Safe Places offer immediate help

To the editor:

One in three runaways will be approached by a human trafficker within 48 hours of running away. If teens find themselves in crisis or need a place to stay, they should know how and where to get help.

Safe Place is a national youth outreach and prevention program for young people under the age of 18 in need of immediate help and safety. Safe Place designates businesses and organizations as Safe Place locations, making help readily available to youth in communities across the country. Thanks to Safe Place, immediate help is never too far away.

Safe Place provides access to immediate help and supportive resources for youth in need. It is a community initiative, the program designates schools, fire stations, libraries, and other youth-friendly organizations as Safe Place locations, which display the yellow and black signs.

It works in four steps.

Step one — A young person enters a Safe Place and asks for help.

Step two — The site employee finds a comfortable place for the youth to wait while they call the licensed Safe Place agency.

Step three — A qualified Safe Place volunteer or agency staff member will arrive to talk with the youth and, if necessary, provide transportation to the agency within 30 minutes.

Step four — Counselors meet with the youth once at the agency and provide support. Agency staff makes sure the youth and their families receive the help and professional services they need. 

Some of the Safe Place locations near you are East Jay Elementary School, Jay County Sheriff’s Office, Jay-Randolph Developmental Services, Youth Service Bureau of Jay County, Portland Police Department, Portland Fire Station, Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition and so many more.

To find a Safe Place location, go to nationalsafeplace.org and enter your zip code. You will be provided with a list of Safe Place sites nearest you.

To use TXT 4 HELP, text the word “safe” and your current location (city/state/zip) to 4HELP (44357). Within seconds, you will receive a message with the closest Safe Place site and phone number for the local youth agency.

You will also have the option to text interactively with a professional for more help. It is quick, easy, safe and confidential.

Thank you,

Chynna Ratliff

Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition