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Please join us for our upcoming National Runaway Prevention Month (NRPM) webinar series. These virtual conversations will: highlight key findings from the National Runaway Safeline's (NRS) 2021 Crisis Services & Prevention Report; provide recommendations and strategies for applying these learnings to services and supports for youth in crisis or experiencing homelessness; and will offer lessons learned and effective practices from service providers supporting young people in communities across the United States.
NRPM Roundtable:
The Intersection of Mental Health and Youth Homelessness
Monday, November 7, 2022 | 1:30 p.m. EST / 12:30 p.m. CST
According to NRS' 2021 Crisis Services & Prevention Report, between 2019 and 2021, there was a 40% increase in the number of young people who reported mental health related issues as a reason for reaching out to for crisis services and support. While mental health fell outside of NRS' top 10 reasons for outreach for decades, it has risen consistently in recent years, becoming the third most common reason cited in crisis contacts in 2021.  

This session will be moderated by NRS Chief Program Officer, Sam Gillis and she will be joined by representatives from YouthWorks in North Dakota, Ignite in Chicago and Pendleton Place in South Carolina to discuss the mental health related needs among young people in their programs and communities. Join us to learn more about national and local mental health trends and successful strategies for addressing these continuing and rising challenges.
What the Data is Telling Us: Release of the 2021
National Runaway Safeline Crisis Services & Prevention Report
Thursday, November 10, 2022 | 1:30 p.m. EST / 12:30 p.m. CST
Each year, the National Runaway Safeline (NRS) makes over 125,000 connections with young people through their hotline and digital services. Their free, confidential, non-judgmental and non-directive crisis intervention services and resources are aimed at preventing runaway incidents and supporting youth experiencing homelessness nationwide. 

The latest NRS Crisis Services & Prevention Report, developed in collaboration with researchers at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, highlights the needs of those who reached out for crisis services throughout 2021, including many young people who contemplated running away, were homeless, or were at risk of becoming homeless. The report focuses on the characteristics of those who contacted NRS, the channels through which these individuals connected with NRS, the problems identified that warranted crisis intervention, and how connections with NRS differed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This virtual discussion will share the key findings from the 2021 Crisis Services & Prevention Report, and consider the implications of these findings on the prevention and intervention strategies implemented by organizations and agencies serving vulnerable youth. Presenters will discuss the needs of young people who contemplated running away, were experiencing homelessness, or were at risk of becoming homeless and how youth programs, public health providers, schools, child welfare agencies, and communities nationwide can meet the needs of youth. 
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Christopher Smith, Communications and Graphic Design Manager, at csmith@1800runaway.org.