- Home
- About
- Membership
- Services
- Member-Exclusive Services
- Public Engagement Opportunities
- Support Center
- Request Support
- NSPN Connect
- Member Profile
- NSPN Members
- Licensed Safe Place Partners
- Online Learning (The D.O.T)
- Safe Place Ambassadors
- Board of Directors
- Funding
- News
- Publications
- Contact
- Donate
NSPN Announces 2025 Award RecipientsNational Safe Place Network (NSPN) recognized several individuals, organizations, and businesses during its 2025 national awards ceremony on Wednesday, July 23 at Focus 2025 held at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Orlando, FL. “We are honored to celebrate youth service professionals, volunteers, advocates, and community partners who have made a positive difference in the lives of youth and families,” said Laurie Padilla, President/CEO of NSPN. “The 2025 NSPN Award recipients have contributed their time, money, expertise, and voices to ensure youth safety and for that, we are grateful.” NSPN is proud to recognize the following 2025 NSPN Award winners: Model Program Award This award recognizes agencies that have developed creative and innovative ways to improve service delivery to youth and their families. NSPN is thrilled to celebrate Youth Services of Tulsa’s T-Town Tacos. T- Town Tacos is a social enterprise of Youth Services of Tulsa, serves up more than just tacos. Since receiving an innovation grant from the Tulsa Area United Way in 2016, T-Town Tacos has been working to alleviate one of the most stubborn social challenges facing youth experiencing homelessness – finding and maintaining a job. Employment is one of the largest determining factors for the success of young people who are in the process of transitioning away from homelessness. Many of the young people we serve have never had a job or an opportunity to build the habits and experience they need to find employment they can both enjoy and with which they can build a life. T-Town Tacos teaches these lessons in the best way possible: by employing them. Operated in close partnership with the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, T-Town Tacos serves delicious breakfast and lunch tacos to Downtown Tulsa from modified trikes, as well as providing catering and delivery services to the wider Tulsa metro area. As they learn to work in the kitchen preparing food, T-Town Tacos employees also learn the soft skills of employment, building healthy work habits that will enable them to excel in the work world beyond the program. As they work alongside YST staff, the T-Town crew learns skills that were often modeled to youth in their homes: conflict management and resolution, working under pressure, teamwork and what it means to be a successful employee. As they build these skills, they are also building their resilience, expanding their own opportunities for successful employment beyond the program. As young people are ready to exit the program, the Employment & Education Specialists at Youth Services of Tulsa work with them one on one to help develop interview skills and refine their resume. YST staff walk hand in hand with each crew member, helping them find a job that interests them and builds upon the skills they’ve learned in the program. T-Town crew members have gone on to work in kitchens in downtown Tulsa, in warehouses and shops, enabling them to maintain stable housing and income, and thereby breaking the cycle of homelessness. Video center: Tim Edwards, Coordinator of T-Town Tacos, and young people Alana (L) and Natasha (R)
Helping Hands Award With limited resources, volunteers are often the unsung heroes of youth service organizations and are crucial to daily operations. This award recognizes an individual or group of volunteers who go above and beyond the call of duty. NSPN's 2025 Helping Hands Award goes to Artists Against Taupe. Led by volunteer Tiffany Ackerman, Artists Against Taupe transformed the look and energy of the Safe Place Services shelter in Louisville, KY, filling the building with art, murals, and love. Additionally, Artists Against Taupe lead art sessions with the young people in the shelter, as well as the young adults who go through the Youth Development Center, allowing youth to express themselves and open up during their stay. Outside of art, Artists Against Taupe have put in over 3,000 volunteer hours, engaging community members and congressional representatives to support the program and the youth served, and participating in crucial fundraising for the program. Tiffany and her team have empowered the young people and volunteers at Safe Place Services and left their mark on the shelter forever.
