#NSPWeek2019 kicks off this week with an official recognition by both Seattle City Council and King County Council proclaiming National Safe Place Week!

Safe Place, run in collaboration with YouthCare and Friends of Youth, is a youth crisis intervention program that connects runaway and homeless youth ages 12-17 to services, either through family reunification or emergency shelter placement. Youth can access King County Safe Place by calling the 24/7 hotline at 1-800-422-TEEN (8336) or by visiting any Safe Place site designated by the yellow diamond Safe Place logo.

Since the program began in 2011, neighborhood partners and businesses have banded together to ensure that runway and homeless youth in our community get the help they need when in crisis. “It takes a village” as the saying goes—and the program’s success depends on active participation from people in our community. We’re honored to have expanded to 2,100 official Safe Place sites in King County! This means that young people can get connected to help immediately—be it on a Metro bus, at the library, a city park, a coffee shop, and of course, the mall.

Shopping malls are a popular place of gathering among youth. One young person often frequented their favorite shop after school, a place they felt safe and welcome. Trained employees got to know this young person, and when they learned one day that the youth needed help, they assisted the young person in calling Safe Place. A Safe Place representative came to help within 45 minutes of the call and helped the young person find safety that same night.

The two proclamations will further support the program’s efforts to be a highly visible and trusted resource in the community for youth.

In 2018, King County Safe Place provided crisis intervention services to 92 youth and directed over 350 additional calls from youth, young adults, service providers, and community members to resources throughout King County.

The Safe Place Team provided program information to thousands of youth and adults through outreach events, presentations, and school partnerships. For this work, National Safe Place Network presented King County Safe Place with the 2018 Model Program Award!

Special thanks to Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw and King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert for being incredible Safe Place champions!

Check out this interview with YouthCare and Friends of Youth visiting Joe’s Class to teach us about NSP during #NSPWeek2019!