Our Mission
Giving children back their childhood by creating a stable foundation, and to restore their trust in society.
Our Vision
Our vision is to ensure that the most vulnerable have a place to call home. Ensuring that each child has an opportunity to have their mental, physical, and emotional needs met by offering a stable environment, a trauma-informed care approach, collaboration, and advocacy.
Hidden Cove Values Accountability Commitment Community Integrity Trauma-Focused Care
Questions about Hidden Cove answered by Executive Director Angel Chandler.
Tell us your organization’s founding story.
My grandmother is my reason why.
She started when [foster care] was called Social rehabilitation services (SRS). I remember watching my grandmother foster hundreds and adopt 10. I saw unconditional love firsthand but more importantly, I admired her advocacy. She was the embodiment of “tough love!”
The birth of my vision became clear at my grandmother’s eulogy. It was there, where I witnessed family, children, foster kids, friends, community members, and social workers talk about her.
“Ms. Betty,” as all of the kids that she had helped and had taken into her home throughout the years called her. As they shared their personal experiences, I was motivated to make a difference. In addition to fostering and adopting, she also was a business owner.
Proximity to my grandmother afforded me the opportunity to learn valuable skills early and led me to where I am today.
My first love was law enforcement, but I knew God was calling me for something more. My educational background consisted of criminal justice, social work and business. I knew things were working together for my good; I just didn’t know where it would lead.
In deciding to start a business, I knew I wanted to use my education and training to work with children and make a difference like my grandmother did, but I wanted to do it on a bigger scale.
Hidden Cove was established in Texas in 2018 to be an agent of change to protect children through innovative, evidenced-based practices with a trauma-informed care approach, highly effective and engaged employees, and community partnerships.
Hidden Cove is making a difference by providing a safe environment for children, individualized service plans, substance abuse education and prevention, medication management, psychiatric services, case management, behavioral health services, and strong program implementation.
Tell about one program or therapeutic approach that you are especially proud of.
This is tough, because we’re always coming from a therapeutic approach. No matter how big or how small. At Hidden Cove we strive to focus on supporting the youth to use their tools and resources to overcome challenges, understand and recognize areas of growth, and build resilience and a greater sense of wellbeing. We feel like our treatment model is our best therapeutic approach using our seven commitments, SELF, self-care plans, community meetings, and tool kits. We have our staff and youth utilize our treatment programming, which has been beneficial.
Can you share a notable collaboration that has significantly contributed to the success of your organization’s initiatives?
My collaboration with Our Community, Our Kids has been extremely beneficial and educational. They are part of my success. They have connected me to Wayne Carson, Gary Buff and TACFS.
The last eight months have helped Hidden Cove connect, engage and collaborate!
Becoming part of the TACFS has helped me tremendously. The Alliance has helped push me out of my comfort zone. The network has offered me a platform to share about Hidden Cove and what we do. Now looking back on it, I know that I’m making my grandmother proud. No one would know who Hidden Cove is or what we do if it wasn’t for The Alliance. I cannot take all the credit because my team is very important in how we execute our programming and our treatment services. I’m grateful for the Alliance for opening the door to connect with others. Keeping Hidden Cove formed and connected has been truly valuable to our initiatives.
Are there any specific milestones or achievements that stand out in the organization’s journey toward fulfilling its mission?
We are accredited through CARF with the three-year award. I was a part of the OCOK provider support team. That role is very important to me because we were able to help other providers. I love to see other operations seek out their mission and vision. I love to help other people better serve kids.
What long-term impact do you envision for the organization in the next several years?
Growth, accountability, collaboration, service expansion, and credentialing. The