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Personalized Safety Plan
This plan was generalized for use in other jurisdictions
from a plan found at Metro
Nashville Police Department.
Step 1. Safety during violence.
I can use the following options:
a. If I decide to leave, I
will_____________________________________________(practicing how to get
out of your home safely)
b. I can keep a bag ready and put it______________________ so I can
leave quickly.
c. I can tell________________________________about the violence and
have them call the police when violence erupts.
d. I can teach my children to use the telephone to call the police
and the fire department.
e. I will use this word code________________________________for my
children, friends, or family to call for help.
f. If I have to leave my home, I will
go_________________________________________.(Be prepared even if you think
you will never have to leave.)
g. I can teach these strategies to my children.
h. When an argument erupts, I will move to a safer room such
as___________________________________________________________. (Try to
avoid arguments in the bathroom, garage, kitchen, near weapons or in rooms
without access to an outside door)
i. I will use my instincts, intuition, and judgment. I will protect
myself and my children until we are out of danger.
Step 2. Safety when getting ready to leave.
I can use the following strategies:
a. I will leave money and an extra set of keys
with___________________________________________.
b. I will keep important documents and keys
at_______________________________________________________.
c. I will open a savings account by this
date___________________________________ to increase my independence.
d. Other things I can do to increase my independence
are:_______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
e. The domestic violence hotline is _____________________.
f. The shelter's hotline is _________________________.
g. I will keep change for phone calls with me at ALL times.
I know that if I use a telephone credit card, that the following month the
telephone bill will tell the batterer who I called after I left. I will
keep this information confidential by using a prepaid phone card, using a
friend's telephone card, calling collect, or using change.
h. I will check with_________________________ and
______________________ to know who will let me stay with them or who will
lend me money.
i. I can leave extra clothes with___________________________.
j. I will review my safety plan every ___________________(time
frame) in order to plan the safest route. I will review the plan with
______________________________ (a friend, counselor or advocate.)
k. I will rehearse the escape plan and practice it with my
children.
Step 3. Safety At Home
I can use the following safety methods:
a. I can change the locks on my doors and windows as soon as
possible.
b. I can replace wooden doors with steel doors.
c. I can install security systems- i.e. additional locks, window
bars, poles to wedge against doors, electronic sensors, etc.
d. I can purchase rope ladders to be used for escape routes from
the second floor.
e. I can install smoke detectors and buy fire extinguishers for
each floor of my home.
f. I can install an outside lighting system that lights up when
someone approaches my home.
g. I will teach my children how to use the phone to make collect
calls to me and to ___________________________ (friend, family, minister)
if my partner tried to take them.
h. I will tell the people who care for my children, who has
permission to pick up my children. Inform the following people:
School_____________________________________
Day Care___________________________________
Babysitter_________________________________
Sunday School______________________________
Teacher____________________________________
Others_____________________________________
i. I can tell my the following people that my partner no
longer lives with me and that they should call the police if he is near my
residence:
Neighbors___________________________________
Church Leaders______________________________
Friends_____________________________________
Relatives____________________________________
Others______________________________________
Step 4. Order of Protection
The following steps will help enforce the order of protection:
a. I will keep the protection order______________________(the
location). Always keep it with you.
b. I will give my protection order to police departments in the
areas that I visit my friends, family, where I live, and where I work.
c. If I visit other counties, I will register my protection order
with those counties.
d. I can call the local domestic violence agency if I am not sure
how to register my protection order with the police departments.
e. I will tell my employer, my church leader, my friends, my family
and others that I have a protection order.
f. If my protection order gets destroyed, I know I can go to the
courthouse and get another copy.
g. If my partner violates the protection order, I will call the
police and report it. I will call my lawyer, my advocate, counselor, and/
or tell the courts about the violation.
h. If the police do not help, I will call my advocate or my
attorney AND I will file a complaint with the Chief of the Police
Department.
i. I can file a private criminal complaint with the district judge
in the jurisdiction that the violation took place or with the District
Attorney. A domestic violence advocate will help me do this.
Step 5. Job and Public Safety
I can do the following:
a. I can tell my boss, security, and _______________ at work
about this situation.
b. I can ask___________________________________ to help
screen my phone calls.
c. When leaving work I can do the following:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
d. When I am driving home from work and problems arise, I
can_________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
e. If I use public transportation, I
can_________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
f. I will shop at different grocery stores and shopping malls at
different hours than I did when I was with my partner. I will try to
vary regular routines and routes.
g. I will use a different bank and bank at different hours
than I did when I was with my partner.
h. I can also do the
following:_______________________________________________________________
Step 6. Drug and Alcohol Use.
I can enhance my safety if I do the following:
a. If I am going to use, I am going to do it in a safe place with
people who understand the risk of violence and who are committed to my
safety.
b. I can
also_____________________________________________________________
c. If my partner is using, I
can____________________________________________________________________
d. I can
also___________________________________________________________________
e. To protect my children, I
can____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Step 7. Emotional Health
I can do the following:
a. If I feel depressed and ready to return to a potentially violent
situation/ partner, I
can______________________________________________________________________
I can call
_________________________________________________________________________
b. When I have to talk to my partner in person or on the phone, I
can______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
c. I will use "I" statements and I will be assertive with
people.
d. I can tell myself
"__________________________________________________________________________"
when I feel people are trying to control or abuse me.
e. I can call the following people and/ or places for
support:___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
f. Things I can do to make me feel stronger
are:_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
I will keep this document in a safe place and out of the reach of
my potential attacker.
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