Help starts here.

2-1-1 is an easy to remember number that helps people cut through what can be a confusing and overwhelming maze of information and resources. Trained Resource Navigators help people assess their needs and link them directly to resources and information that could change their circumstances for the better. Whether a person is seeking essential services or looking for volunteer opportunities in his or her community, 211 is there 24 hours a day, seven days a week via phone, text, and chat.

Need help? Contact 2-1-1, text your zipcode to 898-211, or click here to search our database of services.

To help parents ensure their children stay safe online whilst getting to explore and discover new things, Childner International pulled together a list of our resources you can access for free which provide information and advice for parents about internet safety.

See also the homepage for Childnet International at https://www.childnet.com/

Common Sense is the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. We empower parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives.

Common Sense Media helps families make smart media choices. We offer the largest, most trusted library of independent age-based and educational ratings and reviews for movies, games, apps, TV shows, websites, books, and music.  Our Parent Concerns and Parent Blog help families understand and navigate the problems and possibilities of raising children in the digital age.

Common Sense believes in sanity, not censorship.  They strive to achieve a healthy approach to media and technology.

ConnectSafely.org is a Silicon Valley, Calif.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to educating users of connected technology about safety, privacy and security. Here you’ll find research-based safety tips, parents’ guidebooks, advice, news and commentary on all aspects of tech use and policy.

Whether it’s social media, mobile technology or the “Internet of Things,” connected technologies bring us enormous advantages, along with some challenges. ConnectSafely’s job is to help users get the most from their technology while managing the risks and help decision makers craft sensible policies that encourage both innovation and responsible use. ConnectSafely has been a leading voice for rational, research-informed policies — not “moral panics” — when it comes to dealing with challenges brought about by emerging technologies.

This website promotes itself as connected families working to make the online world safer for kids and their families through enlightened public policy, industry best practice and good digital parenting.

Includes tips, tools and rules to confidently navigate the online world with your kids.

Gateway Rehabilitation Center is a fully licensed, private, not-for-profit organization that provides comprehensive alcohol and other drug addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery services for adult men and women, educators, employers, families, healthcare professionals, parents, students, and young adults.  Operating since 1972, Gateway has 20 locations throughout western Pennsylvania and Ohio.  They can be reached at 800-472-1177.

Highmark Caring Place is a free community service dedicated to grieving children and families.  Supporting them in their journey toward hope after a loved one dies, it is a place where grieving children and families receive support and encouragement from others their age and from trained adult volunteers.  They can be reached at 888-734-4073.

Internet Safety 101, a collaborative effort between Enough is Enough and the U.S. Department of Justice, is a multi-media Internet safety resource designed to educate, equip and empower parents, educators and other adults with the knowledge and resources needed to protect children from Internet dangers including pornography, predators, cyberbullies and threats related to online gaming, social networking and mobile devices.

Enough Is Enough^® (EIE), a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, emerged in 1994 as the national leader on the front lines of making the Internet safer for children and families. Since then, EIE has pioneered and led the effort to confront online pornography, child pornography, child stalking and sexual predation with innovative initiatives and effective communications. 

Among the many useful resources located within this site are various guides aimed at helping parents.

Talk with Your Kids About Alcohol.  The best way to prevent underage drinking is to start talking with your child about it, early and often.

Brought to you by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

Mercy Behavioral Health provides recovery-oriented, community-based, mental health and drug treatment/prevention services.  The agency also offers a variety of programs for people with mental retardation and intellectual disabilities.  Services include a crisis line that answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year; a walk-in center located on the South Side; and numerous counseling centers spread out throughout Allegheny County.  They can be reached at 877-637-2924.

The Nar-Anon Family Groups are a worldwide fellowship for those affected by someone else’s addiction. As a Twelve-Step Program, the groups offer help by sharing experiences, strength, and hope. The only requirement for membership is that there be a problem of addiction in a relative or friend.

As mentioned at the Community Connections Seminar at NAI on April 5, 2017, this link contains the Parent Toolkit presented by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Discovery Education to educate middle and high school students about the true impacts of prescription opioid misuse and heroin use.

Parents Who Host Lose The Most is a public awareness program developed by the Drug Free Action Alliance educating communities and parents about the health and safety risks of serving alcohol at teen parties.  The program takes place at state and local levels, concentrating on celebratory times for youth, such as homecoming, holidays, prom, graduation and other times when underage drinking parties are prevalent.  This program encourages parents and the ENTIRE community to send a unified message that teen alcohol consumption is unhealthy, unsafe and unacceptable.

A website that provides centralized, authoritative, easy-to-use information, tools and best practices to help families, schools and communities recognize, understand and prevent bullying, and support children affected by it.

The toolkit provides valuable information for educators and others working with youth, including health care professionals, coaches and afterschool staff. It is especially valuable to schools that do not have bullying prevention programs in place and to agencies typically called upon in crisis situations. Related tip-sheets and guides are free and downloadable.

Pyramid Healthcare provides treatment and care to people who are dealing with alcohol and/or drug addiction, mental health disorders, and adolescent behavioral problems in various locations throughout Pennsylvania.  Licensed by all of the relevant state and federal entities, its residential and outpatient programs help the individual learn and practice recovery and coping skills.  They can be reached at 888-694-9996.

Whether you are overwhelmed by grief, feeling depressed, bullied, or stressed out by day-to-day life, re:solve Crisis Network is there to help.  Its services are confidential and available to all residents of Allegheny County, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  You will speak to a trained counselor who can help you via the telephone or face-to-face, if you prefer.  They can be reached at 888-796-8226.

Savvy Cyber Kids (SCK), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to enable youth, families and school communities to be empowered by technology, recognizes that children are “Digital Naives” who, without intervention, completely lack understanding of the implications of their digital actions.

Founded in 2007 by Internet security expert, noted speaker and author Ben Halpert, Savvy Cyber Kids provides resources for parents and teachers to educate children as they grow up in a world surrounded by technology by teaching numerous Cyber Safety & Ethics concepts such as personal Internet safety, bully response, technology balance, digital reputation and privacy.

As children grow older they interact with technology in a variety of ways, often without supervision. The reality is that when children can access the internet independently, it’s like taking the front door off the house and inviting strangers in—potentially toxic ones—to interact with them. Despite what the media will say, the danger is not with a specific app or game—it’s the decisions and the actions children are taking in these apps and games that may be dangerous.

Savvy Cyber Kids teaches today’s children—from preschool to high school—how to remain safe and be empowered to make appropriate decisions in the online world, by engaging the commitment of parents, teachers and the community to raise awareness and impart a sense of Cyber Safety & Ethics into the minds of children.