Communities all share a concern about the safety and welfare of their youth and search for ways to keep their young people safe. Project Safe Place is a program designed to provide access to immediate help and safety to young people at risk of abuse, neglect or serious family problems. It is a cost-effective program offering youth and their families access to counseling and effective resolution to their conflicts before their situation escalates beyond their control. Businesses, community buildings and buses are designated as Safe Place sites and prominently display a distinctive yellow and black Safe Place logo. Any youth can walk into a Safe Place and let an employee know that they need help. They are quickly connected with a youth serving agency that can provide the help they need.

Where are Safe Place Programs Located in Indiana?

            Blue River Services-Corydon, IN (serving Harrison County)

            Crisis Center-Gary, IN (Lake & Porter counties)             

Children’s Bureau-Indianapolis, IN (serving Marion County)

Clark Co. Youth Shelter & Family Services-Jeffersonville, IN (serving Clark & Floyd Counties)

Family Centered Services-Bluffton, IN (serving Wells County)

Promising Futures -Noblesville, IN (serving Hamilton & Tipton Counties)

Monroe Co. Youth Service Bureau-Bloomington, IN (serving Monroe, Owen & Greene Counties)

Pathways Youth Shelter and Family Services-Madison, IN (serving Jefferson County)

Youth Connections-Franklin, IN (serving Johnson & Morgan Counties)

Youth Service Bureau of Huntington Co.-Huntington, IN (serving Huntington County)

Youth Service Bureau of St. Joseph Co.-South Bend, IN (serving St. Joseph County)

Major Participating Businesses in Indiana

Allstate	Community Center	Girls Inc.	Marathon
Applebee’s	Children’s Museum	Hardee’s	McDonald’s
Arby’s	Citizen’s Bank	IGA	Post Offices
Big Foot	Coldwell Banker	JC Penny’s	Pizza Hut
Boys & Girls Club	Curve’s for Women	Jerry’s Restaurant	Police Dept.
BP Gas Station	Dairy Mart	KFC	Sheriff’s Dept.
Burger King	Dairy Queen	K-Mart	White Castle
Bus System	Denny’s	Kroger	Village Pantry
Big Brothers/Big Sisters	Domino’s	Libraries	Wal-Mart
Comcast	EMS/Hospitals Fire Stations	Little Caesar’s MedCheck	YMCA Schools

Purpose and Philosophy of the Program

All programs and all Safe Place staff, volunteers, and site personnel share and uphold a general statement of purpose and philosophy that includes:

• The provision of immediate access to help for at-risk or in-crisis youth; this short-term crisis oriented assistance will stress a healthier living environment for youth.  It provides help within the youth’s own neighborhood 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on a non-discriminatory basis.  Safe Place reaches youth at an early preventative stage before they have worse problems.
• The provision of service that is youth-initiated and responsive to the needs of youth as perceived by the youth themselves.  The intention is to help youth achieve their goals, not to fulfill the program's goals or the personal goals of the staff or volunteers.
• The assurance that the confidentiality of each youth is maintained at all times, at all levels of the program.
• A willingness to follow the Safe Place model which is replicated in youth serving agencies across the country.  This model of standard operating procedures was developed by the YMCA Center for Youth Alternative in Louisville, KY.

For more information on the Safe Place program you may call the Indiana Youth Services Association at 1-866-888-4972 or you may contact National Safe Place in Louisville, KY at 1-888-290-SAFE or online at http://nationalsafeplace.org/