Non-Profit Keeps Kids 'SAFE' in Glen Cove

Substance Abuse Free Environment – or SAFE Inc. – is the only organization of its kind in Glen Cove.

Established in 1981, concerned parents and professionals came together to eliminate alcohol and substance abuse in the community through prevention, intervention and education.

The non-profit agency relies on grants, some government funding, private donations, and fundraising.

Formerly known as Glen Cove Citizens Committee Against Substance Abuse (GCCCASA), the name was changed to SAFE in 2004 because the board “wanted a name that had a positive connotation," said Executive Director Sharon Harris Ph.D.

Although housed in City Hall, SAFE operates separately from the city’s government.

Executive Director since 2000, Harris was originally hired in 1993 by her predecessor as a consultant to the Glen Cove court system.

“I’ve been here a long time, wearing different hats,” she said.        

The agency is in its seventh year of federal funding to support its PRIDE Project Coalition – a group of human service agencies, law enforcement, school district personnel, civic agencies, and community volunteers who regularly examine alcohol and drug needs assessments and strategically plan to change societal norms through environmental strategies.

The Coalition implemented social host law in Glen Cove before there was one in Nassau County.

SAFE receives funding through the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Enforcement of Underage Drinking Laws grant to work with the to educate parents on the legal ramifications of underage drinking and of providing alcohol to youth at home parties.

Signage from a past campaign entitled “Parents Who Host Lose The Most; Don’t be a Party to Teenage Drinking" can still be seen on the corner of Cottage Row and Forest Avenue. The next campaign, “Underage Drinking, Not A Minor Problem,” is slated to begin the end of the month.

A new initiative Safe Rides allows teenagers to call a taxi to take them home without charge to prevent drunk driving.

A survey of high school seniors in 2010 showed that 20 percent either drove drunk or drove in a car with someone who was drinking, said to Harris. 

SAFE's Lock Up Your Med's Campaign was a direct attempt to educate the community, especially seniors, on another emerging trend among youth: obtaining alcohol and pills from their parent’s home.

The agency also administers the Employee Assistance Program for Glen Cove, a bilingual life skills training program to students and parents, and outreach efforts at the Glen Cove Housing Authority and surrounding areas to provide evaluation and referral to treatment services, social services advocacy and a community walk-in program.

SAFE has a staff of eight, including a licensed social worker and two bilingual workers who help educate the Spanish-speaking population. The agency works closely with other Glen Cove agencies, in particular Melillo Center for Mental Health, and .

It is also a member of the Glen Cove Interagency Council (IAC) – a non-profit human service agency to collaborate with Glen Cove's most needy populations – of which Harris is president.