Safe Harbor is kicking off 2025 strong. Danielle Maske started at Safe Harbor in 2018 and has been the executive director since October 2023. When asked what that transition has been like, she laughs, “You don’t know until you know! I thought I knew all the rules, but with HR now – whoa that’s a learning curve! It’s not just making big decisions.”
All in all, Danielle says, “It’s actually been great. We have an amazing team, and they do wonderful work. It’s been easy to take the reins. Georgia [Chakos Ferrell] did an amazing job for 10 years. Upon her departure, the question was what direction between the board and myself did we feel that we needed to go?”
The conclusion they came to was to really evaluate what the Coronado community needed and how they might meet some of those needs.
From SAFE to Coronado SAFE to Safe Harbor
SAFE began 26 years ago as a drug prevention organization with the acronym standing for Substance Abuse Free Environment. In 2014, they pivoted to Student and Family Enrichment as Coronado SAFE and keeping the same acronym. They had realized that when people are misusing or abusing drugs, there tends to be a mental health aspect. When people are self-medicating to cope, rather than a scared-straight model trying to intimidate them to make healthy choices, it’s about getting to the crux of the matter, which is mental health.
“There’s a lot of stigma associated with help-seeking behavior for any mental health concerns or strife,” Danielle says. “So, pivoting the direction of the organization was really important.”
In 2021, they evaluated the name again and decided to make another change – this time to Safe Harbor Coronado. Danielle laughs as she promises this will be the last time.
A Rising Tide Raises All Ships
Safe Harbor is for everyone in the community. If you live, work, or attend school in Coronado, you’re part of the community and Safe Harbor wants to make sure you’re OK. Safe Harbor takes community seriously, from the people to the organizations, they believe we are in this together.
Danielle says, “I love Coronado. There are a lot of nonprofits in Coronado and they’re doing great things. We can work together – a rising tide raises all ships. We’re trying to leverage funding resources and audiences!”
Danielle explains how mental wellness can look very different. “Maybe you’re not inclined to come to something that you think is just mental health education, but maybe you’re inclined to see the Unravel collaboration with CoSA. First of all, those kids are freaking amazing. Second, part of their craft is expressing their emotions. They’re demonstrating that they’re being vulnerable. They’re speaking about mental health struggles whether they have experienced them or they know someone who has. It’s holding space for these issues and talking about it.”
Partnership with Coronado Schools Foundation (CSF)
Another partnership is with CSF for the Art and Wine Festival. “We’ve been there the past three years and will being doing Artopia again,” Danielle says. “The Art and Wine Festival is wonderful, it’s all about families being out. There’s an economic part, but there’s also an opportunity for families to be together. Come over to the kids section! It’s not a place for your kids to be babysat while you go over and drink coffee, but it’s art therapy.”
She continues, “If your kid is experiencing some anxiety, there are ways that coping skills can help. Coloring mandalas can foster communication. Playing board games fosters eye contact and interpersonal communication. Playing Legos! My gosh the evidence-based modalities behind Legos is so impressive. It’s that construction – it flares up all parts of the brain. We had a Lego table last year and let me tell you, that was crowded the whole time and no one left with Legos! I was very impressed that all the kids left them for everybody else to play with. It was very neat.”
Another collaboration recently was with Rotary Club of Coronado. “They’re a great organization, we’re a great organization. The more we know about each other the better investors we are for each other. It builds a better community. We did the CCAT (Citizens Casualty Awareness Training) [Updated Jan. 6, 2025 with this link to our article on CCAT]. It’s basically what to do in emergencies. If someone is injured, how do you stop bleeding? In this day and age, we have to know this. We went as a team, and Rotary does this completely free.”
Programs You’ll Find at Safe Harbor
While Safe Harbor has programs for all, the kids’ programs have been the most popular. “This year, we’re very excited to be going to Graham Memorial Preschool for Turtle Time. We go to each of the schools and our Turtle Time is a big hit for all kids TK through first grade. Everybody loves the story of Tucker the Turtle. It’s a great resource for teaching kids to internalize and be able to handle their big feelings. It’s self-management, self-regulation, honestly just self-recognition.”
