Safe Place / Safely Home

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Project Safe Place provides access to immediate help and supportive  resources for young people in crisis through a network of Lake County  sites sustained by qualified agencies, trained volunteers, and  businesses. 

There are well over 300 sites in Lake and Porter County which display the sign.  Each site is verified and trained by the Crisis Center, annually.  

Boys and girls, ages 10 through 18 who are in a threatening situation, homeless, pushed out of home, a runaway, with an unsafe or drunk driver can use Safe Place.

Each year, the Safe Place program manager speaks to--and distributes information to youth and adults at schools, health fairs, community events, and other gatherings.

You may search for current stationary and mobile sites in both Lake and Porter County below by selecting "Find A Site."

1. Walk into any participating business or public entity that displays the Safe Place logo on its door, wall or window.  
   
   
2. Board any vehicle with the sign, such as city buses, fire trucks, ranger vehicles, etc.
   
   
3. Call the Crisis Center, 24 hours a day / 7 days a at week for helping with the program: (219) 938-7070 (dial 0).
   
   
4. Text the word "Safe" and location (address, city, state) to 69866.
   
   
5. Live Chat with someone.  After you text "Safe" and your address to 69866, you will receive a reply.  Then, reply again with the word: 2CHAT to start a live conversation.

You do not have to be in these situations to ask about Safe Place.  If you are an adult, provider, or a youth who is looking to help another youth, call or text for more information.  Share  our social media sites, and consider becoming a site. 

The Crisis  Center’s Safely Home started in 2007 to offer alternatives to boys and  girls who are discovered by law enforcement on the streets, who may have  voluntarily left home or who have been pushed out, asked or forced to  leave. They are provided immediate safety, shelter, food, clothing plus  counseling by M.S.W. counselors at Alternative House aimed at resolving  problems and getting them safely back home.    

 Officers transport boys and girls to Alternative  House open 24 hours a day, every day.   Each youth sheltered at  Alternative House receives an assessment, individual and parent/family  counseling by M.S.W. counselors aimed at resolving conflicts and  reuniting families.

For  a year, calls are made to youth’s family to determine the success of  the intervention. Indications are that 75-80% report their youth is  doing well. 80-83% of youth are in school. Almost 200 youth each year  are served. 

Are you a law enforcement officer in Lake or Porter County, or interested in learning more about 'Safely Home' please contact us at (219) 938-7070, dial 1 or 0.