| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Local High School sees Decrease in Office Referrals following Boys Town Training
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Local High School sees Decrease in Office Referrals following Boys Town Training
| <p>For over three decades Boys Town experts have been collaborating with educators, youth care workers and schools across the country to create safe and effective learning environments. </p><p>These individuals make up the Boys Town National Training Department, whose primary responsibility is to disseminate the Boys Town Education Model<sup>® </sup>to schools and agencies through educational resources and professional development offerings. This evidence-based and results-orientated model is made of three components: </p><ul style="list-style-type:disc;"><li>A behavior management approach that is proactive rather than reactive.</li><li>A complete social skills curriculum that empowers students to make better decisions.</li><li>A consistent referral process that values teaching over punishing. </li></ul><p>In recent times the Boys Town Education Model, which originated in 1979, has extended its influence into the local educational arena. This past year, outstanding success has been observed at Omaha South High School. In the summer of 2018, two workshops were conducted, the first an Administrative Intervention workshop for 18 of the school's administrative faculty, the second, a Safe & Healthy Secondary Schools workshop for 178 educators school-wide.</p><p>Following training, and a full semester of implementation, data showed that Omaha South experienced a significant decline in office referrals. Prior to training, Omaha South documented 2,329 referrals. In the fall semester of the following school year, referrals had decreased by 571. A dramatic decline over a 12-month period. </p><p>When asked about the impact of this decline and its relationship to community development National Training Director, Susan Lamke stated, "I believe the service we provide is important to our community because it gives educators, youth care professionals, and parents practical strategies for supporting students in their social and emotional development. This in turn, increases their chance of success in school, at home, and in their future careers". </p><p>In addition to professional development for educators, Boys Town provides other services for children and families in the South Omaha community. When students are struggling academically or suspended from school, they can continue their educational routine in a Positive Intervention Classroom at <a href="/south-omaha/pages/default.aspx"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Boys Town's South Omaha</span></a> office. This program aligns with Boys Town's Positive Alternative to Suspension model, which helps students acquire and practice social skills while remaining on track to complete academic requirements. </p><p>For more information on Boys Town National Training visit: <a href="http://www.boystowntraining.org/"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">http://www.boystowntraining.org/</span></a></p> | 2019-03-18T05:00:00Z | News | <img alt="Meet Our Trainers" src="/locations/nebraska/news-and-events/PublishingImages/meet-our-trainers.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Nebraska;# | | | |
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Boys Town cooking up new energy with remodeled kitchen
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Boys Town cooking up new energy with remodeled kitchen
| <p><em>This article is written by Danielle Davis. </em><a href="https://www.ksnblocal4.com/content/news/Boys-Town-cooking-up-new-energy-with-remodeled-kitchen-506914041.html"><em>It was posted on ksnblocal4.com on March 8, 2019.</em></a><em> </em></p><p>GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - Boys Town in Grand Island has been serving the community for almost 30 years. They've also been working with a kitchen that is as old as the home, Friday they cut a ribbon on a new kitchen.</p><p>Experts recommend that families spend dinner time together to strengthen their bond. When you are living in a temporary home environment that sense of normalcy can become even more important.</p><p>The Boys Town newly upgraded kitchen is giving the home a new energy.</p><p>"These are kids who have been labeled bad kids, and they are not. There is no such things as a bad boy, only things like bad training, bad examples and bad thinking. They just need new skills and we are here teaching them those skills and it is really encouraging to see kids thrive as we reinforce those skills," said Megan Andrews, Boys Town Senior Director.</p><p>Tours of the house were given by the kids. </p><p>"Everything at the shelter is aimed at giving the kids a real family and give them a strong family feeling," said Founder and Volunteer, Dori Bush.</p><p>The kitchen was completely gutted and rebuilt to reflect modern times. The entire project cost about $150,000 and was done completely with community donations.</p><p>"I am really glad the community has stepped up and helps out because this is an important facility for not only Grand Island but the entire state," said Senator Dan Quick, (R) Nebraska</p><p>Although the home is temporary for kids, while they are there they have improvement programs and structure. </p><p>"A lot of our kids come from fractured homes where it is not normal to eat, cook or pray together. We try to give them that normalcy as much as we can. We really believe that every kid deserves to know what it is like to be part of a family. Our kitchen is a big piece of accomplishing that," continued Andrews.</p><p>While the kitchen was being rebuilt, businesses, organizations and individuals brought them food every day. The house can hold 18 kids at a time. </p><p>They are currently in need of:</p><p>1) Parent Child Interaction Therapy Equipment</p><p>2) Video Equipment for Doctoral Student Training</p><p>3) iPad (2)</p><p>4) Window coverings</p><p>5) Loveseats (4)</p><p>6) Chairs (4) </p><p>7) End tables (4)<br></p> | 2019-03-15T05:00:00Z | News | <img alt="Boys Town Central NE" src="/blog/PublishingImages/Banners/btsign.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" />
