.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
So in twenty nineteen, we heard very loud and clear
from our families, this is not outside influences, but from
our families that are involved in Scouting, that their sons
have benefited so much from the program that we have
offered they've wanted their daughters to be involved too. Now. Candidly,
Scott tween you and me. Girls have been involved a
(03:58):
long time tagalongs, right, they just were never able to
wear the patches on the uniform. What's really changed is
our families now, the daughters that have brothers involved in Scouting,
now they earn the patches to and they're benefiting from
the Scouting program as they have for decades, just without
the recognition. And this is an opportunity for us to
(04:23):
serve all kids, not just a group of kids. That
and our Scouting mission says that we are to help
young people make more ethical choices of their lifetime by
using the Scout O than law. It didn't say boys.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
That is the Scout Executive and CEO of Scouting America's
Mid America Council Chrisma Haffey. Before we get any further here,
what's the website that we're using here so people can
learn more about scouting and see if that's the right
thing for their children, their family, and especially now during
this recruitment period.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
So the recruitment website is join mac Scouts or join
macmac Scouts dot Org. Families can go, they can put
their zip code in, they can find a cup Scout
pack or a Scout troop in their neighborhood that more
than likely their elementary school feeds and be able to
(05:16):
reach out to volunteers that are in that level and
that unit. The other thing that they're going to get
in every school thanks to our great partners, is a
flyer that's going to go home and a take home folder.
It's got the web address on it, It's got a
QR code that takes you directly of the sign up link.
It's really easy. Just like most other youth organizations have
(05:36):
made it easy, we finally have been able to do that.
And then you'll get all the information from the volunteers
and from our team at the office on Maple Street
in order to help make that Scouting experience possible.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
We talked about some of the things that are the
same from years past, things that are different. What about
activities and different things that the Scouts are involved in.
What's the same, what's different from what we would have
done when we were kids.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
For example, service projects are different. They look different now
than what they did. You and I when we were Scouts,
we went out with a couple of adults and we
may have picked up trash in the city park. Well,
now we've got multiple adults that are going It's not
a one to one ratio, but it's more than likely
a two to one ratio of youth to adults. So
(06:22):
we've got a lot more adult engagement in some of
our units. But we still need a ton of volunteers
in order to make this program go. Where you and
I would have gotten a flyer as we left the
troop meeting about what's coming up next week. Now parents
get an email from unit leaders, or they'll get a text,
or they'll use another app in order to communicate to
(06:45):
families about what's going on, and it helps keep people
up to date. Social media is really big for our
Scouting families on a daily basis. Now to keep track
of what's going on, and then to also share the
good news that they've got in their local unit. I
love every week being able to highlight what units are
doing by tagging us in their social media posts. We'll
(07:07):
get to watch them walk in parades and carry the
flags and the banner for the beginning of parades, and
to be able to highlight their campouts that they went
on this weekend in the great partnerships with Strategic Air
and Space and so many other the Zoo. Our units
love going to the zoo and having the family overnights
(07:27):
at the zoo. So those things are different from what
you and I experienced as kids.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
What about from a merit badge perspective, because I'm sure
that there are new merit badges you can get that
evolve over time, but I'm guessing a lot of the
youth probably gravitate more towards those classic merit badges. Am
I completely wrong?
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Well, some of those classic merit badges have gotten a
lot more difficult. When you and I were in Scouts,
the personal management and some of those others didn't have
as many of the requirements as they do now. But
also we're maybe you and I would have learned signaling,
and that went away for a while. A lot of
other merit badges have come back in their place that
(08:10):
are more science stem based merit badgers, like we've got
robotics and game design. Uh, there's there's a ton I
should have brought a list with me of all the
new ones just in the last few years. But we've
got a new one tri sports with the USA Triathlon
(08:30):
and the national organization has put a partnership together and
now we will end up running a race more likely
in the spring where we've got youth that are running,
swimming and biking. And that's so that's brand new as well.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Wow. See, I think a lot of people probably think
of like, all right, you learn how to build a campfire,
build up a camp site, tya, Knot that kind of thing.
I mean the classics. I still do those.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Oh absolutely we do those. But that's part of the
game on the field that we talk about. Those are
the methods that we use to help teach leadership and
self discipline and character building. Right, the things that we
want to be known for are leadership development in young
people and the fact that we have helped build character
(09:17):
in young people.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
At the same time, I don't know how many Eagle
Scout ceremonies you've been a part of. I'm guessing that
never gets old. To see the pride between the youth
and their parents and the Scout masters and everyone. That's
just an awesome thing to be a part of that.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
It absolutely is more than two hundred and twenty five
Eagle Scouts just last year, and we had one hundred
and twelve earn a scholarship to go to college in
the state of Nebraska because they were an Eagle Scout
graduating from a college, graduating from high school here and
going to college in the state. So we will see
(09:55):
retention of talent stay in this state because of scouting.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Long term, it's not easy to continue with scouting up
to that point where you get to be an Eagle Scout.
Where do you find from the we Blows and the
Cub Scouts and all that, where do you find that
most of these youth depart from scouting and are what's
Scouting America doing to try and add the availability for
(10:21):
retention in that area.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
The tough part for scouting is the same as the
tough part for kids. It's the middle school years. Yeah,
they do cub scouts. They love it, they do great things.
They decide after fifth grade that they're not going to
do scouts anymore, and they will leave in sixth grade
to go pursue sports or something else, which is awesome
(10:43):
for them. But that's the time to lean in. That's
where the separation comes from mom and dad that they
need in order to build leadership in character right, and
that's self reliance. Mom and dad are always going to
be needed. My sophomore in college still needs me, which
I am grateful for. But scouting has helped teaching that
in young people right now, and where we see them
(11:04):
leave the most is between six and eighth grade. If
they will make it through the middle school years, nine
times out of ten they will make it to lie
for an Eagle and they will have had a very long,
great experience in scouting. But those are the tough years.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
What is the time commitment for scouting.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
From a volunteer from a youth perspective.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
From a youth perspective, So from.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
A youth perspective, it's not unlike sports, not travel sports,
but your YMCA league you have a practice once a week,
we have a troup meeting once a week, or pack meeting,
din meetings once a week and then once a month
there's an activity that's our game. So if you think
about it once a week, meeting, once a month game,
(11:46):
that's a whole lot easier to fit into a schedule.
And for our older program, it's all self guided. So
if you play in the band, or you play football,
or there's another sport, you can be gone for three
months and come back and pick right back up where
you left off. And we've got a lot of athletes
and musicians that do that. There's a huge benefit both
(12:08):
to the sports team and to scouting to have kids
in both.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
What about the time commitment for a volunteer.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Volunteer is just a little bit more. We have a
running joke that it's just one hour a week, and
it's not one hour week. It's more than that because
you're asking volunteers to be prepared for a meeting and
then execute that meeting at a very high level so
that kids are engaged. Right, So it's a couple hours
a week as a volunteer to be prepared and then
(12:39):
lead the meeting. Our adult volunteers in our Scouting program,
they probably spend a little bit more time than that
each week. I know some of them spend a lot
more time. They just love it that much and they're
involved in other areas of our program, which is fantastic.
But for a parent or an alumni that is willing
to come back or give of their time, it's a
(13:00):
couple of our week commitment, and I know that time
is very precious, so we try to be very concise
with what we need and how we can help volunteers.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Do you have to have been a Scout to be
able to be a volunteer?
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Now? Absolutely not. My wife is a perfect example of
not being a Scout as a kid, but she was
involved in our Cub Scout pack helping with an awful
lot of things while my kids were in Cub Scouts.
We need moms and dads alike that are willing to
be involved in their kids' lives and make a difference
not just in their kids' lives, but in other kids.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Talking here with Chris Mahaffey, Scout Executive CEO the Mid
America Council of the Scouting America Program. Here join mac
scouts dot org. That's the website we gave for youth
interested in Scouting.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
What about for volunteers, So volunteers, it's mac Scouts dot org.
We try to keep Scouts dot org, try to keep
things simple.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Okay, correct. You can also just do a search for
Scouting America. At some point then.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
We're the first thing that comes up on the Google search, right.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Okay, Well, what about that important thing that goes on
every year, and that is where Scouts do everything from
sell us popcorn to they come and collect food from
our doorsteps and all that. What's coming up here in
the next couple of months.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
So you will see at storefronts starting mid September, Scouts
selling popcorn. What I'd love for the audience to hear
today is you're not just buying popcorn. You're investing in
that young person's adventure over the next twelve months. Baden Powell,
our founder, back in the early nineteen hundreds, said that
(14:41):
every youth has to pay, should pay their own way,
and this is a way for our youth to be
able to do that. So when you look at a
bag of popcorn, caramel popcorn is my favorite, and it's
twenty dollars, and where you and I might think, well
that's a single serving, well, seventy two percent of that
goes directly to help support that young persons programming for
(15:02):
the next twelve months, so they don't have to sell
as much as what they used to, and we should
feel good about buying that twenty dollars bag of popcorn
when we do. Now, I'm going to also ask the
audience to do something for me as well. When you
see a scout in front of Sam's or Walmart or
Baker's or Target or someplace else, ask for their seal's pitch.
(15:25):
Don't just wait and walk by the table and you say, oh,
tell me about this. Ask the scout that approaches you
or that's at the table, Hey, tell me why you're
selling popcorn? Tell me how can I support you? Because
a lot of them are going to say, hey, will
you buy popcorn to help me get to camp, which
is great, but we're trying to teach all of them
how to sell themselves as well. Salesmanship merit badge is
(15:49):
something our older kids work on during popcorn season, and
they work really hard on their cell's pitch for popcorn
and they should have an awful lot to say comes
to that, So that'd be our older youth. But the
cutest ones are our cup Scouts, and they may not
be as articulate, but they will still tell you why
they're selling popcorn. And I hope it's not because mom
(16:10):
and dad make me sit out here in front of
SAMs for an hour. Right.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
And the biggest thing I hear from potential employers is
how so many of these young employees aren't work ready.
It sounds like if we're if we have kids coming
up through scouting and what you're saying, Chris, as they
have to sell themselves as to why they're selling popcorn,
why it's an investment in them. If they can give
you that sales pitch, they can go get that job.
(16:36):
You're preparing them for being a part of the community
to help out not only themselves in a potential business,
but also the readiness of the community to provide for
the future of ourselves. We want them to take care
of us when we're old, that's exactly right, and we're
old older, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
And that's why those are the soft skills that we
teach in every level of our program. When you can
look an adult in the eye, when you can shake
their hand and you can articulate your need or the problem,
and a solution. Then we've helped that young person be
prepared for life. And part of the popcorn that they're
(17:17):
selling is not just the dollars they're collecting. They're selling
themselves and they're working. You're interacting giving them an opportunity
to practice that.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
What is the time frame where you'll see scouts out
in front of some of these stores with popcorn.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
It'll be mid September through the end of October.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Okay, good, So we got a little bit of time
when you see them, So make sure you start taking
some money out with you. What about in this digital
world here is there a way of like, hey, what kid,
what's your Venmo? As well?
