Domestic violence can be very dangerous.  Safety planning is very important. CALL US to make a plan!

On this page are some general tips for safety planning, but BECAUSE EVERYONE’S SITUATION IS DIFFERENT, the best thing to do is CALL US. When you call us, you’re in charge. We will listen, give you information and help, and can walk you through some safety options. We will not tell you what to do. Please, call.

Safety planning tips if you are in an abusive relationship:

• Think of the safer places in your home – avoid rooms with no exits (bathrooms) or rooms with weapons (kitchen). If you feel abuse is going to happen, try to get your abuser to one of the safer places.
• Memorize important phone numbers (friends, hotlines, police).
• Teach your children how to dial 911.
• Make a list of safe people you could contact (friends, family, neighbors, teachers, co-workers) in an emergency. Make up a code word or sign with them so they know when to call for help.
• Do things that get you out of the house (take out the trash, walk the dog, go to the store).
• Think about where you could go if you leave, how you would get there, and what you would need to bring.
• Some things you might want to bring with you if you leave are: house keys, car keys, cash, credit cards, medicine, cellphone, important numbers, and important papers for you and your children.

o Important papers might include birth certificates, social
security cards, driver’s license, medical records, bills,
proof of past abuse (photos, police reports, medical
records), pictures and mementos that mean a lot to you.

• If possible, collect some of these things in a bag and hide it where it is easy for you to get but hard for the abuser to find (avoid hiding it in the house or car, if possible), like at a friend or co-worker’s house. If your abuser finds it, call it a “hurricane” or “fire” bag.
• Try to keep cash with you at all times. If you have a car, always have at least half a tank of gas.