<img alt="Boys Town Central NE" height="329" src="/blog/PublishingImages/Banners/btsign.jpg" width="555" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Central Nebraska;# | | | |
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Local roofer secures $20,000 for Boys Town North Florida
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Local roofer secures $20,000 for Boys Town North Florida
| <p><em>This article is written by Megan Nixon. </em><a href="https://www.tallahassee.com/story/life/causes/2019/03/09/local-roofer-secures-20-000-boys-town-north-florida/3117716002/"><em>It was published to Tallahassee.com on March 9, 2019.</em></a><em> </em></p><p>It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's Dale Tadlock of Tadlock Roofing and this year he's flying for families during the Second Annual Spirit of a Child Celebration.</p><p>This past Giving Tuesday, Tadlock Roofing set a goal to raise $10,000 in 24 hours for Boys Town North Florida and staying true to the spirit of a child theme, Tadlock agreed to match up to $10,000 raised and fly for families at The Florida Aviation Center (a bucket list item for Tadlock).</p><p>Tadlock presented Boys Town North Florida Executive Director, Marcus Lampkin, with a $10,000 check Saturday and took to the skies, for the first time as "pilot" to celebrate the children of Boys Town North Florida. More than 50 children of Boys Town witnessed Tadlock fly a plane for the first time.</p><p>"I have never flown a plane and can't think of a better time than now to learn, with the help of the Florida Aviation Center, of course," Tadlock said.</p><p>The Giving Tuesday partnership between Tadlock Roofing and Boys Town North Florida began in 2017. Tadlock set a goal to raise $10,000 for the non-profit organization in 24 hours on Giving Tuesday and if that goal was met, Tadlock Roofing would match up to $10,000, securing $20,000 for the organization. To make it more interesting, Dale Tadlock agreed to jump out a plane (with a parachute) to celebrate the accomplishment in 2018.</p><p>To put these numbers into perspective, $500 supports one child living on the Boys Town campus for one month, so the total amount collected, including the match, is going to support all 40 children living on-site for one month.</p><p>"Boys Town North Florida has a beautiful community of supporters who went above and beyond to ensure our $10,000 matching goal was met," said Boys Town North Florida Executive Director, Marcus Lampkin. "Thank you Tadlock Roofing and our entire Boys Town Family for your commitment to helping the most vulnerable children in our community."<br></p> | 2019-03-14T05:00:00Z | News | <img alt="Tadlock" src="/blog/PublishingImages/Banners/Tadlock.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | North Florida;# | | | |
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Caitlin Stapley Puts Bellevue Master's Degree to Work as CSS Director
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Caitlin Stapley Puts Bellevue Master's Degree to Work as CSS Director
| <p>When Caitlin Stapley started working for Boys Town Nevada eight years ago, she knew it was the right fit for her, but she also had a strong desire to advance her Boys Town career and knew that obtaining a master's degree would be "critical for personal and professional development."</p><p>Throughout her time at Boys Town, Caitlin has held multiple positions. First as an In-Home Family Services (IHFS) Consultant, then Director of Common Sense Parenting. Later, she moved back to IHFS as a supervisor then became the manager. Eventually she was promoted to her current role as Director of Community Support Services for Boys Town Nevada. </p><p>Caitlin's professional advancement is a result of her commitment to bettering herself and going back to school. </p><p>"Getting a master's is hard work but ultimately the best decision I ever made," said Caitlin.</p><p>Caitlin got her master's degree in clinical counseling from Bellevue University which is a 60-credit hour graduate program modeled on national licensing standards for those who are preparing to deliver direct mental health services and who are pursuing mental health licensure to deliver these services.</p><p>Boys Town has a partnership with Bellevue University which includes a tuition assistance package of up to $5,250 per year for full-time and part-time employees wanting to expand their education. </p><p>For people like Caitlin who are not in the state of Nebraska it is still possible to get your degree online. </p><p>"It was easy to take classes out of state. For classes that we needed to see people or work as groups there were on-line avenues for that," said Caitlin. "The staff at Boys Town and Bellevue were really great at working with me at any challenges that came up. I really felt supported through the entire process."</p><p>Not only will a master's degree help advance your career it will also give you new skills to better serve our children, families and communities. </p><p>"This skill set has made me a better supervisor, leader and trainer," said Caitlin. "I consistently use motivational interviewing techniques not just at work but in my personal life as well." <br></p> | 2019-03-04T06:00:00Z | News | <img alt="Caitlin" src="/parenting/PublishingImages/caitlin.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Nevada;# | | | |
