SAFE commits to treatment facility for kids and teens

At a reccent Substance Abuse Free Environment Glen Cove Coalition meetings on May 22, the not-for-profit announced a plan to create a treatment center to benefit residents between ages 5 and 17, and their families, who are in distress as a result of substance abuse. The center would offer treatment and education.

SAFE determined that there was a need for such a center after it conducted a survey last fall and received more than 1,400 responses, Executive Director Dr. Sharon Harris explained.

SAFE is considering in-house professionals, who would offer a variety of treatments, or contracting services out to providers who would accept SAFE referrals, Harris said. It is also applying to the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services to become licensed to provide treatment.

The treatment facility would offer a variety of bilingual family services, including play therapy and projective assessment. According to Harris, teen and young-adult specialists, psychologists and those familiar with the court system would be hired. And services would be available only during evening and weekend hours, when most residents are not at work or in school.

In order to apply for grants, SAFE needs to provide data on the population it plans to serve. It has already collected it from the Glen Cove Police Department, the school district and EMS, but it has obtained only general information, such as ages and genders, from Glen Cove Hospital. “The hospital does not have the staff needed to collect the data,” Harris said.

But the group is planning to move forward with the project regardless.

For more information on the Glen Cove SAFE Coalition visit www.safeglencove.org/.