Agency Roster Supplemental2015-16

Safety Forces Chaplaincy Center

P.O. Box 444
Akron, Ohio 44309
Robert Denton 330-376-0091

The mission of the Summit County Safety Forces Chaplaincy Center is to incorporate its unique understanding of and experience in the safety professions to provide confidential emotional, mental health, substance abuse counseling,spiritual,and material services free of cost to law enforcement, fire safety, dispatchers, and their families

ALL SERVICES ARE CONFIDENTIAL AND FREE OF COST TO MEMBERS OF THE SAFETY FORCES AND THEIR FAMILIES. THESE ARE PROVIDED BY CONTRIBUTIONS AND GRANTS. SAFETY FORCES CHAPLAINCY CENTER IS A NON-SECTARIAN PROGRAM OF THE FURNACE STREET MISSION INC. AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CENTER ENJOY TAX EXEMPT STATUS AS SUCH.

"Being a field placement at Safety Forces Chaplaincy Center has given me a great deal of experiences I do not believe I would have gotten at any other field placement. I have been witness to many things, such as debriefings, board meetings, ceremonies, administrative work and fundraising. The most influential part of my field placement has been seeing the impact this agency makes on those who serve us- first responders. Dr. Denton has taught me more about the field of social work than I could have ever expected from my field placement."
Samantha Grimmett, Social Work Intern

2014 CONDENSED REPORT OF SERVICE GOALS AND IMPACTS:

Goal 1. Mental health and related services continued to grow considerably. Individual, group/family therapy and debriefings were provided to 256 police and fire personnel. Included were death notification to the family of a murdered officer and on-site response to a retired police officer suicide.

Goal 2. Trainings on police suicide and officer mental health and officer survivor was provided to 668 officers, fire personnel and rookies (including all officers of the Akron Police Department) and a special Ohio Police Officer Training Academy seminar. Impact of trauma was also provided for the Copley Civilian Response Team.

Goal 3. General first responder chaplaincy services were provided to 2792 individuals including planning and leading a large line of duty death memorial for an officer murdered. Events (memorials and representation at various association meetings accounted for 579 hours of service and included more than 2200 individuals (some duplications for repetitious meetings). This included Chaplain's election as President of the Law Enforcement Traffic Safety Council.

Memorial services escalated for retired police officers including a past chief and officers and high-laws. There were seven officiated in the last three months of the year and the impact upon the police department generated a Beacon Journal article regarding the emotional effects of both the profession and the unique incidents which accumulated and took on a larger than life nature.

Goal 4. Our year end Christmas activities also superseded all previous years: 168 baskets were provided for police and fire retirees and widows which were delivered by numerous police and fire vehicles. Christmas Eve the Center was open and fed just shy of 200 police fire and dispatchers who worked shifts across the Holiday.

2014 was the most effective year of service for the Center.