Speaker 3 (17:46):
So most scouts take Venmo. They actually all have an
account through the trails and apps, so they can take
your credit card or a debit card and new this
year's tap to Pay, so we've made it really easy.
You don't have to carry cash anymore. In order to
help support a scout that is selling popcorn outside of
the storefront. You can help them though by listening to
their soul's pitch and then buy popcorn. And you don't
(18:09):
have to buy it if that's not something that you want.
You can also spend twenty dollars and help donate popcorn
because we have a really big program helpers and heroes
that in November we take popcorn to military installations throughout Nebraska,
and it's a way for us to say thank you
on behalf of the community and of Scouting for what
(18:29):
they do to help protect us and serve us on
a regular basis.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Just twenty bucks is a great investment in a young
person's life. And you get to eat popcorn. That's right,
Caramel popcorn, Cheddar popcorn, Caramel and cheddar popcorn.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Do we have a mixture pretzels? Chocolate covered pretzels. I
mean there's a huge Well, it's not huge. There's twelve
items on the list this year for Scouts to be
able to sell, most of which are twenty dollars.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
So I love me some popcorn.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Oh so good.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
I can tell I'm talking to a fellow popcorn and aficionado,
not just for what it's doing to impact a young life,
but also because it's popcorn and it's delicious.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
That's ex right.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Chris Mahaffey is the Scout Executive and CEO with the
Mid America Council of Scouting America mac Scouts dot org
is the website is in Mid America Council mac Scouts
dot org. Matt scout mac scouts dot org, or join
mac scouts dot org and you'll find this great organization. Chris,
(19:27):
always a pleasure talking with you. Thanks so much what
you're doing for young people in our community, and thanks
for telling us about it on Community Matters.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Thank you Scott for having me.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
You're listening to Community Matters. Our next conversation this week
was done by iHeartRadio's Manny Munos Manny.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
As kids begin a new school year, a new survey
from the American Psychiatric Association shows that while most Americans
want schools to provide mental health education and connect students
to support, fewer believe teachers and staff are actually trained
to spop the war. Let's talk about all of that
in a bigger picture of view of it all. As
we're joined by Roll Andrews Juniors, Executive director of the
(20:06):
American Psychiatric Association Foundation. We're all. I appreciate the time.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
Thank you so much for having us.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
This new poll shows a strong support for mental health education.
Why do you think parents and kids feel so strongly
about that? Right now?
Speaker 5 (20:24):
We are continuing to hear and parents are continuing to
learn more and more every day about this youth mental
health crisis. But what they aren't seeing is action that
is either stemming the crisis or combating the youth mental
health crisis. And here we are yet another school year
and they want to see a different outcome.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Teachers aren't trained, school administrators aren't trained mental health professionals
do Do any of them have any required training.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
So we know that school administrators and school teachers are
getting some training, the rest of the school staff often
is not. And we're not trying to advocate that they
become experts in mental health. We just want them to
have tools, tips and resources that can help. And that's
why we've developed a platform called the Notice Talk Acted
(21:14):
School program that we believe is like the stop, drop
and roll. Not gonna make you a first responder, but
you are going to understand what's happening, and you're gonna
understand how to deal with the situation in front of you.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
Sounds like see something, say something, and do something.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Yes, you got it exactly right.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
So explain how the Notice Talk Act program at schools
is supposed to work in practice.
Speaker 5 (21:38):
So let's walk through the program for your audience. Notice
Talk Acted School is about a two hour training for
all school staff, not just teachers and administrators. You can
be done on or offline, and you're gonna get three
key components. One, you're gonna notice signs and symptoms of
distress in students, what is the behavior that is out
(22:01):
of the ordinary or atypical. Two, you're going to learn
how to talk better and listen better through our teaching
model where you turn a difficult conversation about a tough
subject mental health into a courageous or a comfortable conversation.
And then finally act what are the appropriate and we
stress underline three times what are the appropriate tools, tips
(22:24):
and resources to help this student in this situation at
this time.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
You can find out more information by the way at
APAF dot org and it is one of the programs there.
Notice Talk Act at School. Where did this idea originate
and why so?
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Almost a decade ago, almost ten years ago, we were
trying through our doctors to come up with a way
to better reach out to the school community because we
weren't seeing the kind of educational academic outcomes we wanted
to have, and people were stuck and so the program
was developed pre pandemic, but obviously some things changed or
(23:06):
shifted during the pandemic, And so we went out and
got grant funding and private donations to offer Notice Talk
Act at school training free at no cost to any
K twelve school in the United States or territories. Doesn't
cost the school any money, doesn't cost the features in
staff any money, and it doesn't cost the parents or
(23:26):
caregivers any money. We know everybody's pocketbooks are stacked, So
here's one resource that could come to you that your
tax dollars have already paid for. Why not make it
available as soon as possible.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
Why do you think that we've seen this? Look, being
a kid has always been difficult, right, being a teenager,
especially you've got wild hormones and everything else going crazy.
Why do you think we've seen a dramatic decline in
the mental health of kids in our country That was
developing even before the pandemic.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
So it is always been tough to be a kid.
But there's so many more things that our children have
access to now that we didn't have access to decades ago.
So with technology advances which we support, humans today have
more access to data information than anybody who's ever walked
(24:19):
the planet. But can they digest that data as it
comes in? Are they getting a break from all that information,
misinformation and disinformation so that it could be properly interpreted?
And then how do we make sure that somebody who
nobody's meeting outside at three o'clock anymore to settle disputes.
