Clearwater Fire & Rescue Project Safe Place PDF

CLEARWATER FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE S.O.P. 611 SUBJECT: Project Safe Place PAGE 1 OF 12 CATEGORY:...

CLEARWATER FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE S.O.P. 611 SUBJECT: Project Safe Place PAGE 1 OF 12 CATEGORY: SUBCATEGORY: Operations APPROVED BY: EFFECTIVE DATE: 08/17/99 REVISION DATE: 06/03/20 REVIEWED DATE: 06/01/22 SIGNATURE ON FILE, APPROVED TO FORM THIS DATE BY SCOTT EHLERS, FIRE CHIEF, FIRE & RESCUE DEPARTMENT FORMS REQUIRED: Safe Place Site Manual NOTE: Current forms are located on the Department’s SharePoint. PURPOSE: Clearwater Fire & Rescue has adopted “Project Safe Place” to provide assistance to people in need of help regarding youths in crisis. This program is part of the “Countywide Alternative Human Services Project” that is utilizing fire stations as a “Safe Place.” The purpose of this document is to provide consistent and clear procedures for the Project Safe Place program. 611.1 Project Safe Place Procedure A. Packets containing information regarding this program have been circulated to all fire stations. B. The Station Officers shall ensure that all personnel are familiar in the use and instruction provided by the program. C. Place the “PROJECT SAFE PLACE PROCEDURE” sheet on the station bulletin board. D. Keep the booklet available at the Station Lieutenant’s desk. 1. Fill out booklet log; send a copy to the Health & Safety Division Chief. E. When a person with needs comes in, the unit handling the situation is to go on delayed response. F. The District Commander or staff duty officer shall be notified whenever a young person is at the station for the “Project Safe Place” program. ATTACHMENTS: Safe Place Site Manual (11 pages) SITE FOR ASSISTANCE CALL: North County…….449-TEEN (8336) South County…….384-TEEN (8336) MANUAL Safe Place is a program of PO Box 13087 St. Petersburg, Florida (727) 521-5206 www.family-resources.org  Table of Contents Introduction 3 What is Safe Place? Safe Place Site Procedures 4 Frequently Asked Questions 6 About Runaways… 8 About Family Resources… 9 Safe Place Site Log 10  Introduction Thank you for your commitment to caring for our community’s youth! Your Safe Place site is joining a network of local community facilities, fire stations and businesses that are dedicated to ensuring youth in our community receive the help they need. What is Safe Place? Safe Place is a nationally-recognized program coordinated locally by Family Resources, Inc. Family Resources is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening families and building better communities by providing prevention, support and counseling to children, teens and families. Safe Place originated in Louisville, Kentucky in 1983. The program proved to be highly successful in reaching youth during the early stages of crisis because it provided numerous accessible places in the community where young people could get immediate help. Because professional assistance was easily accessible, many teens and their families were able to begin solving their family issues; this process also channeled troubled or “high-risk” youth and families into other programs and services if necessary. The result—preventing youth from falling prey to drugs, prostitution, exploitation and criminal behavior. In 1991, Family Resources established Safe Place in Pinellas County as an outreach effort for its runaway shelters. Currently, there are 169 Safe Place sites located throughout the area including fire stations, community recreation centers and libraries. Businesses that serve as Safe Place sites include: Blockbuster Video, Domino’s Pizza, Home Depot, and Rally Stores. It is estimated nearly 5,000 youth are reported as runaways each year in Pinellas County. Safe Place provides youth the opportunity to seek and receive help early, thereby bringing meaningful change within the family before problems escalate and the child falls into the costly Children & Family Services or the juvenile justice system. Since 1983, the Safe Place program has spread to 41 states with approximately 14,600 sites. Over 83,000 youth have received help at Safe Place locations nationwide. “…nearly 5,000 youth are reported as runaways each year in Pinellas County. Safe Place provides youth the opportunity to seek and receive help early, thereby bringing meaningful change within the family before problems escalate…”  Procedures As a Safe Place site, you are the first positive step youth take when reaching out for help. It is important to follow these step-by- step guidelines to ensure youth feel they are receiving the help, support and safety they need: Any youth asking the following questions may be looking for help:* “Is this a Safe Place?” “Can you help me?” “What does that sign mean?” *Note: Youth may not ask for help immediately but may stand around and wait for you to speak first. Take the initiative to ask if the youth needs help if such a case arises. Step 1 Get a general idea of the youth’s problem. Ask if the youth came in to your location because it is a “Safe Place.” Step 2 Briefly explain the steps you will follow to get the youth help. Be supportive and tell the youth you are going to call the Safe Place agency (Family Resources). Escort youth to your designated Safe Place waiting area and ask them to wait there until Yellow Cab or other authorized transportation arrives. Step 3 Call Family Resources at: North County, (727) 449-8336 or South County, (727) 384-8336. Tell Family Resources’ staff you are calling from a “Safe Place site.” Identify yourself and your location, giving the address and phone number. Give the youth’s name (if you have it) and physical description. The youth will then be asked to participate in a brief screening to determine one of three action steps: o A stay at SafePlace2B (emergency shelter site) o An appointment with a counselor o A ride home Family Resources’ staff will call you back to identify the name of the Yellow Cab driver or other authorized transport that will come to meet with the youth. Step 4 Tell the youth someone will be there shortly. Remind the youth to wait in your designated Safe Place waiting area. Offer something to eat or drink if possible. Step 5 Check on the youth every few minutes and show support without getting into specifics of the situation. Good hospitality is always appreciated when youth feel unsafe! Step 6 Make sure the youth waits inside the building in the designated S afe Place waiting area. The youth should not be in the way of normal activities, but should be in an area where you can easily monitor the situation. Step 7 When Yellow Cab or other designated transport arrives, ask to see identification. This ID will confirm the individual is the person the agency indicated. If there is any discrepancy or question, call Family Resources again. Do not allow the youth to meet or go with anyone who has not been verified. Other helpful tips… o If a youngster is seriously hurt, tell him/her you are calling Emergency Medical Services (911) and give EMS pertinent information. Tell EMS staff you are calling from a “Safe Place” site. Make sure Family Resources staff is kept aware of any emergency activity. If the youth needs medical attention, a police officer can sign-off on the transport so parents do not need to be called until the youth has had a chance to talk to a counselor. If you are a firefighter, you are the EMS. Please respect the youth’s wishes if he/she does not want you to call a parent. You can request a police officer to approve transport or treatment instead. o You may also want to avoid involving law enforcement unless absolutely necessary (see above) because many youth feel uncomfortable around them—if youth feel scared, they may leave your Safe Place site before we get the opportunity to help them. o Please avoid calling parents until the youth can talk to a counselor (unless the youth wishes to call home). o You may wish to document each Safe Place incident in the back of your manual (see “Safe Place Site Log”) for reference, etc.  Frequently Asked Questions What happens when a youth uses the S afe Place program? 1. An employee at a Safe Place site will call SafePlace2B, Family Resources’ runaway shelter, to inform us a youth is seeking help. 2. SafePlace2B’s staff will talk briefly over the phone with the young person. 3. Shelter staff call Yellow Cab or other authorized transportation to pick up the youth. 4. Authorized transportation volunteers transport youth to SafePlace2B 5. Upon arrival at SafePlace2B, youth talk privately with a counselor to try and work out the problem. Are there certain circumstances that disallow youth from staying at SafePlace2B? Because our SafePlace2B shelters are safe places, we do not allow youth who are violent, carrying weapons or under the influence of drugs/alcohol stay at the shelters. How long do youth stay at SafePlace2B? There is no set time, although it is typically just a few days. SafePlace2B is a temporary shelter—some reasons teens spend time at SafePlace2B include: to protect themselves from abusive situations or to provide teens and their families with a “cool down” period, with the hopes of getting the family into counseling. SafePlace2B will also, if needed, connect the family to other services. A teenager is free to leave when he/she wants. How old are the youth who utilize the Safe Place program or SafePlace2B? Our two SafePlace2B sites—one located in Clearwater for North County and the other in St. Petersburg for South County. Both shelters serve children who are 10 – 17 years old. What do SafePlace2B shelters look like? SafePlace2B shelters are located in local neighborhoods and are clean, attractive facilities that include residential and recreational areas. We ask the youth to treat SafePlace2B as a