AWARDS
Non-Profit of the Year
The Saville Center
The Saville Center for Child Advocacy is a
safe , child-friendly facility where forensic interviews , medical evaluations , mental health services and victim advocacy are provided to children involved in abuse investigations . The Saville Center for Child Advocacy offers a soothing , calming atmosphere in a building specially designed to lessen a child ’ s fears .
Before the center was available , the child may have been taken to several different agency offices to receive services . At each stop they would have had to answer the same questions over and over again . Now , because these services are centralized at our center , further trauma to the child and family can be avoided .
We live our Mission in three ways : We Protect . We Prevent . We Heal . Specifically , we strive to facilitate the protection , prevention and healing of victims of child abuse and to promote the health of families in our community .
The Saville Center for Child Advocacy envisions a community where children are valued , and healthy families thrive . We are often the first step in a child abuse investigation and provide wrap-around services and support throughout the process .
The amazing staff of The Saville Center is made up of six dedicated professionals .
Kelsey Proctor is the executive director and has been in the role for four years . She earned her master ’ s degree in social work and has worked as a social worker in a medical setting , as well as spending many years as a social worker for a hospice in Tulsa . Her passion has always been to help others .
Holly Chandler is one of the most revered forensic interviewers in the state . She has been at The Saville Center for 14 years and has done more than 2,000 interviews . She is instrumental in teaching forensic interviewing to other professionals in our state .
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ( TOP ROW ): Kelsey Proctor , Executive Director ; Brandi Watts , Clinical Services Director ; Holly Chandler , Forensic Inter viewer . LEFT TO RIGHT ( BOTTOM ROW ): Shannon Hiner , Victim Advocate ; Mary Melton , Mental Health Therapist ; Heidi Warren , Program Administrator . DOG : Maria , Facility Canine Companion
Brandi Watts is the nurse practitioner and has been doing medical and sexual abuse exams for 10 years . She is one of six child abuse experts in Oklahoma . Prior to working at The Saville Center , she spent many years as a labor and delivery nurse .
Mary Melton has been a licensed professional counselor for more than 20 years . She has been counseling Saville clients for many years , first as a contract counselor and now as a full-time employee of The Saville Center for six years .
Heidi Warren serves as the program administrator and has been in her role for seven years . She is instrumental in all aspects of our services : scheduling interviews and exams , assisting with grant writing and grant management , creating financial reports and statistical database management .
Shannon Hiner is a national award-winning victim advocate . She has been at The Saville Center for six years . She is a critical part of the court process with child victims , implementing “ court school ” to prepare victims for what being in a courtroom , facing their perpetrators will be like .
At the Saville Center , staff see the worst of the worst cases of child abuse . However , in the months during this pandemic of 2020 , cases have surpassed since The Saville Center ’ s inception . They are seeing the aftermath of quarantine where many children have been trapped in their abusive homes for months with no safe adults to turn to . They believe they will continue to see this trend well into the future months and years , as late disclosure is common . Of course , they are not able to share the children ’ s stories … they are not anyone ’ s but theirs to share . What they can share is these children have power , even when they are made to feel powerless ; they are worthy , even when others make them feel less than ; they are strong , brave and their voice matters . The Saville Center for Child Advocacy will help their voice be heard .
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COMMERCE | 2021 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce