Stay Prepared and Stay Safe
Safety plans are personalized strategies to help keep yourself protected and to reduce the potential for harm. Leaving an abusive relationship can be an uncertain and dangerous time. Brainstorming ways to stay safe can help you feel more prepared.
If you are planning to leave:
1. Have a bag packed somewhere safe. Keep it handy in case you need to leave quickly, or leave it with a trusted neighbor, friend or relative. You may want to include:
3. Know how to quickly get out of your house; practice and visualize this.
4. Plan where you will go if you have to leave.
Cell Phones and Safety:
Cell phones have the capability to call 911 even if they are disconnected. If you have to call 911, the first thing you should tell dispatch is your address. Many phones do not have systems that can help emergency services to locate you.
If you need an emergency phone, our Community Service Center provides free cell phones, as available, that can be used to call 911. You can stop by during regular business hours to speak to an advocate to determine eligibility and inventory.
Protection from economic abuse and control:
Safety at Work:
Safety and Your Children:
Safety and Technology:
Call our HelpLine to speak directly with an advocate who can assist you in creating a safety plan that best suits your needs.
If you are planning to leave:
1. Have a bag packed somewhere safe. Keep it handy in case you need to leave quickly, or leave it with a trusted neighbor, friend or relative. You may want to include:
- Copies of any legal or important documents like birth certificates, social security cards or parenting plans
- An extra set of keys to house and vehicle
- Money, if possible
- Clothing
- Prescribed medication and, if you have children, their medical prescriptions.
3. Know how to quickly get out of your house; practice and visualize this.
4. Plan where you will go if you have to leave.
Cell Phones and Safety:
Cell phones have the capability to call 911 even if they are disconnected. If you have to call 911, the first thing you should tell dispatch is your address. Many phones do not have systems that can help emergency services to locate you.
If you need an emergency phone, our Community Service Center provides free cell phones, as available, that can be used to call 911. You can stop by during regular business hours to speak to an advocate to determine eligibility and inventory.
Protection from economic abuse and control:
- Ask for password protection on all your accounts: Puget Sound Energy, City of Olympia, Comcast, Qwest, Verizon, etc., can provide this service. All you need to do is call and request it. If you have other accounts, feel free to ask about this service.
- You can speak to an attorney at SafePlace’s legal clinic about things you can do to protect your assets from an abusive partner.
Safety at Work:
- Tell someone at your work about your situation. It’s your right to request and expect confidentiality.
- Provide a picture of the abuser, if possible; office security may be available.
- Make a safety plan for when you enter and leave work; have someone escort you to your vehicle.
- Your schedule should be kept confidential by your employer. Make sure others know that by explaining to front desk workers or other coworkers that information about you should never be given out to anyone that comes in and asks about you.
Safety and Your Children:
- Talk with your children. Chances are they know something is going on. Find a way to explain the situation to them in an age appropriate way.
- Teach them to use the phone to call 911. Talk with them about how they can stay safe if they ever feel in danger or see something dangerous.
- Talk with your children’s schools and child care provider. Provide a picture of the abuser. Talk with them about how you will work together to protect your children.
- Create a code word to use so that information about the children and/or pick-ups cannot be arranged without it.
- If you have to exchange your children for visitation, do so in a safe location and find someone to accompany you if that will make you feel safer. You can also call our HelpLine to inquire about possible safe drop-off locations.
Safety and Technology:
- Monitoring – Abusers often control survivors by monitoring their every move whether in person or online. If possible, don’t use your cell phone or personal computer to access services. Visit the local library and use one of their computers or call SafePlace to schedule some time to use a computer in our office.
- Protecting your history – Clear your browser history when using your personal computer. Find the toolbar at the top of the webpage and delete recent history. If you have social media, remove any tagged pictures and location settings.
- Apps – myPlan is a free app to help with safety decision if you or someone you care about is experiencing abuse. For more information visit: https://www.myplanapp.org. There are also anti-virus apps to help track hidden apps that have been downloaded onto your phone.
Call our HelpLine to speak directly with an advocate who can assist you in creating a safety plan that best suits your needs.
