Janis Clark is the founder and visionary of Safe Homes, a 501(c) (3), community-based, non-profit organization, initially addressing the needs of at-risk youth and their families in the Hilltop area of Tacoma, Washington since 1995. She established a new division of Safe Homes in 2009, Ladies Operation Moving Forward (LOMF) that specifically concentrates on the needs of our women veterans as they transition back to lives outside of the military.

With 30 plus years of military service under her belt, Janis understands the unique needs of our women veterans and how these needs are often overlooked or misunderstood. Janis is a survivor of Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and is a 100% service-connected disabled veteran with a diagnosis of PTSD with Depression because of the MST. These needs include housing, employment, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Military Sexual Trauma (MST) counseling. With Janis’ steadfast commitment, LOMF will address these issues by providing emergency, transitional and permanent housing, culinary arts training, job training, life skills training, counseling, and therapeutic classes.

Safe Homes – Ladies Operation Moving Forward (Women Veteran Division):

• BRIDGES- Five-Week Therapeutic Intensive Workshop that moves the participants’ life forward in a significant way. This program applies to everyone and every stage of life. These techniques are tools used to balance each participant’s life to move forward and continue with their personal and professional growth. 

       Topics Explored: Self-Discovery, Vision, Clarity, Planning/Goal Setting, Launch Vision

• PTSD-MST SUPPORT SERVICES- We provide a safe, non-threatening atmosphere for veterans, especially African American female veterans, who experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and who have been victims of Military Sexual Trauma (MST). The goal is to do an initial comprehensive mental health evaluation and drug and alcohol assessment and then provide the necessary treatment methods in collaboration with Dr. John L. Casteele Jr., Ph.D., LMFT, CDP of Casteele, Williams & Associates.
• Hilltop Early Learning Project (HELP) - This is a program designed to strengthen families of African American women veterans and to provide innovative parent education and support services. Objectives: To educate, motivate, and inspire parents to excellence as their child’s first teacher. To provide a Best-Practice Curriculum that supports parents and caregivers in preparing children for school and the world of work.
• SHARED SPACES™ (Under Development) – It is the goal to provide a safe, communal atmosphere for women veterans who are experiencing homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse issues. We also welcome military women spouses who are victims of domestic violence. 

In October 2010, Ladies Operation Moving Forward (LOMF) gave birth to the Veterans Technology Center aka VET Tech Café.  The VET Tech Café™ is a functional area of LOMF. It is a community service, social action and an educational facility where computers and other related communications technologies are available to increase self-sufficiency, skill building opportunities, job training, entrepreneur and other creative experiences to veterans, especially to women veterans who has limited or no access to computers at all and their families, youth and the public who otherwise might have little or no opportunity to use them or learn to use these technologies.

In December 2012, the Veterans Technology Center was registered as its own LLC, now known as the Veterans Technology Center, LLC dba VTech Center, LLC, co-located with Safe Homes Ladies Operation Moving Forward (Women Veterans Division) in Federal Way, WA.

• Veterans Technology Center, LLC dba VTECH CENTER, LLC - “For Veterans By Veterans.”

To facilitate self-sufficiency; we provide skill-building opportunities, entrepreneur and creative experiences for veterans and their families. Partners in the LLC:

1. Business Opportunity Self Sufficiency (BOSS) Model/Travel & Tourism - Facilitates self-sufficiency through e-commerce in the Travel and Tourism Industry for a targeted population of veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – Military Sexual Trauma (PTSD-MST). 
2. A Safe Homes Production - “It Could Have Been Me - Mama I’m Home” – The Stage Play is centered around the main character, “Tim a soldier”, returning from war, with more baggage than he cares to come home with and he is battling fighting the demons of the battlefield and trying to balance a normal home life.
3. Red, White & Blues Festival – The RWBF is a celebration of the outstanding contribution of our U.S. Troops, Veterans and their Families with live music, food and festivities. The goal is to produce events that support, inspire and employ our targeted populations.
4. Annual Veterans Day Appreciation & Awards Banquet – In 2020, Safe Homes and the VTech Center, LLC celebrated its 10th Annual Veterans Day event. The goal is to recognize the military service of all veterans and celebrate with a banquet in their honor. 

VET Tech Café

Providing Housing and Training for a Better Future

• PTSD-MST SUPPORT SERVICES- We provide a safe, non-threatening atmosphere for all veterans, especially female veterans, who experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and who have been victims of Military Sexual Trauma (MST).

An initial comprehensive mental health evaluation and drug and alcohol assessment is completed and then the necessary treatment methods are provided in collaboration with local mental health service providers, i.e., Dr. John L. Casteele Jr., Ph.D., LMFT, CDP; Casteele, Williams & Associates; Mr. Stephen Riggins, M.Ed., LMHC; and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) Counselor’s & Veterans Service Officer’s (VSOs).

• Hilltop Early Learning Project (HELP) - This is a program designed to strengthen families of women veterans of African American descent and to provide innovative parent education and support services for other vulnerable populations that are underserved or unserved. The objectives of HELP are to educate, motivate, and inspire parents to excellence as their child’s first teacher. To provide a Best-Practice Curriculum that supports parents and caregivers in preparing children for school and the world of work.

• SHARED SPACES™ - A safe, communal atmosphere for women veterans who are experiencing homelessness, near-homelessness, mental health challenges, and substance abuse issues. Military women spouses are also welcomed who are survivors of domestic violence. The “wrap-around” services include collaboration with: (a) Bridges, (b) HELP, (c) PTSD-MST Support Services, and (d) Enrollment in the VTech Center-12-Week Travel & Tourism Academy with the outcome to be an Independent Contractor in an 8.3 trillion-dollar industry; the largest in the world.

• The Better Opportunity for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) Model – The BOSS Model is projected to train approximately 100 human service providers per year in the Trauma Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: A Guide for Service Providers Web-Based Training (WBT). And to apply this research to better serve their clients in a seamless transition to life outside of the military; with a goal to reduce or eliminate homelessness for those women veterans who have transitioned.

Target audience for this course is community-based organizations agency staff members who work with women veterans in a variety of settings, such as:

• Emergency shelters
• Domestic violence shelters
• Transitional and supportive housing programs
• Outpatient settings
• Faith-based organizations

The BOSS Model “supports outreach and organizing in low-income communities, communities of color, disabled veterans and others impacted by Washington State investments, so they can be effectively served to reduce the disparities”. The ultimate goal is to create a network of community-based organizations equal to the task of serving women veterans and to create opportunities for agency staff members pledging to be “A Champion of Change”.

• She Got Golf BallsTM – This project will serve injured women veterans and show them that golf can be a great outlet to improve physical, social, and emotional health. (Under Development)

• The Culinary Arts Training Project is designed to introduce the participants into the Hotel & Hospitality Industry. (Under Development)