Dear Community Partners,
This coming year, 2021, will mark an exciting milestone for Boys Town Nevada as we celebrate 30 years of service to the Las Vegas community.
As we look back at the past 30 years of supporting children and families, we are beyond grateful for the support the Nevada community has shown along the way. We are proud of what we've accomplished together in the interest of helping local families. Throughout 2021, we will come together to celebrate and recognize many of our leaders, partners, and supporters through the years.
We will also be looking forward as we strive to continue to serve the many children and families who still need support. That is why we are thrilled to be launching the 30th Anniversary Campaign for Behavioral Change.
In keeping with our mission, this campaign seeks to support our continued efforts to save children and heal families in Southern Nevada. Over the years, our program focus has grown and evolved to ensure that we are maximizing our resources to keep children safe, families whole, and make our community stronger. We remain committed to serving the communities who need our services most, and to changing the landscape of behavioral health and education in Southern Nevada.
In recent years our local programs have shifted to take on a prevention and early intervention model, and to be able to impact more children and families each and every year. The LIFT Together program addresses urgent needs among schools, students, and their families.
Nevada's public schools are consistently ranked near the bottom in state measurement categories by major education-centered news organizations. Of the 73 schools on the Nevada Department of Education's list of underperforming schools, 47 are part of Clark County School District. Those 47 schools serve more than 46,000 students. Educators have the responsibility to improve school performance, but from our experience, we know that stable homes and supportive families are equally important for the success of individual students. Simply put, schools cannot succeed when students' families are failing.
This is where Boys Town Nevada can help.
Las Vegas is an amazing city with much to offer, but accessible mental health services hasn't always made the list. The Department of Health & Human Services has designated most of Nevada as a health professional shortage area. There simply are not enough doctors and mental health providers to meet the demand.
In 2020, with a growing waiting list of three to six months, and more requests for specialized services amidst the coronavirus pandemic, our Behavioral Health Clinic initiated an expansion plan. In our 30th year, we will grow our team of licensed psychologists to serve more youth, and provide a broader scope of diagnostic and treatment services in a landscape that is lacking.
Each year, child welfare officials in Clark County receive about 10,500 reports of child abuse or neglect, according to the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child and Family Services. These families are slipping through cracks in the system – cracks that our programs can fill.
As if these community issues weren't pressing enough, the health and economic crisis brought on by the pandemic has only exacerbated these issues for many already struggling families. Children have been home from school for months. Stress for many of these families is at an all-time high, with social safety nets and support systems seemingly out of reach. Mental health services, educational assistance, and community support are needed now more than ever.
In the coming months you will receive more information on our anniversary Campaign for Behavioral Change. We hope you will join us as we work to change the lives of children and families in our community for the next 30 years, and beyond.
Partners in Change,
John Etzell
Executive Director
Boys Town Nevada