Clarksville welcomes new family support resource

Nov. 30—CLARKSVILLE — Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth of Indiana (SAFY) opened a location in Clarksville on Tuesday.

SAFY is a human resources agency that provides foster care, adoption, mental health services and family-preservation services. They have locations all around the nation with this location being the latest in Indiana.

The new location, 1400 Main St.Clarksville, is focusing on foster care and family preservation programs as it gets settled in to the new location.

"We were just recently awarded a federal grant to provide kinship support services for families who are impacted by opioids and other substance uses," said Camron Whitacre, Indiana's SAFY executive director. "Oftentimes, those families need therapy, they need case management support, and there just aren't a lot of services out there for those families."

The grant will allow them to provide the therapy and case management support for the families that need it. SAFY will also conduct support groups for those who live with addiction and will set aside funding to help families with financial assistance.

SAFY's family preservation program works with families so their children are not removed and put into foster care.

"It's kind of like the last step before the kids are removed from parents' homes and put into foster care," Whitacre said. "Our staff team up together with a therapist and case manager to work with the family."

Whitacre added they often are helping the families get support they need to ensure their water or electricity is not shut off. They also help them connect with other organizations in their community.

"We're also providing mental health services on top of that," Whitacre said. "We're helping parents and their children heal where they need it, a lot of families are impacted by trauma. Like I said before, a lot of families are also impacted by substance abuse."

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