Boys Town Nevada Executive Director, John Etzell, joins 8News.
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A non-profit in the Las Vegas valley aims to support children facing difficulties both on campus and at home while they adjust to a new school year with recent changes and rules.
Boys Town Nevada is a local nonprofit offering an innovative approach to child and family care to those in need. The organization works to ensure that families have the support and skills they need to create and maintain a safe, stable environment for their children.
The nonprofit is active in more than 40 CCSD schools, offering behavioral therapy and resources to help improve students’ educational and emotional success. One of the ways they are assisting students currently is by helping them to cope with new policies and procedures in the classroom, including no cell phones.
CCSD requires all students in grades 6-12 to carry cell phones in a non-locking, signal-blocking pouch to restrict usage and reduce distractions during class. While not all students may be excited about the new change, Boys Town Nevada executive director John Etzell said the new policy is beneficial for improving student learning, engagement, and achievement.
“That’s been a significant challenge over the years with cellphones, so I applaud CCSD for taking this proactive approach to try to increase the amount of time on task in schools,” Etzell said. “When kids are more focused in the classroom, we’re going to see higher test scores, we’re going to see higher levels of engagement.”
Etzell says there is a direct link between children’s phone usage and their mental health.
“Lots of kids become more isolated when they’re using their phones a lot,” Etzell said. “When they’re using their phones so much, they’re not interacting with people as much. We’re seeing a decrease in the ability to interact with others and that oftentimes is leading to less self-confidence and less self-esteem, and a rise in mental health issues and potential suicide ideations.”
Students lack of social and emotional skills has been reported to often show up in the classroom.
“We know that one of the number one reasons teachers are leaving the field is because of student behavior in the classroom, and one of the things that Boys Town does is we work directly with students in the classroom to improve their social skills,” Etzell remarked.
This includes helping students to follow instructions, stay on task, and come to school every day on time. Additionally, the nonprofit offers teachers support on better managing their classrooms from a behavioral perspective.
However, Etzell also voiced that the real work starts outside of the classroom. The organization provides weekly parenting classes to help parents create a structured environment at home that supports their children’s success in the classroom.
“Our Parenting for Success classes are focused on giving parents the skills to help create some additional structure; ensuring kids know what the expectations and rules are of the house,” Etzell said.
This involves creating routines like homework and morning schedules, setting boundaries, enforcing consequences for poor performance, and providing rewards for positive behavior
“Parents can continue to learn and develop those skills and increase their confidence in how to enforce those expectations in their own house,” Etzell remarked.
Etzell recommends parents use the 4-1 praise-to-correction ratio.
“We’re praising our kids four times for every one time that we’re giving them something that they need to improve on or correct,” Etzell said. “When we do things like that, we increase self-confidence and self-esteem in kids.”
Boys Town Nevada recently launched the Your Life Your Voice app to provide a safe, supportive space for youth to express their feelings, seek guidance, and access crucial mental health resources.
The app provides a comprehensive suite of features, including mood tracking, personalized journal entries, detailed mood reports, and direct access to crisis counseling. It encourages and empowers teens to monitor and understand their emotions and foster resilience and emotional well-being.
Boys Town Nevada also offers the following free services below:
- Lift Program – a community-based, multi-tiered, multi-component, prevention intervention system.
- Mental Health – The Boys Town National Hotline® (800-448-3000) is a free resource and counseling service that assists youth and parents 24/7, year-round, nationwide.
- Autism Clinics – The Boys Town Behavioral Health Clinic offers outpatient services for families with children aged 2 to 18 who are experiencing social/emotional, academic, or behavioral concerns, such as ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- Parenting for Success classes – Offered on a 6-to-7-week basis for parents of toddlers to teenagers.
Visit Boys Town Nevada to learn about additional resources.
If one is struggling with suicide or knows someone who is, call the Boys Town National Hotline at 1(800) 448-3000.
