Teachers and school officials can affect a positive change in their schools and communities by being able to identify resources such as the National Runaway Safeline and its free Let’s Talk Runaway Prevention Curriculum and how implementation of this program can assist with student’s social and emotional learning.

1. Creating Safe Spaces:
Building Life Skills with the Let’s
Talk Curriculum
Lindsey Kahney
Prevention Specialist
National Runaway Safeline

2. Teens and Stress

3. National Runaway Safeline
Mission: To Keep America’s runaway, homeless and at-risk youth safe and
off the streets

4. NRS Services
1-800-RUNAWAY
• Confidential 24/7 hotline
• Non-judgmental/non-directive
• Trauma-informed, solution focused
intervention
• Conference Call and Message
Service
1800runaway.org
• Interactive live chat
• Crisis forum and email services
• Text Services – connect to hotline
• Areas of Info and tips for youth,
parents and educators
• Comprehensive Research
• Order free prevention and education
materials

5. Information and Referral Services
NRS maintains a national database of over 9,000 agencies and services
 Emergency and long-term housing
 Basic Needs – food, clothing, etc..
 Transportation
 Treatment – health, mental health, substance abuse

6. Home Free Program
Partnership with Greyhound Lines
 Reunites runaway youth 12-17 with parent/guardian
 Assists runaway and homeless youth 18-21 in stabilizing themselves with
supportive family member and/or independent living programs; this
includes survivors of human trafficking
 Identify or accept referral to local supportive services

7. Curriculum Goals:
 Build life skills
 Educate about alternatives to running away
 Encourage youth to access and seek help from
trusted community members
 Increase knowledge about runaway/homeless/at-
risk youth resources
Audience:
 Youth ages 12-20
Where is it being used:
 Schools, Youth Groups, Afterschool, Youth
shelters, juvenile justice services, community
centers
AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH

8. Curriculum Updates
Working with Native American Populations
 Includes listings of tribal government agencies, Tribal Youth Programs,
and other supportive pathways for youth and families
Trauma Informed Interventions
 Curriculum was developed recognizing many youth may be impacted by
trauma and avoiding any re-traumatization
 Caution icons for facilitators and additional resources provided

9. FREE DOWNLOAD
AVAILABLE AT
1800RUNAWAY.org

10. 14 Modules
Communication and Listening
Peers and Healthy Relationships
Families – Roles and Responsibilities
Runaway Reality
Anger Management
Community Response and Responsibility
Drugs & Alcohol
Sexuality & Sexual Orientation

11. Who’s On Your Bus?
Directions: THINK about if you could fill a bus with the people in your life
who are most important when it comes to making decisions about your
life, who would be on that bus?

12. Activity Review:
Decision Tree
Assists youth in gaining
problem solving skills

13. Activity Review:
Healthy
Relationships
Gives youth a chance to
have discussions on
what they think are
healthy and unhealthy
traits in relationships

16. Facilitation Tips
 Establish classroom guidelines for behavior – create a safe space
 Always review the module prior to facilitating – take note of the module
icons
 Allow youth to participate as they feel comfortable – offer different
options
 Consider room layout, especially for specific activities
 Be a good listener, and remember silence is okay!
 Be prepared for some conversations to bring up issues for some youth

17. Let’s Talk Curriculum Benefits
 Can be implemented by activity, module or in its entirety – very user
friendly and adaptable
 Provides additional resources, worksheets and handouts for learning
 Pre/Post Tests available
 Can lend to leadership opportunities for youth/peer-led learning
 Support life skills acquisition and prevention efforts
 Can be included in service learning, as well as a complement to existing
curricula
 NRS offers technical assistance to all RPC users

18. Information We Collect
Pre/Post Test from agencies utilizing any parts of the
curriculum
Group Demographic forms
Satisfaction Surveys
Incentives available for those returning demographic forms
and/or tests

19. KIDS CALL ACTIVITY
• Allows sites nationwide to welcome
NRS into their group at no charge
• Allows youth to ask questions and learn
more about NRS services
• Alleviates the anxiety of calling the
hotline
• Groups can even do a mock call!

20. @1800RUNAWAY National Runaway Safeline
Lindsey Kahney
Prevention Specialist
773.289.1723
3141 B N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago IL 60657
prevention@1800RUNAWAY.org
1-800-RUNAWAY (24-hour hotline) 1800RUNAWAY.org (website)