Naples Children & Education Foundation

Naples—For the fifth straight year, the Naples Children and Education Foundation (NCEF) has awarded Catholic Charities of Collier County a one-year grant to provide mental health counseling to abused children.

 

Catholic Charities received $125,000 from NCEF to be used for an ongoing collaboration with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collier County to provide therapeutic counseling services for a minimum of 125 children ages three years old to 18 who have been sexually abused. 

 

The grant also funds the work of Dr. Marta Gallego Adkins, Ph. D., a licensed clinical bilingual psychologist, who treats children at Catholic Charities of Collier County, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collier County, and Fun Time which is a low-income subsidized early childhood center for abused, neglected, or behaviorally impaired children between the ages of three and eight years old.

 

“A condition of this grant is that Dr. Gallego Adkins must immediately visit with a child when the call comes in to our office indicating there is a potential client in need of services,” said Armando Galella, Director of Catholic Charities of Collier County. “Waiting to see a young client who has been abused can be harmful.”

 

The mission of the NCEF is to support charitable programs that improve the physical, emotional and educational lives of underprivileged and at risk children in Collier County.

 

“The board of the NCEF is making several things possible with this grant such as having highly qualified therapists available for these children and through their funding power bringing agencies together to collaborate and make more of an impact on the issue of abuse in Collier County,” Galella said.

 

Last year, there were over 1,200 documented cases of abused children in Collier County.  “Unfortunately there has been a significant increase in physically and sexually abused children in our community and this grant allows us to be a part of solution,” Galella said.

 

“We are happy to work with the Children’s Advocacy Center and Fun Time because it takes all of us together to provide quality services to these young children,” he said.

 

For more information about the Catholic Charities of Collier County Counseling Program, please call 239-455-2655.

 

Photo:  NCEF Board of Director Members (left to right) Bruce Sherman, Ann McNulty, Cynthia Sherman and (far left) Bob Scott pose at the grant presentation ceremony with Catholic Charities staff  (center left to right) Armando Galella, Dr. Marta Gallego Adkins, and Joe Randall.