Should a youth need assistance, they can depend on any location with the Safe Place sign. The following steps describe how Safe Place is intended to work:
Step One – The youth arrives at a designated Safe Place location (identified by a Safe Place sign or decal) and tells the first available employee that they need help.
Step Two – The employee finds a quiet, comfortable place for the youth to wait while they call the local Safe Place agency.
Step Three – The Safe Place agency calls the location back to identify a trained representative who will come to meet the young person at the location.
Step Four – Within 20-30 minutes or less, the Safe Place volunteer or staff member will arrive to talk with the youth and transport them to the agency, if necessary, for counseling, support, a place to stay or other resources.
Step Five – Once at the Safe Place agency, counselors meet with the youth and provide support, resources and help. Family members or guardians are called to let them know that their child is safe. Agency staff make sure the youth and their families receive the help and professional referrals they need.
Most young people hear about Safe Place during school presentations. Each student is presented with a Safe Place information card that has the local Safe Place phone number and explains that Safe Place help is free and confidential. Teens also hear about the program through word of mouth, social media and public service announcements on radio or TV.
