The Family Assessment, Counseling & Education Services panelist announced for Hearts in Action summit

Online, January 4, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Orange County, CA - Shana Smith has been announced as a panelist for the Family Assessment, Counseling & Education Services, F.A.C.E.S, summit on family violence prevention. Each year, in February Community Leaders present their views on panels about the growing problem of domestic violence and its effect on the community at Hearts in Action. Participants work in roundtable discussions to brainstorm collaborative ways to decrease the problem. Advocates are awarded each year, in recognition of their contributions to the community. This years Hearts in Action event will take place at the Garden Grove Community Center on February 12 at 8:30am.

FACES - Professional Counseling Strategies and Solutions for Children

Family Assessment, Counseling & Education Services , F.A.C.E.S. , was incorporated in 1992 as a non-profit agency. Community spirit spurred the founders to open a second office in Santa Ana California in 1994, and in 1999 we opened the South County office. Today F.A.C.E.S. has two additional branch offices in, Los Angeles and Laguna Niguel. F.A.C.E.S. is the only non-profit agency in Southern California that offers mental health services on a sliding-scale basis specifically for single parent families. The family resource centers provide a variety of interventions, including counseling for adults, children, couples and families; group counseling, teen groups and relapse prevention groups; single parent support groups; parenting and anger management groups, and monitored visitations and exchanges for families separated due to violence. For more information on F.A.C.E.S. please visit their website at www.facescal.org.

Shana Smith

Shana Smith has been volunteering within the domestic violence community for the past 7 years serving on fundraising boards, volunteering at events and shelters and creating tshirts for the Clothesline project. As a survivor of domestic violence she wants to bring light to the issue of stereotyping the victim. Shana states, "There is no age, race or socioeconomic boundaries in domestic abuse, no city is exempt from violence." Shana has started a program, A Case of Hope, providing pillowcases with essential items to children entering domestic violence emergency shelters and will begin a program working towards increasing self esteem in young at risk girls to help them avoid violent relationships. Mrs. Smith is the proud mother of a 5 year old daughter and wife of an Army MP. She works full time in healthcare and loves spending her free time with her family. Shana was awarded the title of Mrs. Southern California United States 2010 in September 2009 and has remained extremely busy promoting her platform, Domestic Violence Awareness and Education. She chose to compete in the Mrs. California United States pageant because of the doors that it has been able to open to help her promote her platform on a larger scale. You can learn more about domestic violence and it's effects on our community and Shana Smith on her blog http://mrssoutherncalifornia.blogspot.com.