They're in the dms, online and social media. You can
(24:42):
tell anybody anything anywhere in the world. And so now
you've got to grapple with all these things. And we
just want to make sure that the school bus driver,
the cafeteria worker, the coaches have the same kind of
training that is available to some administrators and teachers, so
that as a community we can get better outcomes for
(25:03):
all of our student scholars.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
Yeah, you and I have to be for the same generation,
because we used to go out by the flagpole at
three o'clock after school to settle our differences.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
You made me, that's right, you made me smile.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
We had a lot less things to worry about back then.
Now you've got to worry about social media, guns and
knives at school. What are some of the red flags
that school staff should be trained to recognize in students
in terms of potentially heading down a bad road in
a mental health crisis.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
So I'm going to talk about the three a's, but
these are not limited, and these are based on conversations
that I routinely have with our physician psychiatrists at the APA.
The first one is agitation. You know, are there is
the child easily or more easily agitated now than they
seem to have been in the past, because we all
(25:57):
have bad days. So this is about notice talk act.
One time I'm seeing something that seems to be a
recurring situation. Now I've noticed something different. They're easily agitated
or irritated. Two loss of appetite, sometimes as a sign
or a tell. Maybe they're on a diet that's approved,
We don't know. But a voracious eater all of a
(26:20):
sudden is never hungry, or they're just eating all the
wrong things at all the wrong times that they seem
to be. Just to be looking into it to see
if there's anything going on there. And then finally we
call it the the apathy or walking away from situations.
So star athletes or entertainers in school, the student council
(26:41):
president abruptly resigns, you know, the captain of football team
quits the team, the cross country runner doesn't want to
run anymore. That can be perfectly natural, but I've noticed
that there's something different because they were going to be
ranked in the state. Now they don't want to have
anything to do with something they love. They're pulling away,
they're isolating themselves. Let's get into noticing and then talking
(27:03):
about it with the student after I have appropriate training,
and then what are the appropriate tools, tips and resources
that we can bring to bear to this situation to
help them.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
They may not.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Join the football team again, but if there is something
going on, we want to know about it till we
can help them.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
These sound like things that not only could a teacher
an administrator be watching out for, it sounds like something
parents need to be watching out for before the kids
even in school.
Speaker 5 (27:30):
Absolutely, and more and more parents have reached out to
us to develop a platform for them, and we are
working on that as we speak. But the challenge is
they're not going to be there between seven forty five
and three thirty with their children when they're at school.
And what the poll tells us is that eighty five
percent of those parents and caregivers are worried what happens
(27:53):
when they leave my house or my apartment to go
to school. Is the school going to be ready for
them so they can get ready to.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
Learn a few more minutes here with Rall Andrews Junior.
He's executive director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation. You
could go to their website APAF dot org and go
under programs there and look at the notice talk act
at schools program. What kind of results have you seen
(28:22):
in schools that have used this training?
Speaker 5 (28:26):
So here's what I want parents to know. Go to
APAF dot org. Slash schools is going to take you
right to the page where you can get the information.
We have seen a significant decrease in disciplinary referrals in
the ninetieth percentile for schools that have employed the training. Similarly,
we have seen a drop in truancy, which really is
(28:48):
important because we don't know why there's truancy, but we
want to get schools in the club we think we're
sending in school they don't end up there. And then, finally,
the confidence that the teachers and staff, that the coaches have,
that the bus drivers have, that the cafeteria workers and
custodians have after they've taken the training. They're grateful to
(29:08):
have additional resources because now the entire academic community, faculty
and staff is all calling the same plays at the
same time, and they know what to look out for.
Speaker 4 (29:20):
Notice talk ACT at school in the workplace. You could
go to the website APAF dot org slash schools if
you want to get more information. He's Roll Andrews, Junior
executive director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation. So appreciate
it for your time what you're trying to do with
this program. Best of luck.
Speaker 5 (29:41):
Thank you so much, man.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
This has been Community Matters, a weekly public affairs special
on CAT one O three, Omaha's Greatest Hits, ninety nine
point nine, KGr News Radio, eleven ten KFAB, Country's Greatest
Hits ninety three three The Wolf, and ninety six to
one Kiss FM. Thank you so much for listening, and
enjoy the rest of you day.
This is Community Matters, a weekly public affairs program to
inform and entertain you with some of the great people, organizations,
and events in and around Omaha. Now here's the host
of the program from news radio eleven ten KFAB It's
Scott for Heats.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Thank you so much for being with us on Community Matters.
This week, we welcome back the Scout executive and CEO
of Scouting America's Mid America Council right here out Omaha, Nebraska.
Chris Mahaffe is here our favorite Scout. Hello, Chris, welcome back.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Hey Scott, thanks for having me today.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, we've got popcorn season. It's a great recruitment effort.
As everyone's getting back to school now, this is also
a tremendous opportunity for Scouting.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Right, that's exactly right. Let's start with back to school families.
If you're like mine, I'm glad to have school start
so my kids have good routine during the day. Some
oer activities are over, but now is a perfect time
time to get your child involved in Scouting.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Now, why would that be, Chris?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
So it's character development and fun activities combined, and we're
helping develop leadership at the same time. In our Cub
Scout area age group kindergarten through fifth grade. It's all
about family engagement. So if you're looking for something for
you and your child to do together, then we would
encourage you to look at Cub Scouts. It's one hour
(01:28):
a week, there's an activity usually once a month, but
it's a playing field that you're both on. Parents aren't
sitting in the bleachers with Cub Scouts, And in our
Scout busa program which is twelve to eighteen, this is
an opportunity to maybe separate parents and kids a little bit,
to push them out, to learn some independence and leadership
(01:49):
from peers, and to grow that way with parent oversight
from a safety aspect. So great opportunities for kids.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
And been in this world for a long time here
and there are certain people listening right now who they
did Scouts when they were kids, and how they got
their own kids, and they're wondering, I hear about all
these things that are that are different about Scouting and
so forth. What's the same from the scouting experience as
so many of us had in the seventies, eighties, nineties,
(02:16):
maybe even earlier than that, maybe later, what's the same
from the scouting from decades ago to what scouting is
doing now.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Rank advancement is still really strong. We still produce Eagle Scouts.
