From the Mental Health Clinical Program Manager's Desk:
“Trauma is perhaps the most avoided, ignored, belittled, denied, misunderstood, and untreated cause of human suffering.” -Dr. Gabor Mate
My name is Becca Harrison, and I am a licensed professional counselor and clinical supervisor who specializes in trauma. I have been a therapist for about 15 years, and primarily work with children and adolescents, specifically in the areas of PTSD, anxiety, crisis/trauma, and adoptive and foster family concerns, all within the context of high acuity school and community settings. I also have significant experience working with survivors of various types of trauma, and have had the honor of volunteering on a trauma team internationally for the past decade to provide mental health first response work as needed.
I recently accepted a role at the Amani Center as the Clinical Program Manager of our brand-new Mental Health Program, which I could not be more excited about! The Amani Center has been doing absolutely incredible work in the community for decades and is now ready to expand into offering mental health services. I am dedicated to creating and maintaining an evidence-based, trauma-informed mental health program to serve youth and families who receive services through the Center. This can only happen through much collaboration, support, and intentional dedication – which the Amani Center has demonstrated time and time again.
Thus far, the mental health program has focused efforts on creating the foundational tenets of the program, including documentation, office setup, training, and are currently in process of hiring providers! Additionally, there has been a need for some responsive mental health work the last couple of months. Our mental health team has been able to provide psychological first aid debriefing groups to community mental health providers who are working on flight teams within the schools providing necessary mental health responses, integrated behavioral health care into the forensic assessment team, and crisis response care as needed. We hope to have (a lot) of new updates in the coming months regarding the mental health program, and to provide a safe space where children who have survived abuse can begin to process their trauma, step into their healing journeys and develop increased resilience with caring, qualified mental health providers alongside them. I cannot wait to provide you all with additional updates!
Becca Harrison, Mental Health Clinical Program Manager
What's New?
We are thrilled to announce that the new Mental Health Program at the Amani Center is getting ready to launch!
Our Mental Health Program team has given a recent update on the progress of this new program, and they have shared that the first children to receive mental health care services at the Center could start in-office appointments as early as this month. With finishing touches underway on their new office space (pictured), and additional staff members being added to our integrated behavioral health team, we’re setting everything in place to begin providing out-patient mental health care to children impacted by abuse.
Our Mental Health Program team members will be crossed trained to participate in child abuse assessments, as well as in other direct service-related functions, which will help to create an all-encompassing care environment where children’s voices can be heard, and healing can begin.
As we start this new chapter in the Amani Center story, we acknowledge that it is because of our generous donors and supporters that these positive changes are possible. Because of their commitment to our mission, we were able to develop and expand the services offered at the Center to now include our own on-site Mental Health Program. This new program greatly increases our ability to provide care to child abuse victims on their recovery journey; none of this would be possible without supporters like you.
February Spotlight:
This month, we’re shining a light our on 2025 Race Against Child Abuse Elite Sponsor, Wauna Credit Union!
The team at Wauna has made an incredible commitment to partner together with the Amani Center by sponsoring this year’s race. And not only are they our Elite Sponsor, but they are also proud race participants! We can’t wait to see them all decked out this year for our superhero-themed race. Wauna team members also work hard behind the scenes on race day by volunteering with the setup and logistics that go behind making our race run so smoothly.
We wish to thank Wauna Credit Union not only as a whole, but also as a group of caring individuals who come together to show their support for our community. We are deeply appreciative of their dedication to serve vulnerable children in Columbia County, and all that they do to help us in our mission to give child abuse victims a voice.
25 Years of Amani:
As we continue celebrating “25 Years of Amani” all throughout our 25th anniversary year in 2025, we’ve pulled out our scrapbook for a blast from the past!
Check out these photos of the original Center with our first Executive Director Amani Grow! Her vision (along with board members Graci Slosky, Pam Avila, Yolanda Smith, Barb Fordyce, Rebecca Gandy and Jan Kenna) to create a safe place for child abuse victims to be seen, heard and cared for still exists at the core of our mission today.
If you’d like to celebrate our “silver jubilee” anniversary along with us, consider donating via our 25th Anniversary donation page. All donations will support the building fund, making a permanent home a reality for the Amani Center.
Upcoming Events:
February – Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
Did you know that 1 in 10 high school students experienced physical violence from a dating partner in the last year? You can help to spread the word about Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month this February by learning more from Love is Respect. Visit their website for social media posts to share, examples of healthy and unhealthy teen dating relationships, and resources for teens experiencing dating violence.
Call 1-866-331-9474, or text “LOVEIS” to 22522 for 24/7 support for teens and young adults (as well as friends and family) with questions or concerns about dating relationships.
Saturday, April 26th – Race Against Child Abuse
Lace up your running shoes and tie on your superhero cape for this year’s Race Against Child Abuse! New this year is our superhero theme, inviting all race participants to join in on the fun and dress up in their best and brightest superhero gear to “be a hero for kids”.
2025 also marks the 25th anniversary of the Amani Center, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate then by making the future home of the new Amani Center a feature in this year’s race! Our race route for 2025 will start and end at the property slated to house the new Amani Center building, on McNulty Way near Lower Columbia Engineering.
Invite your friends, family or coworkers to start training now for the 2025 Race Against Child Abuse and be a hero for kids! Use this link to register online today and enter code EARLYBIRD25 for 20% off through February 14th. And last but not least, a huge “thank you” to Wauna Credit Union, our Race Against Child Abuse Elite Sponsor!