Start a New Safe Place today and begin giving the gifts of help and safety to youth in your area. There are a few necessary requirements to consider:
- Safe Place provides easy access to immediate help and safety to youth in your area
- Residential services for youth in a licensed or state approved setting
- Outreach and community education regarding Safe Place and available services
- Strong commitment from leadership to implement Safe Place
- Safe Place position created or integrated into existing coordinated tasks
- Sufficient resources for staffing, outreach materials, site maintenance and overhead costs
- Monthly statistical data entry
- Annual membership fee – currently ranging from $800 – $1000
To start a Safe Place Program, you’ll need to commit to the following actions:
- Assess the needs of the community in regard to runaway incidences, abuse and neglect allegations, existing outreach and education efforts, the ease of youth accessing shelter services and existing collaborations with businesses and community organizations.
- Provide community leaders with data substantiating the need for Safe Place and data regarding the utilization of Safe Place in other communities.
- Identify the financial resources for the program.
- Communicate intentions through a “letter of intent” and a program implementation plan. Please contact the NSP office for a draft of this letter.
- When the implementation plan is approved, National Safe Place will forward a License Agreement granting permission to establish the program and use the Safe Place logo.
- The staff member or members responsible for Safe Place implementation and coordination will be required to participate in a comprehensive National Safe Place training session.
National Safe Place staff will provide on-going consultation during the implementation planning period and beyond.
Support from National Safe Place includes:
- On-going consultation with National Safe Place staff through telephone and email communication, webinars and, in some cases, agency visits
- Quality standardized Safe Place materials
- Access to a protected area of the National Safe Place website to download materials and learn more about projects in which other agencies are engaged
- National Safe Place newsletters, electronic updates and funding opportunities will be provided on a regular basis
- Access to the National Safe Place database with extensive reporting features and national and local statistical analysis will be provided
- Legal protection of the Safe Place logo
- Advocacy efforts on behalf of disconnected youth in conjunction with National Safe Place Week and throughout the year
- State, regional and national networking opportunities
- On-going training opportunities in pertinent areas of interest
- Professionally produced video presentations and public service announcements
Please email us or contact the National Safe Place office at (502) 635-3660 if you are interested in learning more about starting Safe Place.
