Children's Home Society
4520 Selvitz Road
Fort Pierce, Florida 34981

Phone: (772) 460-9752
Extension:
Toll Free Phone: 800-881-8822
Fax: 772-460-9756
TDD Phone:

Website: www.chsfl.org

Program Description

National youth outreach program that educates young people about the dangers of running away, homelessness, and trying to resolve crisis situations alone. Safe Place creates a network of "Safe Place" locations-youth friendly businessess, fire stations, libraries and other public buildings that display yellow and black Safe Place signs. These locations allow youth in crisis to come in to the business to get access to immediate help through Wave C.R.E.S.T. Shelter and Children's Home Society of FL.

Services Available Through This Program

Counseling- General

Hours of Operation


Every day / 24 hours

Eligibility Requirements and Important Information

Martin and St. Lucie Co. youth who have run away, been thrown out of his/her home or is considering/threatening to run away

Availability and Fees

Current Wait List:	NO
Handicapped Access:	YES
Accepts Medicaid:	NO
Accepts Medicare:	NO
Accepts Private Insurance:	NO
Financial Assistance Available?:	NO
Sliding Scale:	NO

Other Fee Information

No fees are charged for this service.

Other Useful Information

Community or self referrals. Throughout St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties, highly-visible yellow and black signs are displayed on the exterior of various businesses that comprise the network of Safe Place sites where young people can go if they need help quickly. When a youngster goes to a SafePlace requesting assistance, an employee at the site calls the Wave C.R.E.S.T. shelter on Selvitz Road in Fort Pierce. A shelter counselor dispatches a staff member or trained volunteer to the SafePlace to meet with and then transport the youth to Wave C.R.E.S.T. for counseling. The program is highly successful in reaching youth during the early stages of crisis due to one simple fact: youth are more inclined to go to a SafePlace in their own neighborhood than to seek out the shelter.