The premise is to teach kids when they are having big feelings, what they can do about it. Tucking into their ‘shell’ and taking three deep breaths can help them come up with a solution. Danielle simplifies, “It’s about acknowledging those feelings and then moving through them.”
Parent Involvement
Danielle explains why parent involvement is crucial. “We find that Turtle Time is really successful because parents come to those meetings. When we have that shared language between the school, the parents, and the students, the learning is reinforced. It’s OK to have feelings that are not positive or negative, it’s what you do with them.”
For the parent component, Danielle explains, “We offer questions to parents so that it’s not ‘What did you learn in school today?’ It’s ‘What color is your thinking cap?’ because they have to put their thinking cap on. It’s more curated questions so that when they’re talking about Turtle Time it’s more interactive.”
As a foundation for life, Danielle says, “You have to work on these skills so that when you’re getting your first job as a barista at Starbucks and some person yells at you, you know how to react. You know how to respond appropriately. You can internalize, regulate, and then you can handle it. Some of those social cues get missed and we’re just trying to do better.”
Coffee Talks
A program that has been running for most of Safe Harbor’s existence is the Coffee Talk program. But the program has seen some pitfalls in recent years. Danielle hypothesizes, “I think it’s a post-COVID thing. We used to have a really successful Coffee Talks program. We would have monthly talks on a variety of topics. We’ve tried to go back to it, and I have to tell you, people aren’t coming. I think with podcasts and a lot of information out there (which is awesome), people aren’t coming to those in-person educational experiences. It’s kind of a hard thing for us to swallow because the feedback we get is people wanting more parenting classes. We’re doing them but people aren’t coming.”
An example of how impactful in-person experience can be is demonstrated by the organization’s Love and Logic series. This program is a six-week parenting series providing simple, practical and proven tools for raising respectful, responsible, and happy kids.
Parents will learn how to: end arguing and manipulation, avoid power struggles, guide kids to own and solve their problems, set kids up for success via “small mistakes” method.
Danielle says, “One of our wonderful staff members is a certified Love and Logic instructor. We only have about 8 to 10 people that come and they build serious friendships.”
Holiday Mental Health
With the holiday season, Safe Harbor is aware and ready to help the community. “The holidays can be loaded,” Danielle says. “You can have a lot of excitement; there’s a lot of joy, but there can also be some sadness. Maybe someone you love is ill or has recently passed. There’s a lot of feelings that get stirred up with the holidays and all of those are OK. Emotions are always OK. It’s how you’re letting it affect you and anything that challenges your daily function, that’s when it’s time to reach out for help. Whether that’s just a check-in or something more.”
She continues, “We have recently hired a new clinician, Samantha Yim, she’s wonderful. We adore Sam and we had needed more help. She has a ton of experience with group sessions and public education.”
Danielle also mentions their long time clinician, “Michael Tanori is our full-time licensed clinician. He has really been busy and it’s a bit of a conundrum. On one hand, ‘Yay he’s busy,’ that means people are getting help. But also, people are struggling. That’s a lot of help that’s being requested.”
Danielle encourages people to reach out either via the website, call the counseling line 619-478-4066, or send an e-mail to [email protected]. They will get back to you about what might be the best fit for you.
Safe Harbor Process
Danielle explains the process for determining how they can best support inquiries. “We try to boil it down to mental health skills, support, and resources. Sometimes you just might need a skills check, like what is it that you’re doing? What might you need to do more of? Are you journaling? Are you checking in? Eating enough? Sleeping enough? Are you meeting your basic needs? Maybe you need skills support. Maybe you need mental health support and to meet with Michael or Sam. Or, maybe you just need resources – like a helpful podcast or a good book that I can recommend.”
Everyone is on a different path and at a different level. “We’re here for wherever you are in the journey and we’re happy to meet you where you are.”
Reflecting on 2024
It’s been a busy year for Safe Harbor. In addition to adding Samantha Yim as a second clinician, they also hired Missy Robertson for the new Development Director Position.
“I’m really proud of this team,” says Danielle. “These are people who really care about our community. There are a wide range of individuals that work here and they’re moms, coaches, Navy spouses, small business owners, former educators. I’m really proud of the effort and the work that they have done. They have made great changes.”
Part of what makes them so great in Danielle’s eyes is their commitment to improvement. “They are present and mindful every time they’re offering programs. They are constantly talking about how they can improve it or make it more impactful at each level. They’ll finish with the first grade class and they’ll walk into a second grade class and they’ll think ‘Oh that didn’t ring quite right. Let’s change this.’”
The Data
As far as the numbers, by the end of their fiscal year (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024), Safe Harbor helped over 300 Coronadans through their Family Support Services. This number includes the parents, grandparents, the caretakers, and friends.
“It’s not just the people that walk through the door, we want to get your family involved too,” Danielle explains. “We have some kids that are self-referred because they’re struggling with anxiety and part of it is the divorce their parents are going through. The parents don’t know about it quite yet so we’re going to see them because we absolutely want to help them where they are, but we’re also going to say ‘Hey, now it’s time to bring your parents. Now it’s time for a conversation because all of us need to heal.’”
She continues, “It’s really empowering these kids so that if they can handle it on a scale that is somewhat controlled, it will build that confidence in themselves. When the going gets tough they’re ready to handle it.”
Danielle concludes, “I’m just proud of the work of Michael, Tracy, Jen, Annie, Missy, Shannon and our whole team have done; it is just fantastic. That’s what I’m proud of this past year.”
Safe Harbor Embraces Interns
While not a 2024-only accomplishment, Danielle gushes about their intern program. “We have 14 interns and we just started this two years ago. We went from three to six and now we’ve got 14.”
You may also see more content from Safe Harbor online; a change Danielle calls “glorious.”
“These really talented kids are putting articles together for our local papers. Savannah McCauley takes photos, she’s such a talented photographer. She took some fantastic photos for us for the Unravel [CoSA Dance Show] article. Izzy Arroyo, Morgan Maske, Nick Desena, each wrote a column. These kids are so engaged and they’re so awesome. They come into the office, and they’ll pretty much do anything we ask them to do. They’ll do office work but they’re also getting an education about physical and mental wellness.”
She continues, “We did Check Your Mood back in October which is in collaboration with Live Well San Diego. I was so impressed with these kids. They took off with it! They wrote the script and did the presentation on Islander News, the high school broadcast. It’s really great to empower them to have a place and a purpose.”
Hosting Game Club
Another program Safe Harbor offers weekly at the high school is called Game Club where they’re fostering connections. CHS is an open campus, and with some kids leaving at lunch, it’s an opportunity for the ones that want to stay back to have a place.
Danielle says, “This gives the interns the power if they see someone hanging out by themselves, to bring a couple friends and ask them to play games. Put their phones down and talk to us. Play checkers or chess or Connect 4 or Battleship or Apples to Apples.”
She laughs, “We bribe them with chips and drinks, but it’s getting that connection. It’s always a safe place. The interns are there to help make it easily accessible for anybody. Then there are some kids who may need the counselors sometimes. It’s our hope that we are getting those kids to build relationships. We have wonderful success stories of kids that used to come every week and now we don’t see them anymore. But also, that means we did our job. We have others who come every week because they need a trusted adult. Jen and Annie are our facilitators. We don’t care what your situation is, we’re happy to have you. If you don’t want to talk about it, fine. If you do want to talk about it, we’re here for that too.”
On the Horizon in 2025
As the new year approaches, Danielle points out events the community should be aware of.
