Valerie Hicks

Executive Director, SAFY of Nevada

As Executive Director of SAFY of Nevada, I lead our statewide team of social workers and clinicians to strengthen families and communities through therapeutic foster care, adoption, behavioral health, family preservation and older youth services. We focus on helping children achieve permanency, safety, well-being and self-sufficiency, and help stabilize communities by providing a strong framework of services to help families heal, have hope and thrive.

In my role as a licensed social worker, I am passionate about serving and advocating for children and families. In my work on behalf of my consumers, I merge the immediate needs of families and children within the context of the social issues that face them. We care about the disproportionate number of children of color in our systems and the issues of racism and poverty that lead to that outcome.