Second Story for Teens in Crisis
Second Story for Teens in Crisis offers an emergency home for young people in crisis ages 13 to 17 years old. It’s the only safe haven of its kind in the Northern Virginia region.
Program Highlights
- Short-term crisis stabilization and emergency housing for youth ages 13-17
- Licensed youth residential facility where young people participate in a structured program, including intensive individual, group, and family counseling and help keeping up with their education
- In order to be eligible, youth must be willing to participate in the program and require a parent’s or guardian’s approval to stay beyond 24 hours
- Located in Tysons, Virginia
- Call 1-800-SAY-TEEN (1-800-729-8336) or text “NEEDHELP” to 855-11 to connect with us and see if we have availability
The issue:
Fairfax County Public Schools estimate that more than 2,000 students will experience homelessness in a given year. A national study from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago revealed that 1 in 30 youth between the ages of 13 to 17 experience some form of homelessness in a year. These young people often sleep on friends’ couches, many struggle with mental health issues, and lack the support and opportunities many of their peers receive. Often they try to maintain a “normal” life – going to school and keeping up appearances.
Our work:
Teens stay for up to three weeks at a time and receive crisis intervention-focused individual, group, and family counseling and help keeping up with their education. Staff and counselors help youth achieve goals they set for themselves – things like improving relationships at home, processing their emotions productively, and developing coping skills for dealing with past trauma. Our goal is to reunite these young people with their families whenever possible, and the majority of the time family reunification is achieved. When this is not safe or advisable we help connect them to another safe living arrangement.
Who is eligible?
Any young person in crisis between 13 and 17 years old is able to call our hotline and complete a phone screening to determine eligibility or access resources if they are not eligible for our program. Parents and service providers are also welcome to call our hotline to determine if a young person is eligible.
Our impact:
In fiscal year 2024, we housed 77 youth and answered 275 hotline calls. Youth in this program received daily individual and group counseling.
If you or a young person you know needs help and would like support from Second Story for Teens in Crisis,
call 1-800-SAY-Teen (1-800-729-8336) or text “TeenHelp” to 855-11.
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