Courtney Siegel Landes, a licensed clinical social worker and supervisor at Fort Worth’s Lena Pope, credits her grandmother, Evelyn Siegel, as an inspiration for her career in social work. Landes has worked with children, adolescents, and families through various counseling programs, including Project SAFeR, which tackles problematic sexual behaviors.

Project SAFeR

Project SAFeR is a program designed to prevent future problematic sexual behaviors in children and families. The program focuses on rehabilitation, treatment, and counseling rather than adjudication and punishment. Lena Pope became the first program in Texas trained on this curriculum in 2015, and Landes was part of the original team that took the training.

In the past 11 years, Lena Pope counselors have worked with over 600 families in the program, which has a 2% to 3% recidivism rate. Landes said few of the children who go through the program later end up in the juvenile justice system for violations. Lisa Herrick, a board-certified juvenile specialist attorney, supports Project SAFeR because it gives children and families a chance to address serious issues early with treatment, supervision, and support instead of punishment.

Lena Pope’s Impact

Lena Pope is a 96-year-old Fort Worth nonprofit that provides child and family counseling, early learning education, and behavioral intervention programs. The organization has an incredible team of professionals with specialized training, providing high-quality mental health services to people who otherwise might not be able to get it. Landes is proud to be a part of an organization that makes a positive impact on the community.

Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.