A safe place is just a bus ride away for abused and neglected teens and children, but so far, Gainesville youth have not asked bus drivers for help.
For the past three years, Gainesville Regional Transit System has partnered with CDS Family & Behavioral Health Services Inc. to make city buildings and buses “safe place” locations. These safe spots act as temporary places for runaway and abused youth to stay before they are taken to Interface Youth Shelter for further help.
“If a kid were to run away or get kicked out of their house, chances are they are going to use a city bus to get around, or they are just going to ride a city bus all day because it is too hot or too cold outside or it’s raining,” said Radha Selvester, CDS Outreach/Safe Place Specialist.
Previously, RTS bus stops were “safe place” locations, but within the last year, the buses themselves have also been given that designation, Selvester said.
But so far, no youth have used the buses to get help, Selvester said.
“We are very proactive and try to intervene before someone runs away,” Selvester said. “This may be why no one has used the buses as a safe place yet.”
Selvester said her organization will continue to let kids know this program exists by visiting schools and camps to give presentations about how to identify “safe place” locations.
The locations have yellow-and-black-diamond signs and say “Safe Place.”
Chip Skinner, RTS marketing and communications supervisor, said if a teen or child asks an RTS bus driver for help, the driver contacts the dispatcher, who calls a police officer to meet the bus.
The police or a CDS representative will escort the youths to the Interface Youth Shelter on Northwest 13th Street, where they can get counseling, shelter and other services.
If a youth isn’t on a bus or near a bus stop, he or she can go to about 90 safe place spots in the county, Selvester said.
RTS has about 110 buses, which doubles the number of “safe spots” in the county, Skinner said.
If teens are in trouble, they can also text for help.
Teens in need of help can text the word “safe” and their location to “69866”and find out where the nearest safe place is located.
