Safety Planning

Important Numbers:

Police: 911
ATV: 970-669-5150
Crisis Hotline: 970-880-1000

NO ONE DESERVES TO BE ABUSED.

A safety plan helps a person remain safe in a violent or threatening situation, and have a plan of action to prevent danger in a future crisis. Having a safety plan in place allows for immediate and quick action. It helps to have steps in place when under the stress of danger, rather than having to try to think in a chaotic moment. Safety plans should be tailored to a person’s situation. Trust your instincts and judgement. You have the right to protect yourself until you are out of danger.

Safety Preparation

• Devise an escape route out of your house. Practice getting out safely.
• Tell trustworthy neighbors about the violence in your home. Ask them to call the police if they hear or see any disturbance. Devise a signaling system. Flashing lights or open curtains or hanging something out the window.
• Establish a code word or signal to use with your children, family, friends and trustworthy neighbors when you need the police called. Practice with your children, when they hear this word they leave and go to the established safe place.

Steps to Plan Ahead

• Open a bank account in a different bank. Save as much money as you can without raising suspicion from your abuser.
• Get a phone with a different carrier, in your name only or get a TRAC phone that cannot be connected to you.
• Important documents to take with you; birth certificates, driver’s license, social security cards, school records, marriage certificate, immunization and medical records, copy of bank statements, mortgage paperwork, Insurance cards, custody and divorce records, car registration, and copy of tax filings. (Work permits, VISA, Green card)
• Prepare an emergency bag for each person leaving the household. Be sure to have important papers, medications, identification, emergency money, emergency phone, extra set of car keys, clothing for a few days, childcare supplies. Hide it in a safe place, with a friend or in the trunk of the car
• Take all the evidence you have collected about the abuse, pictures, journals, everything you have collected to help your case.
• Have four possible places to go to when you leave. People you trust and are willing to help you. Think of people who might lend you money.
• Consider getting a credit card in your name only.
• Change your daily routine; take different routes to and from work, to and from picking and dropping off children, where and when you shop, where and when you bank.
• Decide what to do with pets and make arrangements.

Safety After You Leave

• Change your phone number, change to a completely different carrier if at all possible.
• Keep your location secret. The more people that know where you are, the more likely they are to slip and let your abuser know. If you are in a shelter, you cannot divulge the location without putting you and everyone in the shelter at risk.
• Let the children’s school know of your circumstances and they will be able to assist you to keep the kids safe. Drop them off at a different door.
• Get a post office box for your mail. You might qualify for the Address Confidentiality Program. Check with your advocate at Alternatives to Violence.
• Take a long break from Social Media. Posting pictures or status on social media can help family and friends know how you are doing. Your abuser is also able to study pics and posting to determine your location.

Download: You can download the following documents that will provide additional information to help you stay safe online, in court, at work and at home.

• Safety Planning
• Safety and Cell Phones
• Safety and Social Media
• Safety In Court
• Safety on the Internet
• Safety Planning with Children
• Safety Planning with Protective Orders