By LINDA CHION KENNEY
Youth and teens with no place to go have a myriad of safe places in Hillsborough County set aside to attend to their pressing needs.
Safe Place is a national initiative that provides access to immediate care and supportive resources for youth in their local communities.
According to Hillsborough County officials, many of the county’s nearly 200 Safe Place locations are open 24/7 for “youth and teens who need a place to go, no questions asked.”
A representative from Hillsborough County Children’s Services spoke briefly about the Safe Place initiative at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds in Dover, at the May 30 town hall meeting hosted by Hillsborough County Commissioner Michael Owen.
Safe Place is for many types of circumstances, including the child afraid to go home because of domestic violence. “If they go to any one of these safe places, the people there are trained to call children’s services, and we’ll go out and pick up the child,” said Craig Jewesak, who works on special projects for children’s services. “We’ll bring them back to our campus to make sure they’re healthy and safe, and then we work on reunifying them with their families.”
In addition, wrap-around services are provided as well, including counseling and other support.
In a short interview after his presentation, Jewesak elaborated on the many reasons Safe Place is necessary.
“Some kids in our care are court-ordered” to be there, he said. “There could be domestic violence in the house, and sometimes it’s the youth who’s the aggressor to siblings and parents. They don’t go to the juvenile detention center; they come to our campus through children’s services.”
Moreover, some of the children have been victims of human trafficking. Some have been truant or simply thrown out of the house because teen/parent tensions are high.
“We’re kind of a catch-all for all types of issues,” Jewesak added. “We have counselors, we work with the Hillsborough County school district, and when [truant] kids come to us, they’re not just sitting there watching TV. We actually drive them to school in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon, and when they’re in our care, we work with them on their issues.”
For kids who have no place to go, Safe Place is a cost-free option. The service “is 100 percent free to Hillsborough County residents,” Jewesak said, so there is “no charge, no cost, no insurance required, no co-pays. If the families and the youth are in trauma and stress and need help, children’s services is here to help.”
As for the Safe Place campus in unincorporated north Tampa, it can accommodate up to 27 youth, who stay anywhere from one to 30 days.
According to county officials, the process is simple. Young people, ages 10 to 17, enter a Safe Place and ask for help. The employee there will find a comfortable place for them while a call is placed to a licensed Safe Place agency. Within 30 to 60 minutes, a qualified Safe Place volunteer or agency staff member will arrive to talk to the youth and, if necessary, provide transportation to the agency. There, counselors meet with the youth and provide support. Agency staff are charged to ensure youth and family members receive the help and professional services they need.
For more on the program, including a map of Safe Place locations and how to become a Safe Place location, visit www.hcfl.gov and search for “Safe Place.” Businesses interested in becoming a Safe Place location should contact the Safe Place coordinator at Hillsborough County Children’s Services to schedule an initial assessment. Call 813-264-3807.
