Runaway Youth Services
Harry's Mother
Founded in 1976, Harry's Mother provides comprehensive 24-hour crisis intervention, emergency shelter and individual and family counseling to runaway youth, ages 9 to 17, and their families in the Portland Metropolitan area.
Operating a crisis intervention/counseling center and a confidential 12-bed shelter called Garfield House, Harry's Mother serves over 500 runaway and homeless youth and their families each year. A 24-hour Youth and Family Help Line provides immediate assistance, information and referral to 1,000 callers yearly.
A national "best practice” model for Positive Youth Development, Harry's Mother has been the federally designated Basic Center program in Multnomah County since its inception.
Reception Center
A Juvenile Detention Initiative, the Reception Center provides 24-hour immediate intervention services for youth, ages 11-17, picked up by the Portland Police Department and charged for a non-violent offense such as truancy, violating curfew, running away, or trespassing.
A collaboration between the Portland Police Department, Multnomah County Department of Human Services, and the Department of Community Justice (Juvenile Services Division), the Reception Center is designed to provide a safe, non-secure environment for youth who have been picked up by the police and need to be returned to their parents or guardians. While at the Reception Center, Janus provides crisis counseling and exposure to related services the youth and their family could utilize to alleviate future problems. When necessary, youth can be referred to Harry's Mother's short-term shelter for temporary respite while case management staff works to reconcile family conflicts and reunite members. In rare cases, the Reception Center will refer youth to the Downtown Homeless Youth Continuum for assessment and services.
The Reception Center also provides personal hygiene supplies, simple but nutritious meals while youth wait for their parent or guardian.