About Safe
Communities
Safe Communities cares about the health, wellbeing and safety of all people in our community. By engaging a coalition of advocates, including those with lived experiences, we empathetically provide support and resources to vulnerable populations. We are saving lives together by confronting our community’s top safety concerns – Older Adult Falls, Traffic Crashes, Suicide & Drug Harm, through innovative programs.
Our Mission
Safe Communities fosters safety and wellness for our community.
Our Vision
Safe Communities sets the standard for community safety as a trusted catalyst that fosters innovation and collaboration
Our Focus
Safe Communities focuses on Drug Harm Reduction and Recovery, Falls Prevention, Traffic Safety, and Suicide Prevention
Safe Communities is an award-winning nonprofit coalition of over 350 organizations fostering safety and wellness for our community, and saving lives together.
Our funding comes from federal, local, and foundation grants, program sponsorships, and the generous support of sustaining donors and individual contributors.
We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors, comprised of public and private sector partners.
Our programs are coordinated by a dedicated staff team, including our executive director, program managers, coordinators, and peer providers. Projects are carried out in collaboration with partners who serve on task forces, coalitions, and program teams, ensuring lived experience, expertise, and community voice guide our work.
Financial Disclosures
Program Funding Partners
Show Members
- Aurielle Smith: Director of Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Public Health Madison and Dane County and Safe Communities Board Member
- Carrie Meier: Assistant Chief, Dane County Emergency Management
- Carrie Simon: Behavioral Health Manager, Dane County Human Services
- Charles Tubbs Sr: Director, Dane County Emergency Management
- Charlestine Daniel: Founder, African American Opioid Coalition of Safe Communities
- Chief Aaron Chapin: McFarland Police Department, Dane County Police Chief’s Association
- Division Chief Liza Tatar: Madison Fire Department
- Dan Olson: Superintendent, Monona Grove Public Schools
- Eli Tsarovsky, University Health Services, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Promotion Team, UW Madison
- Emily Anderson: Middleton VA Hospital, Pain Care Resource Nurse
- Eric Anderson: EMS Data Analyst, Dane County Emergency Management
- Hannah Flanagan: Director, Crisis Services, Journey Mental Health
- Jaime Craig, Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation
- Jenny Lee, UW Health
- Jean Papalia, Safe Communities, WI DHS
- Jeanne McLellan: Executive Director, NAMI of Dane County
- Jill McHone: Executive Director, Fitchburg Senior Center
- Jim Van Den Brandt, Dane County Department of Human Services
- Josh Schmitz, Safety Director, CG Schmidt
- Judge Susan Crawford: Dane County Circuit Court, OWI Court Judge
- Julia Stanley: Journey Mental Health
- Kailey Peterson, Dane County Emergency Management
- Kara McCaffrey: Chief Wellness Officer, Houck Group, Inc
- Katrina Hickle-Koclanes, MD: Psychiatrist, Member & Executive Council, Wisconsin Psychiatric Association
- Kerry Porter, Dane County Sheriff’s Office
- Kyle Martin, MD: Emergency Physician, St. Mary’s Hospital Emergency Department
- Lauren Werner: Behavioral Health Business Manager, UW Health
- Lilly Roe, Safe Communities MDC
- Linda Lenzke: Executive Director, OUTReach LGBTQ Community Center
- Lori Chalecki, Madison Police Department
- Lindsay Wallace: Behavioral Health Program Manager, Dean Health Plan
- Lupita Montoto: La Movida Radio and Safe Communities Board Member
- Mary Lauby: Adult Injury Prevention Coordinator, UW Health
- Nyra Jordan: Social Impact Investment Director, American Family Insurance
- Rachel Edwards: Nurse Manager, Behavioral Health, UW Health and Chair, Zero Suicide Collaborative of Safe Communities
- Ritu Bhatnagar, WI Society of Addiction Medicine
- Romilia Schlueter: Suicide Prevention Trainer (Spanish), Safe Communities
- Sara Allee-Jatta: Outreach Worker, Homeless Service Consortium
- Sarah Dunn: Vice President CG Schmidt
- Steve Starkey: Executive Director, OUTReach LGBTQ Community Center
- Tanya Kraege, Safe Communities MDC
- Tanya Lettman-Shue: Executive Director, Journey Mental Health
- Todd Campbell, Dane County Human Services
- Virginia Gittens Escudero: Executive Director, UNIDOS
- Xerxes Minocher: Center for Journalism Ethics, UW Madison
Our Coalition Members
Our Programs
We are saving lives together by confronting our community’s top safety concerns
Traffic Safety
Our program engages partners, including members of the Dane County Traffic Safety Commission, to improve road safety and reduce traffic-related injuries and fatalities.
Suicide Prevention
Our program supports people who have attempted suicide, those who experience thoughts of suicide, and those who have lost loved ones to suicide.
Falls Free
Our programs help older adults live the lives we all want to lead as we age—staying independent, healthy, falls free and able to move with confidence
Drug Harm Reduction & Recovery
Our program ensures anyone who has been impacted by substance use experiences has a compassionate network for support, resources, and harm reduction tools.
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I’m thrilled to have assumed the role of Executive Director at Safe Communities, an organization dedicated to saving lives and promoting safety through collaboration across Dane County. It’s humbling to step into this role, learn more about Safe Communities’ rich history, and build on the incredible work already underway in Falls Prevention, Suicide Prevention, Overdose Prevention, and reducing Traffic Fatalities alongside our over 300 community partners. I’m committed to advancing this work from a community-collaborative, community-first perspective as we Save Lives Together.
Tanya Lettman-Shue
Executive Director
Our
History
Promoting safer communities since 1999.
2008
MedDrop program collaborates with area communities to reclaim unused or expired medicine begins.
