The SAFE Alliance
Aaron Mickens has a diverse work experience in the field of youth care and support. Aaron started their career as a Youth Program Development Coordinator at Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, where they planned and supervised after-school and in-school programs for at-risk youth. Aaron then worked as a Juvenile Corrections Officer V at the Texas Youth Commission, where they supervised a team and organized activities for juvenile offenders. Aaron also worked as a Recovery Advocate at Phoenix House Texas, providing care and supervision to adolescents in a substance abuse recovery setting. Aaron further contributed to the field as a Mental Health Technician at Meridell Achievement Center, providing direct care and support to adolescent mental health patients. Aaron later joined LifeWorks Austin as a Youth Care Worker III and then as a Program Services Coordinator, overseeing emergency shelter programs for youth in foster care and runaway homeless youth. Their responsibilities included managing schedules and processing new applications. Aaron also worked at the City of Austin as a Community Recreation Activity Specialist, providing recreational and enrichment activities to youth. Aaron's experience continued at Austin Children's Shelter, where they served as a Youth Care Worker and eventually became a Program Manager for the Transitional Living Program. Their roles involved supervising staff, performing administrative tasks, and providing medication administration. Currently, Aaron Mickens is working at The SAFE Alliance as the Director of Youth Care Compliance and Support, where they ensure compliance with youth care standards and provides support to the organization's programs.
Aaron Mickens, LCCA holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American/Black Studies from the University of Iowa. The start and end years for this education are not provided.
The SAFE Alliance
The SAFE Alliance is a Central Texas nonprofit organization working to stop abuse for everyone. SAFE supports children, adults, and families who have experienced abuse by providing safety, stability, and healing. To more effectively put an end to child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and sex trafficking, SAFE provides shelter, counseling, legal assistance, sexual assault forensic exams, a charter school, and more. In addition to direct services, SAFE works to prevent violence before it occurs through parenting assistance and education, programs that promote healthy teen relationships, and working with communities disproportionately affected by abuse. Violence and abuse are a cycle, often transferred across generations. We work to break that cycle. As part of the SAFE Alliance, the SAFE INSTITUTE provides workplace training and consulting for companies to prevent sexual harassment and create safe, respectful work environments. SAFE is a merger of SafePlace and the Austin's Children's Shelter and has over 45 years of experience in the field of violence prevention and response. Learn more about our merger at safeaustin.org/merger With an annual budget of more than $20 million, more than 350 employees and thousands of volunteers, SAFE now has prevention and crisis programs operating across multiple campuses and in the schools, hospitals, courts, county and District Attorney’s offices. NEED HELP? SAFEline is a 24-hour confidential hotline for people seeking help with sexual or domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, or parenting support and is available by phone at 512.267.SAFE (7233), by text at 737.888.7233, or by online chat at safeaustin.org/chat.