Last year, nearly two hundred and fifty young people earned
the rank of Eagle Scout here in Nebraska and Western Iowa.
It's still self driven at the Scout Bussa level. We
just have girls that are involved now like we had
to be a differing that's a difference, but we've got
(02:48):
girls involved now where we didn't in the sixties and
seventies and eighties. They were involved in exploring, which was
high adventure at the time, and the cub Scouts continues
to evolve. There's more technology involved in all of the
lessons that we provide, so it makes it easier for
volunteers and for adults to get information and have conversations
(03:08):
with kids and show up to the fire station and
the other community activities that we do. Those are all
really important. The technology piece is what makes it easier now.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
You mentioned girls are involved now, and then there's been
a name change as well, and we've covered this on
this program before, but just in case, Chris, people don't
hear every single waking moment of this show and they're
deprived of that joy in their lives.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
They're missing out.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I know. Please bring everyone up to speed on what's
going on now with Scouting America.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
So in twenty nineteen, we heard very loud and clear
from our families, this is not outside influences, but from
our families that are involved in Scouting, that their sons
have benefited so much from the program that we have
offered they've wanted their daughters to be involved too. Now. Candidly,
Scott tween you and me. Girls have been involved a
(03:58):
long time tagalongs, right, they just were never able to
wear the patches on the uniform. What's really changed is
our families now, the daughters that have brothers involved in Scouting,
now they earn the patches to and they're benefiting from
the Scouting program as they have for decades, just without
the recognition. And this is an opportunity for us to
(04:23):
serve all kids, not just a group of kids. That
and our Scouting mission says that we are to help
young people make more ethical choices of their lifetime by
using the Scout O than law. It didn't say boys.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
That is the Scout Executive and CEO of Scouting America's
Mid America Council Chrisma Haffey. Before we get any further here,
what's the website that we're using here so people can
learn more about scouting and see if that's the right
thing for their children, their family, and especially now during
this recruitment period.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
So the recruitment website is join mac Scouts or join
macmac Scouts dot Org. Families can go, they can put
their zip code in, they can find a cup Scout
pack or a Scout troop in their neighborhood that more
than likely their elementary school feeds and be able to
(05:16):
reach out to volunteers that are in that level and
that unit. The other thing that they're going to get
in every school thanks to our great partners, is a
flyer that's going to go home and a take home folder.
It's got the web address on it, It's got a
QR code that takes you directly of the sign up link.
It's really easy. Just like most other youth organizations have
(05:36):
made it easy, we finally have been able to do that.
And then you'll get all the information from the volunteers
and from our team at the office on Maple Street
in order to help make that Scouting experience possible.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
We talked about some of the things that are the
same from years past, things that are different. What about
activities and different things that the Scouts are involved in.
What's the same, what's different from what we would have
done when we were kids.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
For example, service projects are different. They look different now
than what they did. You and I when we were Scouts,
we went out with a couple of adults and we
may have picked up trash in the city park. Well,
now we've got multiple adults that are going It's not
a one to one ratio, but it's more than likely
a two to one ratio of youth to adults. So
(06:22):
we've got a lot more adult engagement in some of
our units. But we still need a ton of volunteers
in order to make this program go. Where you and
I would have gotten a flyer as we left the
troop meeting about what's coming up next week. Now parents
get an email from unit leaders, or they'll get a text,
or they'll use another app in order to communicate to
(06:45):
families about what's going on, and it helps keep people
up to date. Social media is really big for our
Scouting families on a daily basis. Now to keep track
of what's going on, and then to also share the
good news that they've got in their local unit. I
love every week being able to highlight what units are
doing by tagging us in their social media posts. We'll
(07:07):
get to watch them walk in parades and carry the
flags and the banner for the beginning of parades, and
to be able to highlight their campouts that they went
on this weekend in the great partnerships with Strategic Air
and Space and so many other the Zoo. Our units
love going to the zoo and having the family overnights
(07:27):
at the zoo. So those things are different from what
you and I experienced as kids.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
What about from a merit badge perspective, because I'm sure
that there are new merit badges you can get that
evolve over time, but I'm guessing a lot of the
youth probably gravitate more towards those classic merit badges. Am
I completely wrong?
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Well, some of those classic merit badges have gotten a
lot more difficult. When you and I were in Scouts,
the personal management and some of those others didn't have
as many of the requirements as they do now. But
also we're maybe you and I would have learned signaling,
and that went away for a while. A lot of
other merit badges have come back in their place that
(08:10):
are more science stem based merit badgers, like we've got
robotics and game design. Uh, there's there's a ton I
should have brought a list with me of all the
new ones just in the last few years. But we've
got a new one tri sports with the USA Triathlon
(08:30):
and the national organization has put a partnership together and
now we will end up running a race more likely
in the spring where we've got youth that are running,
swimming and biking. And that's so that's brand new as well.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Wow. See, I think a lot of people probably think
of like, all right, you learn how to build a campfire,
build up a camp site, tya, Knot that kind of thing.
