Extreme Heat
A wave of intense heat blanketed the country this week. Dr. Chirag Panchal with Orlando Health Physician Associates joins Engage to discuss dangerous heat and what he sees as a family medicine physician.
School Chaplains
Under a new Florida law that took effect July 1, school districts and charter schools can allow volunteer chaplains on campus to offer additional counseling to students. Parents must give consent for their children to participate. Chaplains must pass a background check and have their religious affiliation listed on the school’s website. Lea Patterson is senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, a legal organization focused on defending religious liberty. She has been involved in developing model policies for the Texas chaplain law which is similar but not identical. She joins Engage to explain why she supports the program. Others are raising concerns about good intentions backfiring. Reverend Stewart Bentley is a chaplain at a children’s hospital in Central Florida and part of a palliative care team to support medically fragile children and their family. Reverend Bentley joins Engage to share some of his thoughts about a statewide school chaplain program. Cherlette McCullough is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Winter Park trained in recognizing the signs of trauma in children. She joins Engage to discuss concerns about a lack of trauma training for those counseling students.
Public Art Safety
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design is a municipal planning philosophy that juxtaposes public art with public safety. Referred to as “CPTED,” the idea is to use sculptures and paintings in public places to both enhance the aesthetic and provide ways to encourage situational awareness among the people in those spaces. Daniel Holland is an officer with the Maitland Police Department. The application of CPTED art is very important to him as he has seen it effectively used to control crime and provide cultural beauty to his community. Officer Holland joins Engage to discuss using art to reduce crime throughout the region.