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Aunt, Nephew Bond and Thrive with Boys Town’s Help
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Aunt, Nephew Bond and Thrive with Boys Town’s Help
| <p>Every family has problems, some more serious than others.</p><p>The most difficult problems are ones that prevent parents from properly caring for and nurturing their child. Besides being devastating to the child's growth and development, these challenges can lead him or her to lash out at the world in frustration and confusion. </p><p>Steven was one of those children. His mom and dad had so many troubles of their own – a history of abuse growing up and substance abuse – that they couldn't be the caring parents he needed. And when Steven was diagnosed with autism, it became impossible for the family to stay together. Eventually, the parents lost custody of their son, leaving Steven's future clouded in uncertainty.</p><p>Fortunately, two good things happened in Steven's life at just the right time. His Aunt Katie stepped in, welcoming the teenaged boy into her home and her heart. And not long after, Boys Town South Florida began providing services to Katie and Steven, services that would mean a world of difference as aunt and nephew bonded to form a new family.</p><p>Boys Town's intervention was necessary and valuable. Before services began, Katie struggled mightily with Steven's behaviors, even as she also cared for her own elderly mother. Steven experienced a lot of anxiety and often lost self-control, flying into rages where he would hit and kick anyone around him. Katie had no idea how to manage these outbursts and feared that her nephew would harm himself or someone else. Steven also began leaving home in the middle of the night and roaming the streets. Although he always returned, Katie started sleeping in his room to make sure she knew where he was. </p><p>During a meeting at Steven's school, Katie described the behaviors she was trying her best to deal with at home with Steven and how chaotic and stressful life had become. A teacher who had previously worked with a Boys Town South Florida learned of Katie's situation and recommended that she look into the services the site could provide.</p><p>Katie made the call and soon, Lori, a Boys Town Care Coordination Services Consultant, was regularly visiting Katie and Steven in their home. She listened to their problems but also pointed out their many strengths, like Katie's love for her nephew and her desire to keep him safe and help him succeed in school. Lori was able to identify a number of community resources that could help Katie and Steven get back on track and then make good decisions on their own after Boys Town's services ended. </p><p>One of the first things Lori did was arrange to have Steven start seeing a psychiatrist who could work with the teen on strategies for managing his behavior. She also worked with the staff at Steven's school to identify how to help him cope with his emotions, control his behaviors and not resort to aggression when he was upset. Finally, Lori helped Katie apply for assistance from the State of Florida's Association for Persons with Disabilities.</p><p>By the end of services, Steven was having fewer blow-ups and was staying home at night. He was able to do more things independently, and was getting along better with his classmates at school. Most importantly, thanks to Lori's support, Aunt Katie felt more confident and capable of helping her nephew control his behaviors and prepare for life as a young adult. </p><p>In a letter to Lori, Katie expressed her gratitude for what Boys Town had done for her and Steven.</p><p>"…I will always appreciate Boys Town for making a change in our lives. Thank you, Boys Town, for everything you do with assisting families in crisis and need."</p><p>This is the essence of Boys Town's Mission to change the way America cares for children and families, one child and family at a time! </p><p><em>The stories provided about the children and families in our care are real. In some cases, names may be changed and details altered to protect their privacy and therapeutic interests.</em></p> | 2019-02-27T06:00:00Z | News | | South Florida;# | | | |
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Boys Town Care Coordination Services Helps Families Find Solutions
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Boys Town Care Coordination Services Helps Families Find Solutions
