This week is America’s Safe Schools Week.  It is a week dedicated to raising awareness of school safety. Governor JB Pritzker is announcing the launch of a new safety initiative called Safe2Help Illinois. This will be a statewide school violence prevention help line to keep kids safer and to have a confidential avenue for them to speak up for their mental health and the mental health of their peers. IEMA Spokesperson Rebecca Clark says that this is a way for students to funnel confidential information to those who need to know it.

Safe2Help Illinois is available 24/7 and at no cost to school districts.  In the absence of a trusted adult, students can use the app, text/phone, or the website www.safe2helpIL.com to share school safety issues in a safe secret way. Clark says that it is a voice for children.

Once officials find out that the information is credible, it will be shared immediately with local school officials, mental health professionals, and other local law enforcement agencies. It will also connect them with mental health resources and other tools that they can use to keep them safe.