Safe2Help FAQ

Safe2HelpNE is a reporting system designed for students, staff, and parents to anonymously report concerning behavior that could impact the safety of students or schools across Nebraska.  

 Students, staff, and parents can report concerning behavior that may impact the safety of students or schools, including, but not limited to: 

  • School threats 
  • Bullying 
  • Suicide concern 
  • Crime  
  • Domestic violence 
  • Abuse 
  • A friend’s physical or mental health  

Yes. LB322 was passed by Nebraska lawmakers in 2021, which has allowed Safe2HelpNE to expand statewide to any Nebraska school district, public or nonpublic wanting to participate  

Crisis counselors are standing by 24/7/365 to answer reports by phone or respond to reports made through the Safe2HelpNE app or website. A real, live, caring person is ready to take and respond to any report. Boys Town employs these Crisis Counselors and are specially trained to receive reports. 

Any district (public or nonpublic) that does not currently have an anonymous reporting system operated and responded to 24/7/365, OR any district wishing to augment their existing reporting systems with an anonymous reporting option.  

Visit the website at Safe2HelpNE.org, download the app on either Android or Apple phone, or call 833-980-SAFE (7233) to submit a report 24/7/365. 

Any Nebraska K-12 student (public or nonpublic) may use Safe2HelpNE  

No. Students are the primary audience, but the Safe2HelpNE resource is also available to school staff and parents who would like to report a concerning behavior that may impact safety to students, staff, or schools. 

Yes. Once prepared as a Safe2HelpNE team, you will be given access to a website where promotion materials for Safe2HelpNE at your school are available for download. There are videos you can show to students, staff, and parents to teach them about Safe2HelpNE, what to report, and how to report. There are materials ready for your school logo (if you wish) that can be printed for handouts to students, staff, and parents. Poster templates are also available. The school is the best promotor of the use of Safe2HelpNE.  

No. Safe2HelpNE is an anonymous report line. The crisis counselors who respond to your report do not know your identity. You can allow the crisis counselors to contact you for more information through a random number assigned to you. If you choose this option, they still do not know your identity. The only way you will not be anonymous is if you tell someone you reported to Safe2Help. 

There is no cost to any public or nonpublic K-12 school in Nebraska. After three years of operation, the legislature will receive data from the Safe2Help line. At that time, the partners will ask for additional funding based on the line’s utility. 

Steps to implementing Safe2Help  

  1. Register your team for Safe2Help
  2. Have your team individually sign up for the K-12 Threat Assessment Teams website.
  3. A team member from NDE will add your team’s information to the Safe2Help database, and you will be contacted with any additional information needed.

No. According to the Nebraska Revised State Statute (79-3104), it is voluntary, and schools must opt-in.

  • Suppose a district is not participating in Safe2HelpNE, and a report is made to Safe2HelpNE regarding behavior in your district. In that case, law enforcement will be contacted to conduct the necessary investigation or follow-up. 
  • If a district currently has a method for students, staff, and parents to report concerning behavior, it should be operated anonymously and responded to 24/7/365. It is working, and your district is most likely prepared to receive reports for your district via the established method. 
  • The threat assessment process is considered a prevention measure. Using research-based guidance, teams are trained to assess behaviors and risks associated with targeted violence. School teams gather information regarding reported or observed behavior to connect data and make sense of a concerning situation. This process allows the team to determine what supports may be implemented to help a student or staff member. 
  • Whenever there is a concern about behavior, it is best practice for a multi-disciplinary team to review the situation. Each team member provides a different viewpoint in the assessment. For example, school personnel view the whole child and situation based on their day-to-day interactions and knowledge of a student. Mental health professionals look at potential violence risks based on their behavioral health knowledge, and law enforcement can access risk information that schools may not know.   

The required multi-disciplinary team members include:   

  • Administrator,  
  • Law Enforcement Officer,  
  • Mental Health Professionals,  
  • 2 other staff members, such as a counselor, administrator, teacher 
  • One is a process the other is a plan.
  • Threat assessment is a small piece of the EOP and a process for enhancing violence prevention by assessing risk factors for targeted violence.
  • The Emergency Operations Plan is the document connecting safety planning and the plan’s procedures for threats, hazards, or incidents associated with your school.

No. The only required trainings for Safe2Help are for a team to attend threat assessment training provided through the Educational Service Unit Professional Development Organization by the Nebraska Department of Education and the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center, and the P3 electronic platform training provided by Boys Town (once a team is registered for Safe2Help). 

Moving statewide Safe2HelpNE has become a partnership between the Nebraska Department of Education School Safety and Boys Town.

As a participating school, community partner, or ambassador, you can help by spreading the word  

1. Follow Safe2HelpNE on Social Media. 

2. Share Our Posts.

Sample Posts:  
Safe2HelpNE is a resource available to students K-12 in Nebraska. If you have a friend struggling with an issue that affects their safety or someone else’s, counselors are standing by 24/7/365. Make an anonymous report by calling 833-980-SAFE (7233), downloading the app, or submitting a tip online at Safe2HelpNE.org. 
 
You can now safely and anonymously report threats to your school, bullying, suicide, crime, domestic violence, and abuse. Crisis counselors are standing by 24/7/365, and there are three different ways for you to reach out. Visit Safe2HelpNE.org to submit a report online, download the iPhone/Android app, or call 833-980-SAFE (7233) to report to someone now. 
 
If you SEE something or HEAR something, it’s up to all of us to stop violence in its tracks and report safety concerns. Students can now submit anonymous reports at Safe2HelpNE.org or by calling 833-980-SAFE (7233) 

3. Hang posters in your school.

4. Hand out materials that are prepared for your school.

Email jay.martin@nebraska.gov with questions or indicate your school would like to participate in Safe2HelpNE. 

Updated January 23, 2024 12:29pm