[2] The organization's Safe Place program is intended to provide access to immediate help and support for children and adolescents who are "at risk" or in crisis situations.
Various sites in select communities participate in the program, displaying its logo to signify the location as a Safe Place.
[10][11] In 1986, U.S. president Ronald Reagan awarded Safe Place the Presidential Citation for Private Sector Initiatives.
[16] In 1998, the United States Senate designated March 15-21 as National Safe Place Week, raising awareness of the program.
[25] Various community businesses and organizations – including convenience stores,[20][26] fire stations,[27][26] schools, libraries,[23][28] and public transit agencies[23][29] – are designated as Safe Place sites.
[23] In October 2009, National Safe Place launched the TXT 4 HELP initiative, which provides youth immediate access to help and resources through text messaging.
In 2012, National Safe Place added the option for live, interactive texting with a trained mental health professional.