ABOUT SAFE HARBOR HOUSE
Located in Springfield, Ohio, Safe Harbor House is a faith-based residential facility for at-risk women. According to its website, the center provides a safe place for women who find themselves at the intersection of substance abuse and various kinds of trauma. Clients typically struggle with a history of physical, emotional, and sexual cruelty, domestic violence, prostitution, human trafficking, and homelessness.
The program empowers women to heal, have hope, and develop skills they need for a quality life. Clients must be at least 18 years of age and clean from drugs/alcohol for at least 30 days.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Safe Harbor House’s Christ-centered approach offers holistic support, focused on spiritual, physical, and emotional healing, as well as education and employment. The program typically takes 12 to 15 months.
To achieve spiritual healing, clients participate in weekly Bible study, prayer, church involvement, and group evening devotions. A personal church mentor is assigned to help clients work toward spiritual growth. For physical healing, clients take wellness classes, smoking cessation programs, eat healthy food, and attend outpatient drug and alcohol treatment as well as recovery meetings. Referrals are made to doctors, vision centers and dentists, as needed, and transportation is provided.
To help clients with their emotional healing, this facility uses individual and group therapy, some of which has a post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) focus. It also relies on Seeking Safety, which is a recognized way to address trauma and addiction at the same time.
A goal of the program is to help clients secure long-term employment and/or education upon discharge. To help, GED tutoring, educational coaching, computer skills classes, and employment organization referrals are offered. For those who need more work experience, community service opportunities are available. Additionally, the facility provides life skills training and coaching, as well as workshops on meal planning, gardening, budgeting, and sewing.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
Safe Harbor House was founded and is led by a chaplain with a Ph.D. degree. Volunteers make up most of the other staff members.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
Safe Harbor House cares for up to 15 women at a time in two restored homes. Clients eat meals together in a formal dining room with a large, polished wood table and plush seating. Residents also pray together, and participate in fun group activities, such as game night. Structured family visits enable clients to keep in touch with their loved ones during the course of treatment.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
At the time of this writing, Best-rehabs.com polled one alum, who provided positive feedback about Safe Harbor House. This former client gave perfect five-star ratings for the major categories of treatment effectiveness, accommodations and amenities, and meals and nutrition, as well as whether the program was worth the cost. They offered high four-star ratings across a range of other evaluated metrics, including counseling options, exercise and leisure options, family participation, holistic offerings, the staff’s level of training and experience, and the cleanliness of the facility. She listed the program’s strengths as: “kind, understanding, had proper staff to deal with issue.” However, she gave the facility’s connectivity three out of five stars and noted she “felt isolated.”
On its Facebook page, which the organization can manage, the facility earned 4.3 out of five stars from 23 reviews to date.[1] Many of the reviewers praised the holistic focus and the staff. In a representative review, alum Dawn wrote: “I can’t imagine a better place for women to come and heal, holistically. Praying for the staff and the women who become a part of the Safe Harbor family. God bless all the work in that place.”
FINANCING
According to the application on its website, the Safe Harbor House program costs $500 per month. Scholarships are available to those in need.
[1] Facebook reviews: https://www.facebook.com/pg/SafeHarborHouseOhio/reviews/