Provides on call, in person and over the phone support to vulnerable youth. Works closely with existing emergency youth shelter providers including Friends of Youth, YouthCare and Cocoon House.  
Current Safe Place sites include: Metro Transit buses, YMCAs of Greater Seattle and the King County Library System. A complete map of all Safe Place locations can be seen online.

Crisis Response Hotline offered by Safe Place

Offers access to immediate help and safety for youth ages 12-17 in crisis. A youth may call the hotline or visit a facility displaying the Safe Place sign to request help, such as reconnecting with a parent/guardian or finding shelter.

Programs that provide immediate assistance for children and youth who have run away from or have been pushed out of their homes or who are acting out and at risk of abuse. Included may be steps to ensure the youth's safety, information regarding the youth's rights and alternatives, and referrals for shelter, medical care, ongoing counseling or group support and other related services. Also included are programs that maintain a message relay system which allows runaways to contact their parents or other concerned individuals and receive messages from them. Helpline staff are generally available via telephone, email, chat and/or text.

Runaway/Homeless Youth Helplines

Programs that provide transportation for people who are endangered and who need a safe ride to a shelter or other program location where their well-being can be ensured. People who may be served include women experiencing domestic violence, runaways, sexual assault survivors and prostitutes who are being threatened by a customer or a pimp.

Transportation for Endangered People

Programs that provide shelter and a safe place to sleep as well as access to food, medical care and other types of assistance for children and/or youth who have run away from or been pushed out of their homes, or who are acting out and at risk for abuse pending return to their own families or a suitable alternative placement. The most common causes for youth becoming homeless, in addition to being kicked out of their homes or running away, are being abandoned or neglected, experiencing financial hardship, aging out of foster care, conflicts related to their sexual orientation, having a substance use disorder or experiencing the death of a family member or guardian. Such facilities usually provide in-house individual, group and family counseling and the full range of other secondary services related to runaways and other homeless youth including referral to appropriate resources. Homeless youth are different than homeless adults because they often have not learned the essential life skills needed to live on their own such as how to drive or ride a bus, get a job or pay bills. Homeless youth are also more likely than other youth their age to experience mental illness, suffer poor health, drop out of school, and become involved with or victims of criminal activity, including being exploited, abused or even killed.

Youth Shelters

Confidential, 24/7 crisis intervention for runaway and homeless youth and their families via phone, chat, email, text, and bulletin board. Referrals, conference calling with a parent upon youth's request, conflict mediation, and information hotline. Emergency Greyhound transportation for qualified youth ages 12-21 back to family or safe and stable housing.

Crisis Intervention offered by National Runaway Safeline

Operates a confidential hotline and online services to help runaway youth ages 12-20 as well as parents of runaway youth.

Provides short-term crisis counseling, referral to local resources, and emergency intervention for youth and parents through a national hotline. Problems routinely dealt with include, but are not limited to, family conflicts, suicide, pregnancy, abuse, running away from home and alcohol/drug addictions.

Boys Town National Hotline

Operates a hotline that provides short-term crisis counseling, resource referral and emergency intervention to teens and their parents.

Programs that provide information about specific youth-related topics such as alcohol and drug abuse; child abuse; sexuality; sexually transmitted infections; HIV/AIDS; birth control, pregnancy and choices; sexual assault; weight management; relationships; dealing with feelings; family concerns; dealing with rules; and school, career and life choices. Information may be accessed on a website or in person, or by telephone, email, chat, text or other communication channel. Information may be in a self-serve, browsable format (for example a web resource directory or library of audio recordings) or provided by live agents with expertise in the needs and interests of youth.

Youth Issues Information Services

Programs that operate a telephone counseling and information line that parents can call when they have childhood development questions, need advice regarding a specific parenting problem or need a referral for parenting resources.