Everett Transit Becomes Safe Place For Teens in Crisis

Everett Transit and Cocoon House have partnered with National Safe Place, a program designed to facilitate access to supportive resources for young people in crisis. Beginning Friday, Nov. 1, Everett Transit will serve as a Safe Place site, channeling teens in crisis toward the resources offered by Cocoon House.

 

Everett Transit is the second public transportation agency in the state to support the Safe Place network. The well-known red and gray buses now display the Safe Place logo, making them easily identifiable as a safe point of contact. King County Metro has been involved in the program since 2011.

 

“Transit agencies are a natural fit for supporting Safe Place,” said Everett Transit Director Tom Hingson. “Between Everett Transit and King County Metro, teens throughout most of the northern Puget Sound region have an immediate, accessible resource available to them during times of crisis.”

 

When a youth sees the Safe Place logo on an Everett Transit bus or building he or she will know it’s a safe place to ask for help. Transit staff will connect teens seeking help with Cocoon House staff who are available 24 hours a day and are specially trained to provide assistance, whether that means getting them home safely, giving them access to housing, or connecting them with other needed services. Immediate access to those resources is critical for any youth in a crisis situation, and Cocoon House is well-equipped to provide the assistance and advocacy needed.
“This unique program will provide a bigger safety net for youth in crisis, giving them an immediate way out of a dangerous situation. We are thrilled to partner with Everett Transit to bring National Safe Place to Snohomish County,” said Cassie Franklin, CEO of Cocoon House.
Cocoon House provides emergency shelter, long-term transitional housing, outreach, and essential services to teens ages 13-17 in Snohomish County. Through Cocoon House, homeless and at-risk youth can receive case management, housing and counseling referrals, employment and education training, hot meals, clothes and hygiene supplies.

Safe Place began in Kentucky in the early 1980s and has established programs in nearly every state. With community partners like Everett Transit offering an immediate respite for at-risk youth, access, which is one of the biggest obstacles to getting help, is addressed.

 

“We’re proud to work with Cocoon House to link the community resources available in Everett to the people who need them most,” said Hingson. “We look forward to successfully supporting Safe Place for years to come.”

 

For more information, visit www.EverettTransit.org or www.CocoonHouse.org.