I mean the classics. I still do those.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Oh absolutely we do those. But that's part of the
game on the field that we talk about. Those are
the methods that we use to help teach leadership and
self discipline and character building. Right, the things that we
want to be known for are leadership development in young
people and the fact that we have helped build character
(09:17):
in young people.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
At the same time, I don't know how many Eagle
Scout ceremonies you've been a part of. I'm guessing that
never gets old. To see the pride between the youth
and their parents and the Scout masters and everyone. That's
just an awesome thing to be a part of that.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
It absolutely is more than two hundred and twenty five
Eagle Scouts just last year, and we had one hundred
and twelve earn a scholarship to go to college in
the state of Nebraska because they were an Eagle Scout
graduating from a college, graduating from high school here and
going to college in the state. So we will see
(09:55):
retention of talent stay in this state because of scouting.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Long term, it's not easy to continue with scouting up
to that point where you get to be an Eagle Scout.
Where do you find from the we Blows and the
Cub Scouts and all that, where do you find that
most of these youth depart from scouting and are what's
Scouting America doing to try and add the availability for
(10:21):
retention in that area.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
The tough part for scouting is the same as the
tough part for kids. It's the middle school years. Yeah,
they do cub scouts. They love it, they do great things.
They decide after fifth grade that they're not going to
do scouts anymore, and they will leave in sixth grade
to go pursue sports or something else, which is awesome
(10:43):
for them. But that's the time to lean in. That's
where the separation comes from mom and dad that they
need in order to build leadership in character right, and
that's self reliance. Mom and dad are always going to
be needed. My sophomore in college still needs me, which
I am grateful for. But scouting has helped teaching that
in young people right now, and where we see them
(11:04):
leave the most is between six and eighth grade. If
they will make it through the middle school years, nine
times out of ten they will make it to lie
for an Eagle and they will have had a very long,
great experience in scouting. But those are the tough years.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
What is the time commitment for scouting.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
From a volunteer from a youth perspective.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
From a youth perspective, So from.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
A youth perspective, it's not unlike sports, not travel sports,
but your YMCA league you have a practice once a week,
we have a troup meeting once a week, or pack meeting,
din meetings once a week and then once a month
there's an activity that's our game. So if you think
about it once a week, meeting, once a month game,
(11:46):
that's a whole lot easier to fit into a schedule.
And for our older program, it's all self guided. So
if you play in the band, or you play football,
or there's another sport, you can be gone for three
months and come back and pick right back up where
you left off. And we've got a lot of athletes
and musicians that do that. There's a huge benefit both
(12:08):
to the sports team and to scouting to have kids
in both.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
What about the time commitment for a volunteer.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Volunteer is just a little bit more. We have a
running joke that it's just one hour a week, and
it's not one hour week. It's more than that because
you're asking volunteers to be prepared for a meeting and
then execute that meeting at a very high level so
that kids are engaged. Right, So it's a couple hours
a week as a volunteer to be prepared and then
(12:39):
lead the meeting. Our adult volunteers in our Scouting program,
they probably spend a little bit more time than that
each week. I know some of them spend a lot
more time. They just love it that much and they're
involved in other areas of our program, which is fantastic.
But for a parent or an alumni that is willing
to come back or give of their time, it's a
(13:00):
couple of our week commitment, and I know that time
is very precious, so we try to be very concise
with what we need and how we can help volunteers.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Do you have to have been a Scout to be
able to be a volunteer?
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Now? Absolutely not. My wife is a perfect example of
not being a Scout as a kid, but she was
involved in our Cub Scout pack helping with an awful
lot of things while my kids were in Cub Scouts.
We need moms and dads alike that are willing to
be involved in their kids' lives and make a difference
not just in their kids' lives, but in other kids.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Talking here with Chris Mahaffey, Scout Executive CEO the Mid
America Council of the Scouting America Program. Here join mac
scouts dot org. That's the website we gave for youth
interested in Scouting.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
What about for volunteers, So volunteers, it's mac Scouts dot org.
We try to keep Scouts dot org, try to keep
things simple.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Okay, correct. You can also just do a search for
Scouting America. At some point then.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
We're the first thing that comes up on the Google search, right.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Okay, Well, what about that important thing that goes on
every year, and that is where Scouts do everything from
sell us popcorn to they come and collect food from
our doorsteps and all that. What's coming up here in
the next couple of months.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
So you will see at storefronts starting mid September, Scouts
selling popcorn. What I'd love for the audience to hear
today is you're not just buying popcorn. You're investing in
that young person's adventure over the next twelve months. Baden Powell,
our founder, back in the early nineteen hundreds, said that
(14:41):
every youth has to pay, should pay their own way,
and this is a way for our youth to be
able to do that. So when you look at a
bag of popcorn, caramel popcorn is my favorite, and it's
twenty dollars, and where you and I might think, well
that's a single serving, well, seventy two percent of that
goes directly to help support that young persons programming for
(15:02):
the next twelve months, so they don't have to sell
as much as what they used to, and we should
feel good about buying that twenty dollars bag of popcorn
when we do. Now, I'm going to also ask the
audience to do something for me as well. When you
see a scout in front of Sam's or Walmart or
Baker's or Target or someplace else, ask for their seal's pitch.
(15:25):
Don't just wait and walk by the table and you say, oh,
tell me about this. Ask the scout that approaches you
or that's at the table, Hey, tell me why you're
selling popcorn? Tell me how can I support you? Because
a lot of them are going to say, hey, will
you buy popcorn to help me get to camp, which
is great, but we're trying to teach all of them
how to sell themselves as well. Salesmanship merit badge is
(15:49):
something our older kids work on during popcorn season, and
they work really hard on their cell's pitch for popcorn
and they should have an awful lot to say comes
to that, So that'd be our older youth. But the
cutest ones are our cup Scouts, and they may not
be as articulate, but they will still tell you why
they're selling popcorn. And I hope it's not because mom
(16:10):
and dad make me sit out here in front of
SAMs for an hour. Right.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
And the biggest thing I hear from potential employers is
how so many of these young employees aren't work ready.