home, where all members participate in keeping it neat and comfortable. Does SafePlace2B staff call the youth’s parents? Legally, SafePlace2B staff must notify the parents and usually does so within 24 hours. In cases of abuse, SafePlace2B staff will contact the appropriate social services to help keep teens safe. How are parents involved? Our goal is to serve the family as a whole. When we notify parents that their child has come to the shelter, we ask the parents participate in family counseling within 48 hours, or as soon as possible. How much do these services cost? There is no cost. Shelter services are free and all information is kept confidential. What is the difference between the two “TEEN” numbers? The “TEEN” numbers are linked to our SafePlace2B emergency shelter sites. Which number you call is determined by your geographic location. Safe Place sites and youth who are north of Ulmerton Road should contact our North County SafePlace2B at 449- TEEN (8336). Safe Place sites and youth who are south of Ulmerton Road should contact our South County SafePlace2B at 384- TEEN (8336). Youth do not have to be admitted to our shelters to receive help—we also offer counseling services for youth ages 10 – 17. Call the TEEN numbers above and ask for further information.  About Runaways... Below are some statistics that remind us why youth need Safe Place. Thank you for committing to being a Safe Place site for youth in our communities! o Nationally, 1.7 million youth experience a runaway or homeless episode each year. o 46% of runaways have been physically abused o 32% have been forcibly sexually abused o 32% have attempted suicide o In the state of Florida, nearly 50,000 children were reported missing in 2003—of those, 96% were runaways. o In Pinellas County, nearly 5,000 runaway cases were reported in 2004. o 75% of runaways have or will drop out of school. o Youth who runaway are exposed to numerous dangers on the street, including disease and exploitation o Approximately 5,000 runaways and homeless youth die each year from assault, illness and suicide. o About half of runaways are first-time runners and have a good chance of family reunification through counseling assistance. Sources: U.S. Department of Justice – Bureau of Justice Statistics Florida Department of Law Enforcement – Uniform Crime Statistics Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department and Police Departments for the cities of: St. Petersburg; Clearwater; Gulfport; Pinellas Park; Largo; Tarpon Springs; St. Pete Beach; and Kenneth City National Network of Runaway & Homeless Youth National Runaway Switchboard  About Family Resources… Family Resources, Inc. is the agency responsible for providing and coordinating the Safe Place program in Pinellas County. Family Resources is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving troubled children and youth and their families in Pinellas County since 1970. Our Mission To strengthen families and build better communities by providing prevention, support and counseling services to children, teens and families. Our Vision We at Family Resources believe that every child should be safe, that every troubled teen deserves help, and that every family torn apart in crisis be given the opportunity to mend. Our Programs o Family Counseling – crisis intervention, family assessments and individual, group and family counseling o Kinship Care Support Groups – support for families with one or more relative, dependent children. Specialized services for those over the age of 60 are available. o On-Campus Intervention Program (OCIP®) – an alternative to out-of-school suspension where youth receive academic guidance and counseling support through individual and group counseling, family contact and after-care. o SafePlace2B – providing short-term care for runaway, troubled, homeless and in-crisis youth between the ages of 10 and 17. o S afe Place – runaway prevention and outreach program, with Safe Place Sites located throughout the community. o StreetSAFE – outreach referral program designed to identify and assist youth living on the streets of St. Petersburg o Transitional Living Program (TLP) – an alternative living arrangement for youth, ages 16 to 18, who cannot live at home. Program promotes self-sufficiency and independent living skills to foster a successful transition to adulthood. o Truancy Court Conference – an intervention program designed to eliminate habitual truancy in schools. For more information about Family Resources, visit our website: http://www.family-resources.org  Site Log *Note: If you wish to keep records of your Safe Place site activity, you may want to make copies of this master page to do so. Safe Place Site Name _________________________________________ Store/Station # ______ SafePlace2B Staff Name EM S Date and Yellow Cab/ Called? & Time Site Employee Assisting Youth Authorized Transporter Name (I f necessary)