This award recognizes the Coordinator who provides quality Safe Place program management and does so without expecting recognition for their invaluable efforts. NSPN is proud to recognize Mahoganey Smart as the 2025 Safe Place Coordinator of the Year. As the Safe Place Coordinator, Mahoganey exemplified her agency’s (ACH Child and Family Services) purpose in 2024 by spreading awareness and recognition about the Safe Place program. She participated in many outreach events, community coalitions, and networking opportunities to advocate for youth in crisis situations. While conducting such outreach, she demonstrated a kind and warm attitude to others and took pride in her agency's mission. In addition to exemplifying their agency's mission, Mahoganey sought out new and innovative ways to improve Safe Place processes. She updated many Safe Place processes to reflect accurate and up-to-date information for Safe Place responders. She also revamped the Safe Place training names to reflect an accurate title representation for participants. Along with this, Mahoganey’s innovation, she met and even surpassed some of our National Safe Place outputs for 2024. She prioritized National Safe Place monthly documentation in 2024 and worked diligently to provide information to youth and adults about the importance of Safe Place. She participated in many outreach events, community coalitions, and collaboration meetings to increase our outputs. Mahoganey has a mission-driven mindset and always advocates for Safe Place youth.
This award recognizes a business, serving as a community partner, which has consistently gone above and beyond the expectations of a local program. The 2025 Community Involvement Award goes to DPR Construction. This recipient has been involved with Pendleton Place in Greenville, South Carolina, for over five years. During this time, they have provided both hands on and financial support with their quarterly volunteer teams. Examples of projects completed include renovations of a home for three Transitional Living residents, volunteering to clean-up and haul off debris after Hurricane Helene in addition to providing needed emergency repairs, and providing raised garden beds and privacy fencing for the Smith House, which houses up to ten teenage girls. In addition to providing project support, they also have provided financial support, and expertise in addressing facilities planning and additional needs in the future. They are one of the strongest corporate donors, and frequent corporate volunteers.
This award recognizes a young person or a group of young people, age 24 and under, whose efforts go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of others. The 2025 Youth in Action Award goes to Bridge Over Troubled Waters’ Youth in Action Board. The Youth Action Board (YAB) is a group of 11 young adults who meets twice a month to discuss issues and are currently working on a number of projects to improve the lives of youth in their community. They were instrumental during the holiday season at Bridge Over Troubled Waters, spearheading events in residential and day spaces for young adults to feel welcomed and not alone. They have created a Welcome Guide to Boston for young adults who come to the city from other places, wanting to make the transition easier. They are collaborating with other organizations in Boston to create a Gender Affirming Closet which will house gender affirming items for those who identity as LGBTQ/Trans. They are also planning a presence at youth PRIDE and hope to host a table and create their own logo. Finally, they are spearheading the Clothing Clinic, which take place twice a week at Bridge Over Troubled Waters’ Transitional Day Program (TDP) and will give young adults a place to shop comfortably and for free. The YAB has especially advocated to have clothes for plus size people. In addition to their own projects, they also represent Bridge Over Troubled Waters in public forums, such as state legislature hearings. Video: The Youth Action Board accepts the 2025 Youth in Action Award
This award honors those who champion the cause of justice and equality. NSPN is honored to recognize Jamie Snyder with the 2025 Culture of Respect Award. This recipient provides vision and support to her staff by fostering an environment of growth, empowerment, and innovation. She is deeply committed to mentorship, actively investing in the professional development of her team. Many of her employees have grown into leadership roles under her guidance, even those who started with little administrative experience. She challenges staff to step outside their comfort zones while providing the support they need to succeed. Her leadership style is rooted in trust and empowerment. Jamie encourages her team to take initiative and make decisions, creating a workplace culture where people feel valued and capable. She also ensures that diverse voices, particularly those with lived experience, are included in shaping policies and programs, making Our Family Services a stronger and more responsive organization. She cultivates a mission-driven workplace where staff feel motivated and supported, recognizing their hard work and prioritizing their well-being. Additionally, she fosters a spirit of innovation, encouraging new ideas and creative problem-solving to improve service delivery and address challenges. Jamie’s leadership not only strengthens her organization but also inspires those around her to grow and lead with purpose. Other organizations and administrators can learn a great deal from Jamie Snyder’s leadership style, particularly her ability to balance strategic vision with hands-on mentorship. She demonstrates how to build a mission-driven culture where staff feel empowered and supported while maintaining high standards of excellence. Her commitment to professional development has resulted in a pipeline of emerging leaders who have grown under her guidance and approach that other leaders can replicate to strengthen their own teams. Jamie’s expertise in policy and advocacy also serves as a model for how nonprofit leaders can engage in systemic change beyond their immediate programs. Perhaps most importantly, Jamie’s leadership is rooted in a deep commitment to equity and inclusion. By prioritizing the voices of those with lived experience and ensuring that all individuals, both clients and staff, feel valued and heard, she has created a model for inclusive and effective nonprofit leadership. Other administrators looking to foster meaningful change would benefit from following her example.
