Our Story
Anthony’s Safe Haven was created from lived experience, deep reflection, and an unshakable belief in healing.
Founded by therapist and advocate Shantel Dixon, MSW, this nonprofit was born from a journey through trauma, loss, and a desire to build what didn’t exist—a safe, healing-centered space for individuals and families impacted by pain, instability, and broken systems.
Shantel knows what it’s like to grow up without protection, stability, or access to care. Through her healing and her work in the mental health field, she recognized a powerful truth:
“You can’t go back and change what happened—but you can build what’s missing for someone else.”
Named in honor of Anthony, a young boy who suffered silently and lost his life too soon, this organization exists to serve the people who needed support but never received it in time.
Today, Anthony’s Safe Haven supports youth, families, veterans, students, and adults by building trauma-informed programs that provide safe housing, mental health support, and long-term stability.
This is more than a program—it’s a mission, a movement, and a place where healing begins.
Anthony’s Safe Haven is where trauma meets healing and lives are rebuilt.
Anthony was just 17. He struggled silently with trauma and didn’t have access to the support he needed. His story and his memory are why this Safe Haven exists.
Shantel Dixon, MSW, is a master-level social worker, military spouse, mother, and the founder of Anthony’s Safe Haven—a trauma-informed nonprofit committed to creating safe, structured housing and supportive services for individuals rebuilding stability.
Shantel is also the founder of WE-1IN4, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to mental health care, raising awareness, and removing barriers to healing through community support and advocacy.
Her passion for this work is deeply personal. Raised in North Tulsa, Shantel’s life has been shaped by both resilience and adversity, including aging out of the system, failed adoptions, and experiences of complex childhood trauma, including childhood sexual abuse and physical abuse. Those experiences fueled her purpose and led her to create the very resources she once needed—spaces rooted in safety, dignity, accountability, and real healing.
Shantel has worked in the mental health and social services field since the age of 19 and brings a strong clinical and community-based foundation to her leadership. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Oklahoma State University, followed by a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Oklahoma. Shantel currently serves as a mental health therapist at CREOKS Mental Health Services, where she is under clinical supervision while completing her advanced hours.
In addition to her clinical work and nonprofit leadership, Shantel serves on the ROOTS Project statewide steering team in support of the ENGP work, contributing to trauma-informed and systems-level efforts across Oklahoma.
Through Anthony’s Safe Haven, Shantel builds trauma-informed housing models paired with case management, life-skills support, and encouragement toward mental health services, helping individuals move from survival mode into sustainable independence. Her long-term vision is to develop a full continuum of care that supports healing, stability, and long-term success.
Above all, Shantel believes that safe housing changes lives—and when people feel safe, supported, and seen, they can truly begin again.
Meet our founder…