ODESSA, Texas — Harmony Home in Odessa has been around for over three decades, helping West Texas children and non-offending caregivers who are victims of child abuse.
The Children’s Advocacy Center saw a 21% increase in 2023 in direct services, and as they deal with capacity restraints, they are not able to serve all that they need to.
That reality means they are working toward expanding their current facility to meet those needs.
Harmony Home has been forced to operate in two separate locations for over two years, and after starting a capital campaign in August, their sites are set on creating more space that will allow them and their partners the ability to better serve their surrounding community.
“If not now, then when?," said Carrie Bronaugh, executive director of Harmony Home Children's Advocacy Center.
For Harmony Home, the time is now to expand.
“We’re staying right here; we’re just going to have an addition added and renovated space where we’re currently at so that we can meet the capacity of our kids," Bronaugh said. "Every single year we’ve grown in need, and it really has been on the mental health side and our education and our community awareness components.”
Bronaugh said they saw an 11% increase in mental health therapy service in 2023, highlighting the current need for more space.
“It’s less kids that we get to serve in our mental health and our education if we don’t have it," Bronaugh said. "Can we continue working in two offices? Probably, but our kids are going to lack in mental health services, and so that healing piece – not only for the children but for the caregivers – is so significant.”
That healing piece would improve with this transition.
“The modalities with mental health is we are going to be able to increase our parent-child interaction therapy," Bronaugh said. "That’s something that we currently don’t do where we provide therapy -- not only to the child and the parent -- but them together. We’re going to be able to provide problematic sexual behavior for our children, and then our play and art therapy. So, we will have space for an entire area that’s large enough to enhance play therapy and enhance art therapy, do group supports and things like that.”
Harmony Home works closely with local law enforcement, Child Protective Services, the district attorney's office and even Medical Center Hospital for some cases.
For everyone involved, making this expansion a reality would be a benefit.
“This is where you get to come to; this is your safe place and you don’t have to go to other places and try to be safe and try to feel safe," Bronaugh said. "We have spent so much time focusing on us being child-focused and friendly and victim-oriented, and we’ve done a really good job for the last 31 years, so to be able to house everything under one roof -- it’s icing on the cake for these kids and it’s icing on the cake for these caregivers too.”
Harmony Home received $250,000 in ARPA funds on Tuesday night from the City of Odessa, which brings them to 28% of their project finance goal.
To learn more about the Children’s Advocacy Center’s mission and expansion efforts, click here.