Jana Marie Foundation, local Boy Scouts team up

STATE COLLEGE — “Be Prepared” is the motto for the Boy Scouts of America. A new program of the Juniata Valley Council of the Boy Scouts is designed to help participants “be prepared” when it comes to recognizing mental health concerns.

Jana Marie Foundation, with the support of the Juniata Valley Council and AutumnSpring Counseling, has introduced the Prepared to Care Award for Scout members in grades 5 through 12. The award and program are designed to go over mental well-being and ways one can support friends in times of need. Around 160 Scouts have already completed the program and been awarded the badge.

“Now more than ever, mental, emotional and social health stressors are being dealt with by youth,” said Jeff Pickett, Scout executive and CEO of the Juniata Valley Council, which covers Blair, Centre, Huntingdon, Mifflin and Juniata counties. “They are dealing with things on a whole different level than what prior generations did. Social media has taken bullying into the online world; youth may be constantly comparing themselves to the perceived ‘perfect lives’ that others portray in their cyber lives.”

The partnership between Jana Marie Foundation and the Juniata Valley Council came in response to a pair of suicides in one of the council’s Scout troops.

“We saw a huge need to raise awareness and build skills for recognizing and responding to symptoms of those in crisis,” said Pickett. “Scouting has always put an emphasis on first aid, and this badge helps to put another tool in their first aid kit.”

The program uses the acronym SCOUT to help guide participants in the program — S for notice Signs; C for be Curious, are you OK?; O for Offer support; U for Understand things from their perspective; and T for Tell a trusted adult.

“It made sense for us to find a way to help Scouts be prepared to recognize mental health warning signs and the available resources at local and national levels,” said Marisa Vicere, Jana Marie Foundation president and founder. “The award was carefully crafted to ensure Scouts would have a basic understanding of mental health, how to notice changes in thoughts, feelings, actions and appearances, and learn a five-step process to start a conversation, and then how to get trusted adults involved.”

The program has been embraced by leaders and youth of the Juniata Valley Council. Vicere hopes other Boy Scout councils and Girl Scout programs become involved in the program.

“Mental health is health,” she said. “We spend a lot of time focusing on ways we can help someone who is experiencing a physical health need, and programs like Prepared to Care remind us that our overall health — mental, physical, emotional — is important.”

For more information on Jana Marie Foundation, suicide prevention, mental health and foundation events, visit janamariefoundation.org and follow Jana Maria Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.