It sounds like if we're if we have kids coming
up through scouting and what you're saying, Chris, as they
have to sell themselves as to why they're selling popcorn,
why it's an investment in them. If they can give
you that sales pitch, they can go get that job.
(16:36):
You're preparing them for being a part of the community
to help out not only themselves in a potential business,
but also the readiness of the community to provide for
the future of ourselves. We want them to take care
of us when we're old, that's exactly right, and we're
old older, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
And that's why those are the soft skills that we
teach in every level of our program. When you can
look an adult in the eye, when you can shake
their hand and you can articulate your need or the problem,
and a solution. Then we've helped that young person be
prepared for life. And part of the popcorn that they're
(17:17):
selling is not just the dollars they're collecting. They're selling
themselves and they're working. You're interacting giving them an opportunity
to practice that.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
What is the time frame where you'll see scouts out
in front of some of these stores with popcorn.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
It'll be mid September through the end of October.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Okay, good, So we got a little bit of time
when you see them, So make sure you start taking
some money out with you. What about in this digital
world here is there a way of like, hey, what kid,
what's your Venmo? As well?
Speaker 3 (17:46):
So most scouts take Venmo. They actually all have an
account through the trails and apps, so they can take
your credit card or a debit card and new this
year's tap to Pay, so we've made it really easy.
You don't have to carry cash anymore. In order to
help support a scout that is selling popcorn outside of
the storefront. You can help them though by listening to
their soul's pitch and then buy popcorn. And you don't
(18:09):
have to buy it if that's not something that you want.
You can also spend twenty dollars and help donate popcorn
because we have a really big program helpers and heroes
that in November we take popcorn to military installations throughout Nebraska,
and it's a way for us to say thank you
on behalf of the community and of Scouting for what
(18:29):
they do to help protect us and serve us on
a regular basis.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Just twenty bucks is a great investment in a young
person's life. And you get to eat popcorn. That's right,
Caramel popcorn, Cheddar popcorn, Caramel and cheddar popcorn.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Do we have a mixture pretzels? Chocolate covered pretzels. I
mean there's a huge Well, it's not huge. There's twelve
items on the list this year for Scouts to be
able to sell, most of which are twenty dollars.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
So I love me some popcorn.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Oh so good.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
I can tell I'm talking to a fellow popcorn and aficionado,
not just for what it's doing to impact a young life,
but also because it's popcorn and it's delicious.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
That's ex right.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Chris Mahaffey is the Scout Executive and CEO with the
Mid America Council of Scouting America mac Scouts dot org
is the website is in Mid America Council mac Scouts
dot org. Matt scout mac scouts dot org, or join
mac scouts dot org and you'll find this great organization. Chris,
(19:27):
always a pleasure talking with you. Thanks so much what
you're doing for young people in our community, and thanks
for telling us about it on Community Matters.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Thank you Scott for having me.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
You're listening to Community Matters. Our next conversation this week
was done by iHeartRadio's Manny Munos Manny.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
As kids begin a new school year, a new survey
from the American Psychiatric Association shows that while most Americans
want schools to provide mental health education and connect students
to support, fewer believe teachers and staff are actually trained
to spop the war. Let's talk about all of that
in a bigger picture of view of it all. As
we're joined by Roll Andrews Juniors, Executive director of the
(20:06):
American Psychiatric Association Foundation. We're all. I appreciate the time.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
Thank you so much for having us.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
This new poll shows a strong support for mental health education.
Why do you think parents and kids feel so strongly
about that? Right now?
Speaker 5 (20:24):
We are continuing to hear and parents are continuing to
learn more and more every day about this youth mental
health crisis. But what they aren't seeing is action that
is either stemming the crisis or combating the youth mental
health crisis. And here we are yet another school year
and they want to see a different outcome.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Teachers aren't trained, school administrators aren't trained mental health professionals
do Do any of them have any required training.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
So we know that school administrators and school teachers are
getting some training, the rest of the school staff often
is not. And we're not trying to advocate that they
become experts in mental health. We just want them to
have tools, tips and resources that can help. And that's
why we've developed a platform called the Notice Talk Acted
(21:14):
School program that we believe is like the stop, drop
and roll. Not gonna make you a first responder, but
you are going to understand what's happening, and you're gonna
understand how to deal with the situation in front of you.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
Sounds like see something, say something, and do something.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Yes, you got it exactly right.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
So explain how the Notice Talk Act program at schools
is supposed to work in practice.
Speaker 5 (21:38):
So let's walk through the program for your audience. Notice
Talk Acted School is about a two hour training for
all school staff, not just teachers and administrators. You can
be done on or offline, and you're gonna get three
key components. One, you're gonna notice signs and symptoms of
distress in students, what is the behavior that is out
(22:01):
of the ordinary or atypical. Two, you're going to learn
how to talk better and listen better through our teaching
model where you turn a difficult conversation about a tough
subject mental health into a courageous or a comfortable conversation.
And then finally act what are the appropriate and we
stress underline three times what are the appropriate tools, tips
(22:24):
and resources to help this student in this situation at
this time.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
You can find out more information by the way at
APAF dot org and it is one of the programs there.
Notice Talk Act at School. Where did this idea originate
and why so?
