TXT 4 HELP

TXT 4 HELP is a nationwide, 24-hour text-for-support service for teens in crisis. TXT 4 HELP counselors can provide support via text, and can offer additional suggestions for immediate help regardless of where you are.

Here’s how it works:

  • Text the word “safe” and your current location (address, city, state) to 4HELP (44357).
  • Within seconds, you will receive a message with the closest Safe Place site and phone number for the local youth agency.
  • For immediate help, reply with “2chat” to text interactively with a trained counselor.

Safe Place Locations

Fresno EOC Sanctuary and Support Services program operates a network of more than 260 Safe Place sites throughout Fresno County including all Fresno Unified School District schools, select Wal-Mart stores, Boys and Girls Clubs, Neighborhood Resource centers, City of Fresno Parks and Recreation Centers, United Way and other youth-friendly sites.

About Safe Place

What We Do

Fresno EOC Safe PlaceSafe Place program provides individuals, 24 years of age or younger, access to immediate help and safety through a network of community Safe Place sites that open the doors to at-risk youth. Find a Safe Place now.

Safe Place is a youth outreach program that connects businesses and volunteers to provide help and safety to youth facing abuse, neglect, bullying, serious family struggles, homelessness and more. The goal of Safe Place is to offer immediate help to any youth in crisis. As youth enter a designated Safe Place location and ask for help, trained volunteers connect them to appropriate assistance.

Safe Place is a national outreach program that began more than 25 years ago. Safe Place educates young people about the dangers of running away or trying to resolve difficult, threatening situations on their own. Since 1998, Fresno EOC Sanctuary and Support Services has administered the local Safe Place program and maintains a network of 260+ community Safe Place sites. Marked by the yellow and black diamond shaped “Safe Place” sign, these specially designated sites provide youth in crisis immediate interventions, supportive services, and professional referrals to Fresno EOC Sanctuary and Support Services including counseling, shelter, and case management.

The mission of Safe Place is to provide access to immediate help and supportive resources for all young people in crisis through a network of sites sustained by qualified agencies, trained volunteers, and businesses.

Erica’s
Safe Place Story

frequently asked questions

What is Safe Place?

Safe Place is a national youth outreach program designed to provide access to immediate help and safety for all young people in crisis. Nearly 20,000 locations across the country extend the doors of the local youth shelter by displaying Safe Place’s recognizable yellow and black diamond-shaped logo. Partnering businesses and community buildings that appeal to youth – such as fast food restaurants, convenience stores, fire stations, schools, public buses and libraries – connect kids looking for help with a local youth service agency. Most Safe Place agencies reach out to youth between the ages of 12 to 17 years old, although some agencies serve older and younger youth.

How does Safe Place work?

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 makes sure the youth and their families receive the help and professional referrals they need.
Are there any national resources regarding Safe Place?

Yes. Please visit the links below:

www.nationalsafeplace.org
www.1800runaway.org/national-runaway-safeline.

TXT4Help Text “Safe” with your current location (address/city/state) to 44357

Interested in becoming a Safe Place site?

Dedication of New Safe PlaceA Safe Place site must be a youth friendly business, public building/community location, or transit system that is open for long period of time (24 hours a day, open 7 days a week is preferred but not required), accessible, and highly visible where youth feel comfortable and not threatened to ask for help. New Safe Place sites must attend mandatory orientation, sign a site agreement, train employees about standard operational procedures, designate a management level person to have program oversight, and pay an annual membership fee.

 

Attend a Safe Place Orientation

Learn how your business/organization can become a designated Safe Place location.

Reserve your spot at the next Safe Place Orientation! (559) 475-8157

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