August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 15

participated, 94 percent had never
had swimming lessons, and 37 percent
had never been submerged in
water. The YMCA and the Unified
Government finished the summer
with 100 percent of participants improving
their water safety abilities.
The question now was: How do we
scale this impressive effort?
Partnerships Make Local
Programs Possible
Swimming can be a source of joy
but it also impacts physical health,
wellness
variables, such as where families
socialize and vacation.
The low-swimming ability
of
children affects communities impacted
by historical bias as well as
barriers to health, such as poverty.
It's a national issue, but solutions
and socio-emotional
must occur at a local level. Working
with local organizations to find
innovative solutions to problems
can have a tremendous, long-term
impact on community programs
and the community itself.
As the naming rights sponsor for
the Kansas City Chiefs' stadium
home, GEHA Field at Arrowhead
Stadium, our Super Bowl champion
partners took a particular interest
in our efforts. It was congruent
with their youth wellness activities,
along with the legacy of a former
running back who drowned attempting
to save the lives of three
children 40 years ago this summer.
Together, we have expanded this
work, renaming it the " Joe Delaney
Learn to Swim Program, Presented
by GEHA. " Now, 650 additional
students will learn to swim this year
throughout Kansas City, including
a return to Parkwood Pool.
Bringing About CrossGenerational
Change
This is merely the beginning. Equitable
aquatics
education
programming
like the Joe Delaney
Learn to Swim Program, Presented
by GEHA, offers communities
a space to come together for recreation
and education. Local community
programs and partnerships
can overcome and mend historic
wrongs that have impacted generations
while providing children with
lifesaving and enriching skills to
pass on.
John Brown is Chief Operations Officer of the Government
Employees Health Association. Gene Willis is Corporate
Social Responsibility Manager at Government Employees
Health Association.
Background Screening Best Practices
B
ackground Investigation
Bureau (BIB) and NRPA
partnered to help park and
recreation agencies conduct better
background screenings. Here are a
few things to keep in mind to help
prevent risk:
What is your background check
costing you? Budgets are already
lean, and not all background checks
are the same. Selecting background
checks based on the lowest cost can
lead to a low-quality screen. The best
approach is to ask, " Are we getting
the best quality screen for a fair
price? " Also, NRPA members receive
exclusive pricing on BIB's Secure
Volunteer background screenings.
How healthy is your data? Most
information received by states is
through county records. Ideally, the
information would be correct and
complete; however, in many cases,
the records are either missing data
or inaccurate. You'll need to assess
what screening methods you are using
to get the best data from every
state relevant to your applicants.
Are you getting the full story? Inaccuracies
in reports can't provide
the details you need when making a
hiring decision or preventing a dangerous
person from becoming a volunteer.
When records are missing or
pertinent information from a record
is missing, such as final dispositions,
it becomes challenging to make effective
hiring decisions. Making sure
you're getting the best data possible
from as many sources as possible ensures
you're getting the full story.
What is the turnaround time?
While most quality background
checks are completed in less than
72 hours, most delays experienced
are related to jurisdictions being
searched. For example, a court
runner is physically going to a
courthouse. While this is a highly
effective process, it can lead to longer
turnaround times due to court
access hours, staff or technology
available. It's important to know
of any jurisdictions you may be
accessing regularly that could drive
common delays.
NRPA members will gain immediate
peace of mind knowing that
their
volunteers and employees
are well-vetted using some of the
most powerful and advanced background
checks available.
If you
would like more information on
how your agency can develop the
best background screening methodology,
visit bib.com.
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | A UGUS T 2 0 2 3
| Parks & Recreation
15
http://www.bib.com
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation

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