- March 18, 2025: Drug Prevention. The 19th year of drug prevention (formerly known as Drug Store). Drug Prevention is seeking volunteers! Get involved here.
- March: Rosie the Riveter collaboration with the Girl Scouts.
- March: Love and Logic at the Teen Center at Silver Strand
- May: Second Annual Health and Wellness Fair
Safe Harbor Coronado Kicks Off Mental Health Awareness Month with Health and Wellness Fair
April: Month of the Military Child
One of Danielle’s favorite events is in April, which is the Month of the Military Child. At CMS, Safe Harbor collaborates with the school counselors for a monthly Wellness Wednesday, and in April they make it about military kids. “The flower for military kids is a dandelion because they sprout wherever they land. We show up big in April. We really want to give some of those non-Navy kids (as well as the Navy kids) an appreciation for their service members – whether it’s mom, dad, grandpa, grandma or whoever.
“Last year we had the helicopter squadron come in and they brought a litter basket, which is a swim basket that takes you out of the water. They also brought rescue swimmer gear. We had a couple of pilots from the helo squadron and they brought night vision goggles – that’s a big hit. We had the spec war community send some representatives from the SEAL teams. They show the kids some of the gear like the helmets, the jackets, the vests that they wear.”
This helps show what it looks like when military families go to work, and why they may be gone for months at a time. It also gives non-military kids a little more appreciation for the community.
Monthly Coalition
Possibly the most important collaboration is the monthly Coalition. Danielle says, “I host it down at the school district office and it’s a wonderful group of community stakeholders. We have an admin from each of the schools as well as Sharp Coronado, the Coronado Police Department, the fire department, a representative from the City Council comes, school board members are there. It’s really collective. Mindy Hayes, the school liaison officer is there. We’re all working together for the betterment of our community. It’s nice to all sit in a room and have conversations; to come up with community-based solutions so that we’re not forgetting any one group.”
Danielle continues, “We’re focusing on those positives and how can we do it all together. We’re supporting each other and, unfortunately, emergencies happen but now we’ve sat across the table from someone – we’ve had coffee with that person, and we’ve built relationships and rapport. It’s easier to make that phone call and to have those conversations. It’s not always dire, sometimes it’s happy news, but it’s part of that community building.”
Aloha Club
Aloha Club is throughout the year, but their biggest push is in the beginning of the school year. With Coronado’s flexible population, a lot of people are in and out. Safe Harbor is ready to welcome them.
“We ask you to sign up and we put together a bag of resources. We get contributions from the Chamber of Commerce, the Police Department, and the library; the rec center puts in some informatoin. So you know where to go and what to do. We’ll send you email updates. If you’re new to Coronado and it’s your first Halloween and you don’t know what to do, for example, you have to go on Orange first if you have little kids. Then you have go down to Margarita.”
Danielle says, “The great part about living in Coronado is you have all of these opportunities. We want people to know we’re happy they’re here and we want them to feel welcome, but if they have more questions to let us know.”
Family Matching
As part of the Aloha Club, families can sign up if they want to be matched with another family. Danielle explains, “We have volunteer families ready in the wing. If you have kids around the same age, we try to match the family with kids around the same age. If you have a high schooler and don’t know what a class is or why you have to take that, we have people to tell you.”
Danielle says that sometimes this turns into a fast friend, other times it’s just someone they know on text. It can be as deep a relationship as they determine. The comfort lies in knowing that there’s someone to reach out to.
Get Involved with Safe Harbor
You are invited to be a Wellness Champion today and connect with Safe Harbor to:
- PARTICIPATE in an upcoming dynamic workshop, or receive needed counseling
- VOLUNTEER and work with their staff to support youth and parents
- DONATE to help reach those who need support the most
Visit SafeHarborCoronado.org, sign up for the eNewsletter
@SafeHarborCoronado · Facebook · 619-522-6884 · 1009 C Avenue
Let’s navigate life together.