| <p>In a perfect world, there would be one place where you could go to find help to fix all your child's problems.<br></p><p>Unfortunately, that isn't how it works.<br></p><p>Many times, it takes several programs and numerous organizations to come together to help a child. That's where Boys Town's Care Coordination Services (CCS) can help.<br></p><p>Last year, a local family was referred to Boys Town's In Home Family Services program. The family sought help because their 15-year-old son was refusing to attend school at Omaha South High School and had a mental health diagnosis that contributed to that issue. The youth was referred to the Juvenile County Attorney for Truancy in May of 2018.<br></p><p>With the help of a Boys Town consultant, the family began to receive assistance in treating their son. Through CCS, the family was linked with several County-based services.<br></p><p>During the weekly home visits the Consultant used modeling, role-plays, and practice to continue to teach the parents to be independent and to advocate for their son. The Consultant also attended school meetings, IEP meetings, and court hearings to advocate for the family, monitor services with the providers, and to help the family navigate the meetings and hearings. <br></p><p>After nine months of attendance issues, the youth was able to enroll back at South High School this past November. When the parents and the youth attended court in December, the judge was amazed by all the linkages and progress the parents had made with their son. The family has since successfully completed services.<br></p><p>Teamwork paid off for this local family.<br></p> | 2019-02-22T06:00:00Z | News | | Nebraska;# | | | |
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Boys Town and Public School Programs Help High School Students Through Turbulent Times
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Boys Town and Public School Programs Help High School Students Through Turbulent Times
| <p><em style="background-color:transparent;">In 2015, Omaha South High School and Boys Town implemented an alternative classroom for youth suspended from South High with the primary focus of providing a safe and positive classroom located at the Boys Town South Omaha office. The Positive Alternatives to Suspension (PAS) and Positive Intervention Classroom (PIC) programs are led by a South High school teacher and a Boys Town School Community Liaison who have been trained in Boys Town's Well-Managed Schools Curriculum to work exclusively with students who have been suspended or are at risk of suspension. This classroom serves 6-8 students daily by helping them to complete and catch up on missing assignments as well as teaching to the behaviors that led to their suspension or referral. </em></p><p>Even when a student seems to be failing more often than he or she is succeeding, that student still needs to know someone cares and will continue to lend a helping hand. For one student at Omaha South High School that offers Boys Town services, that helping hand came from Shannan Garcia and Lori Negrete-Bobier.</p><p>Shari is a junior at Omaha South. She was assigned to the PAS/PIC program in the spring of 2017, which was the second semester of her freshman year. She is currently in the second semester of her junior year. </p><p>Shari has struggled with an extreme amount of shyness, a lack of self-confidence, and lack of motivation toward attendance and academics. She said her anxiety to be in school is what gets in her way. She began using marijuana during her freshman year as a way to cope with her anxiety. She says she would leave school to "get high" and come back to school afterwards. She was getting behind academically in her classes due to these behaviors. </p><p>Garcia, who is the School Community Liaison from Boys Town, and Negrete-Bobier, who is the certified Omaha South Transition Teacher, work in the PAS/PIC classroom. They try to develop relationships with youth. They began teaching Shari new replacement coping skills. They also tried to teach her skills on how to ask for help, accepting no for an answer, and how to talk to her parents about problems she was facing.</p><p>During Shari's first semester her sophomore year, she reported she quit smoking marijuana and used the skills she had been taught to cope when she started to feel anxious. Garcia and Negrete-Bobier used positive reinforcement to show their appreciation and went a step further in encouraging her to join an outside activity. Shari chose to join a jiu jitsu class and loved it. It not only helped her socially, but it also helped her with self-esteem and weight loss. She was excited to share her experiences with others.</p><p>Like any youth, Shari still had her struggles. She made small strides in her attendance at school. She was no longer leaving the building, but she would still not attend all her classes. She earned credits at a slower pace. When her jiu jitsu instructor had to close her business, Shari was discouraged. But she reached out to Negrete-Bobier for help. It was a huge step.</p><p>She used a skill she had been taught in reaching out for help. She sought help with her classes, as well. South High administration helped adjust Shari's schedule so that she would be attending the PAS/PIC Classroom every day for half of the school day. She ended up passing all five of her classes!</p><p>Shari currently has 24 credits of the 49 she needs to graduate. She is slightly behind, but plans on taking summer school to catch up on some of the mandatory academic classes.</p><p>Shari gave credit to Garcia and Negrete-Bobier for helping her get where she is today. She admits she wanted to quit school on numerous occasions, but she now sees the light at the end of the tunnel. She also knows it is going to take a lot of hard work to finish her task during summer school and her senior year.</p><p>But graduating is now a possibility for Shari.</p><p>Thanks to Garcia, Negrete-Bobier and the PAS/PIC program at South High, Shari now has a chance to do something she would have never imagined – graduating! <br></p> | 2019-02-22T06:00:00Z | News | | Nebraska;# | | | |
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Boys Town Common Sense Parenting Urges Parents to Catch Kids Doing Good!
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Boys Town Common Sense Parenting Urges Parents to Catch Kids Doing Good!
| <p>So many times, parents only communicate with their kids when they are caught doing things wrong. With Boys Town's Common Sense Parenting (CSP) classes, however, parents are encouraged to praise children when they "catch them doing good!"</p><p>For a Lincoln parent, Maria, it has made a huge difference in interacting with her children.</p><p>Maria attended a Common Sense Parenting class at the Indian Center in Lincoln in cooperation with the Society of Care. A mother of three, she was raised under very different conditions. She grew up in a Hispanic home and is married to a Native American. She was able to correlate the two cultures.</p><p>In Maria's second class, the Common Sense Parenting trainer shared how positive behaviors should result in positive consequences and negative behaviors should result in negative consequences. The trainer shared that many times children are receiving the opposite, so instead of receiving a reward or an encouraging word for doing something well at school, the child is instead just ignored by the parent.</p><p>The teaching hit home for Maria. She became emotional and said she realized she was not identifying when her children did well in school. She needed to praise them more.</p><p>Now, each week Maria she comes back to class sharing her success stories of helping her children learn social skills. And, she has also learned to stay calm through the parenting skills taught in her CSP classes. </p><p>Maria now shares how impactful the class was for herself and her family. She wants to continue to be a part of Common Sense Parenting classes in Lincoln.<br></p> | 2019-02-22T06:00:00Z | News | | Nebraska;# | | | |
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Boys Town Gets A+ for Accreditation
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Boys Town Gets A+ for Accreditation
| <p>At the beginning of 2019 Boys Town was re-accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA). </p><p>COA accredits child welfare, behavioral health and community based social services. Boys Town is one of the 2,200 organizations that they review. </p><p>Being accredited shows that an organization meets COA's standards of quality and they pass an in-depth review of the organization by highly trained professionals. Some of the areas they assess are rights of clients, quality of services being provided, training and supervision of staff, and safety and well-being outcomes. </p><p>Boys Town received 853 ratings on standards and 834 of them were rated a one, which is the highest rating you can get. Boys Town received no rating below a two. </p><p>This accreditation is reflective of the work Boys Town employees do each day to improve the lives of children and families by improving parenting skills, helping fathers to engage with their children, coaching parents through addictions and helping troubled youth find their way.</p><p>Boys Town Iowa hosted one of the six COA reviewers that reviewed different Boys Town locations across the United States. </p><p>The accreditation process takes place every four years to ensure organizations are maintaining quality care throughout time. </p><p>"It's a feel good moment to know you achieved your accreditation, but even more rewarding to know that this is the level of quality being provided each and every day," said Debbie Orduna, Executive Director Boys Town Iowa.</p><p>Boys Town Iowa has a team of 100 employees who are dedicated to changing the lives of children and families in the community. </p><p>To learn how our amazing employees helped a mom heal click <a href="/blog/Pages/A-Mom-Healed-A-Family-Saved.aspx">here</a>.<br></p><p></p> | 2019-02-18T06:00:00Z | News | <img alt="COA Logo" src="/locations/iowa/PublishingImages/coa_logo.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Iowa;# | | | |
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Holiday of Hope for Boys Town Iowa
| Boys Town: Saving Children, Healing Families, Parenting Tips |
Holiday of Hope for Boys Town Iowa
| <p>Imagine waking up on Christmas day as a child and having no presents under the tree or no winter coat to wear outside to play with the other children. </p><p>This is the sad reality for many children whose families struggle not only to provide basic needs but also have a hard time giving their child the Christmas they wish they could. </p><p>During the 2018 holiday season, churches, businesses and families of the community came together to provide a Christmas to about 70 Boys Town Iowa families. </p><p>The children Boys Town Iowa serves were asked what things they like, such as toys, hobbies or crafts. Then they were asked what kinds of things they <em>need</em>, such as shoes, winter coats or personal hygiene products. In addition to the children's wish list they asked the parents what they needed extra help with this Christmas season. </p><p>Some families in the local community are faced with difficult decisions during this time of the year…pay the rent or give their child a Christmas gift. To these families and children even receiving items such as a new pair of tennis shoes or a coat to keep them warm <em>is</em> a gift. </p><p>Donors who reached out to help these families provided toys, clothing, games, hygiene products and gift cards to grocery stores. </p><p>This year one child who experienced trauma was able to use a gift as an activity to interact with their family, which provided them a way to cope with the trauma.</p><p>At Boys Town we hope no individual or family has to experience Christmas through a traumatic lens. It is our goal to ease their sufferings in any way we can so the holidays are a happy time for them and not a time of additional stress or sadness. </p><p>Not only were gifts and necessities provided but hope was restored in these families. Boys Town Iowa extends a big thank you to all those who donated to the families and children. If it weren't for your generosity Christmas may not have been possible for them. <br></p><p></p> | 2019-02-18T06:00:00Z | News | <img alt="Christmas" src="/locations/iowa/PublishingImages/christmas.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Iowa;# | | | |