This award recognizes a leader who is consistently dedicated to staff and works hard to fulfill the mission of the youth service organization. This year's Executive Leadership Award goes to Rachel Castillo. Over her six years in this pivotal role, this recipient has exemplified exceptional leadership, transformative vision, and unwavering dedication to enhancing the lives of children and families across ten North Georgia counties. Under Rachel’s leadership, Advocates for Bartow’s Children has made an indelible impact, serving over 15,000 children and adults through eleven dynamic programs in the past four years alone. Rachel's innovative approach to addressing the barriers faced by client families is evidenced by the successful “Build Strong Families. Protect Children.” capital campaign. This initiative, which Rachel spearheaded, has not only expanded Advocates' facilities, including new headquarters and additional shelter sites, but also significantly enhanced the quality and accessibility of trauma-informed services for those in need. Rachel's commitment to the mission of Advocates—for which she has tirelessly worked to "strengthen our community through education, advocacy, and prevention programs, empowering families to be free from child abuse"—is truly commendable. Her transparent and empathetic leadership style has fostered a collaborative environment where staff are motivated and empowered to provide exceptional services. Under her guidance, the organization navigated the rigorous accreditation process with the Council on Accreditation (COA) in 2020 as well as re-accreditation in 2024. Remarkably, Advocates achieved expedited approval without any out-of-compliance ratings, a testament to Rachel’s commitment to excellence and best practices. Rachel's integrity, compassion, and natural warmth inspire those around her. Her ability to lead with a genuine smile, even in challenging circumstances, underscores her role as a beacon of hope and guidance for both the Advocates team and the families we serve. Her transparent leadership, unwavering support, and innovative problem-solving abilities have solidified her reputation as an exceptional leader and advocate.
This award recognizes contributions to increasing awareness of the needs of youth and those who serve them. The award winner has presented fair and accurate depictions of youth and/or the youth services field and uses messaging to create meaningful and lasting change. The 2025 NSPN Essential Voice Award goes to Truckers Against Trafficking’s (TAT) Youth on Transportation Initiative. TAT’s Youth on Transportation Initiative works at the intersection of public transit and school transportation to leverage those overlaps to protect youth from human trafficking and exploitation. TAT believes all local stakeholders involved in safely transporting youth should be equipped with the knowledge they need to identify and report signs of grooming, exploitation, and trafficking. In 2024, TAT distributed resource materials to 2100 school districts and 283 public transit agencies. In addition, TAT is hosting community level discussions in communities across the country. TAT is growing its connection to NSPN via shared community awareness and education opportunities. Leveraging the national support for TAT to focus on the unique needs of youth demonstrates the appropriateness of this year’s selection.
Together We Can Award This award recognizes an individual whose attitude and actions demonstrate an extraordinary passion for serving young people, commitment to professional development, and courage to engage community support. The 2025 Together We Can Award goes to Erin Strohbehn. Erin exemplifies the “together we can” attitude. She is quick to offer support to team members within her organization as well as in her volunteer efforts with NSPN as a member of the National Safe Place Advisory Board having served on both the Safe Place and membership committees for several years. She is also a member of the Policy Advisory Committee of the National Network for Youth. She is often first to offer to facilitate difficult conversations, share resources, answer questions of other agencies, and to present and national conferences, especially Focus 2025 as she has a special affinity for all things Disney.