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Almost a decade ago, almost ten years ago, we were
trying through our doctors to come up with a way
to better reach out to the school community because we
weren't seeing the kind of educational academic outcomes we wanted
to have, and people were stuck and so the program
was developed pre pandemic, but obviously some things changed or
(23:06):
shifted during the pandemic, And so we went out and
got grant funding and private donations to offer Notice Talk
Act at school training free at no cost to any
K twelve school in the United States or territories. Doesn't
cost the school any money, doesn't cost the features in
staff any money, and it doesn't cost the parents or
(23:26):
caregivers any money. We know everybody's pocketbooks are stacked, So
here's one resource that could come to you that your
tax dollars have already paid for. Why not make it
available as soon as possible.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
Why do you think that we've seen this? Look, being
a kid has always been difficult, right, being a teenager,
especially you've got wild hormones and everything else going crazy.
Why do you think we've seen a dramatic decline in
the mental health of kids in our country That was
developing even before the pandemic.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
So it is always been tough to be a kid.
But there's so many more things that our children have
access to now that we didn't have access to decades ago.
So with technology advances which we support, humans today have
more access to data information than anybody who's ever walked
(24:19):
the planet. But can they digest that data as it
comes in? Are they getting a break from all that information,
misinformation and disinformation so that it could be properly interpreted?
And then how do we make sure that somebody who
nobody's meeting outside at three o'clock anymore to settle disputes.
They're in the dms, online and social media. You can
(24:42):
tell anybody anything anywhere in the world. And so now
you've got to grapple with all these things. And we
just want to make sure that the school bus driver,
the cafeteria worker, the coaches have the same kind of
training that is available to some administrators and teachers, so
that as a community we can get better outcomes for
(25:03):
all of our student scholars.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
Yeah, you and I have to be for the same generation,
because we used to go out by the flagpole at
three o'clock after school to settle our differences.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
You made me, that's right, you made me smile.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
We had a lot less things to worry about back then.
Now you've got to worry about social media, guns and
knives at school. What are some of the red flags
that school staff should be trained to recognize in students
in terms of potentially heading down a bad road in
a mental health crisis.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
So I'm going to talk about the three a's, but
these are not limited, and these are based on conversations
that I routinely have with our physician psychiatrists at the APA.
The first one is agitation. You know, are there is
the child easily or more easily agitated now than they
seem to have been in the past, because we all
(25:57):
have bad days. So this is about notice talk act.
One time I'm seeing something that seems to be a
recurring situation. Now I've noticed something different. They're easily agitated
or irritated. Two loss of appetite, sometimes as a sign
or a tell. Maybe they're on a diet that's approved,
We don't know. But a voracious eater all of a
(26:20):
sudden is never hungry, or they're just eating all the
wrong things at all the wrong times that they seem
to be. Just to be looking into it to see
if there's anything going on there. And then finally we
call it the the apathy or walking away from situations.
So star athletes or entertainers in school, the student council
(26:41):
president abruptly resigns, you know, the captain of football team
quits the team, the cross country runner doesn't want to
run anymore. That can be perfectly natural, but I've noticed
that there's something different because they were going to be
ranked in the state. Now they don't want to have
anything to do with something they love. They're pulling away,
they're isolating themselves. Let's get into noticing and then talking
(27:03):
about it with the student after I have appropriate training,
and then what are the appropriate tools, tips and resources
that we can bring to bear to this situation to
help them.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
They may not.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Join the football team again, but if there is something
going on, we want to know about it till we
can help them.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
These sound like things that not only could a teacher
an administrator be watching out for, it sounds like something
parents need to be watching out for before the kids
even in school.
Speaker 5 (27:30):
Absolutely, and more and more parents have reached out to
us to develop a platform for them, and we are
working on that as we speak. But the challenge is
they're not going to be there between seven forty five
and three thirty with their children when they're at school.
And what the poll tells us is that eighty five
percent of those parents and caregivers are worried what happens
(27:53):
when they leave my house or my apartment to go
to school. Is the school going to be ready for
them so they can get ready to.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
Learn a few more minutes here with Rall Andrews Junior.
He's executive director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation. You
could go to their website APAF dot org and go
under programs there and look at the notice talk act
at schools program. What kind of results have you seen
(28:22):
in schools that have used this training?
Speaker 5 (28:26):
So here's what I want parents to know. Go to
APAF dot org. Slash schools is going to take you
right to the page where you can get the information.
We have seen a significant decrease in disciplinary referrals in
the ninetieth percentile for schools that have employed the training. Similarly,
we have seen a drop in truancy, which really is
(28:48):
important because we don't know why there's truancy, but we
want to get schools in the club we think we're
sending in school they don't end up there. And then, finally,
the confidence that the teachers and staff, that the coaches have,
that the bus drivers have, that the cafeteria workers and
custodians have after they've taken the training. They're grateful to
(29:08):
have additional resources because now the entire academic community, faculty
and staff is all calling the same plays at the
same time, and they know what to look out for.
Speaker 4 (29:20):
Notice talk ACT at school in the workplace. You could
go to the website APAF dot org slash schools if
you want to get more information. He's Roll Andrews, Junior
executive director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation. So appreciate
it for your time what you're trying to do with
this program. Best of luck.
Speaker 5 (29:41):
Thank you so much, man.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
This has been Community Matters, a weekly public affairs special
on CAT one O three, Omaha's Greatest Hits, ninety nine
point nine, KGr News Radio, eleven ten KFAB, Country's Greatest
Hits ninety three three The Wolf, and ninety six to
one Kiss FM. Thank you so much for listening, and
enjoy the rest of you day.
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