This award recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the services provided to at-risk youth on a national scale. HEROES serves as an acronym for individuals who: H Hear the voices of at-risk youth E Engage in the discussion R Respond to the call O Observe the need for change E Educate and encourage key stakeholders to make a difference S Significantly change the lives of at-risk youth for the better The 2025 HEROES for Youth Award goes to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Annually, this organization receives approximately 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation and more than 19,000 reports of possible child sex trafficking (CST) through its Cyber tipline. Its work has expanded since the creation of the center after the tragic murder of Adam Walsh in 1981. Committed to youth safety, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) operates nationally and internationally across multiple prevention and intervention initiatives. Examples of this critical work include efforts to address “cold cases” of missing children and operating the “Take it Down” program to increase awareness and help youth understand how they can take explicit and unauthorized images off the internet. The Center operates the National Emergency Child Locator Center (NECLC) to assist with the reunification of children who have become separated from their parents or legal guardians during a disaster. The Unaccompanied Minors Disaster Registry provides a place for emergency management agencies, law enforcement, shelter staff, hospital employees, and other organizations to report minors in their care during disasters with the understanding that children separated from their parents or legal guardians are more vulnerable to maltreatment, abuse, abduction, and sexual exploitation. The Center provides multiple education resources including KidSmartz: a child safety program that educates families about preventing abduction and empowers kids in grades K-5 to practice safer behaviors; and, NetSmartz - NCMEC's online safety education program which provides age-appropriate videos and activities to help teach children be safer online with the goal of helping children to become more aware of potential online risks and empowering them to help prevent victimization by making safer choices on- and offline. NCMEC partners with the United States Secret Service to support ambassadors to increase understanding and awareness of these issues in countries across the country. To address these issues, NCMEC provides education and advocacy via the availability and promotion of its Global Platform for Child Exploitation Policy. Recently, members of the National Safe Place Network (NSPN) team met with NCMEC leadership and discussed ways to partner and build upon our efforts regarding youth safety. As our team toured the offices in Alexandria, Virginia, what stood out most was not the large number of cases addressed. It was the clear acknowledgement of each child, of every child, every loss, and every reunion. It is clear NCMEC shares NSPN’s vision of a world where all youth are safe.
Lifetime Achievement Award This award recognizes individuals whose distinguished record of professional achievements and accomplishments has improved the lives of youth and families across decades. NSPN is proud to recognize two recipients of the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, Deborah Oppenheim and Gayle Watts. Deborah Oppenheim has served as a Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Program Officer in Region IX for more than 25 years. Deborah carefully monitors the performance of her grantees, ensuring they are compliant with federal grant requirements. More importantly, she has served as a coach and mentor for generations of runaway and homeless youth workers, helping grantee organizations strive for and achieve excellence. Deborah is always accessible and helpful to grantees, while also enforcing strict standards that ensure the safety and well-being of the youth served. She actively looks for outstanding and innovative practices, and encourages staff of grantee organizations to share those practices with others at grantee meetings and quarterly regional Zoom meetings. Runaway and homeless youth and young adults are the most vulnerable segment of our homeless population. They are children who have not yet completed their education, have limited employment skills and experience, and have not yet acquired the skills for adult living. While on the streets, they are at risk of assault and exploitation, hunger, and poor health. Many suffer from untreated mental health and substance abuse problems. Deborah's efforts to support and enable excellence among runaway and homeless youth programs enable young people to grow up safe, healthy, and ready to succeed. Video: Deborah Oppenheim accepts the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award
Children's Aid Society of Alabama has been committed to children, youth and families in Alabama for more than 114 years. For almost three decades, Gayle Watts, LICSW, has led Children's Aid Society of Alabama. This has been but one phase of her career making positive impacts on the lives of at-risk youth though. From her earliest days as a program director and residential camp counselor for the YWCA in Jackson, MS in the early 1980's, Gayle has dedicated her life and livelihood to ensuring that all youth - from homeless and runaway to adopted, foster and at-risk - have safe, loving environments to reach their full potential. Gayle has shaped the lives of thousands of youth and families while also shaping the state of child, youth, and family care in the states of Alabama and Mississippi. Gayle exemplifies the attributes that make a leader in child and youth-serving agencies successful. Her success though, hasn't come from accolades, resumes, or advancements. It has come directly from her love of the clients she has served; the young people who have benefitted from her advice, young female employees who have advanced because of her passion for their success, and social workers and administrators/executives (like me) alike who have benefited from her steadfast leadership and commitment to the agencies she has served. Gayle is thoughtful, steadfast in decision, a listener, and a convener. She does not make decisions in a vacuum, recognizes the leadership and talent around her, and relies on her instincts and internal/external advice when deciding how to advance our agency and its people. Gayle led a 2012 Capital Campaign to purchase, renovate, and advance the Agency in the Alice Williams Center for Youth and Families in Birmingham, Alabama. She has led Children's Aid Society of Alabama for close to three decades, advanced its efforts by improving upon the Children's Aid Foundation, and counseled and led hundreds of social workers young and old who have gained insight, experience, and confidence under her care. Gayle specifically pours into young female executives, counseling them on the benefits of the social work field, the need for retirement savings, ways to be assertive leaders, and how to be caring towards clients. Her 'degree' is in social work, but her mastery is in the way she treats others. She serves on numerous boards, and is truly a leader who has shaped her state, industry, field, and area of focus.
|
