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Sample Safety Plan

Below is a seven step safety plan. Please take the time to print this and fill it out with a friend, family member or someone in need.

Step 1. Safety during violence.

I can use the following options:

a. If I decide to leave, I will ________________________________________.
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 9-1-1.
e. I will use this code word ________________________________________ 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. When an argument erupts, I will move to a safer room such as ________________________________________.
h.  I can teach these strategies to my children: ________________________________________.
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.
k. I will review the plan with ________________________________________ (a friend, counselor or advocate.)
l. 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 tries to take them.
h. I will tell the people who care for my children, who have permission to pick up my children. My partner is NOT allowed to. Inform the following people:
School ________________________________________
Day Care ________________________________________
Babysitter ________________________________________
Sunday School ________________________________________
Teacher ________________________________________
And ________________________________________ 
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 ________________________________________
Others ________________________________________

Step 4. Order of Protection

The following steps will help enforce the order of protection:

a. I will always keep a certified copy of the protection order with me.
b. I will give a certified protection order to the police departments in the areas that I visit my friends, family, where I live, and where I work.
c. I will tell my employer, my church leader, my friends, my family and others that I have a protection order.
d. If my protection order gets destroyed, I know I can go to the courthouse and get another copy.
e. 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.
f. If the police do not help, I will call my advocate or my attorney AND I will file a complaint with my local Police Department.
g. I can file a complaint with the police in the jurisdiction where the violation took place.  A domestic violence advocate can 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.
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.  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 can..." 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: ________________________________________.

This personalized safety planning is adapted from the Metro Nashville Police Department's personalized safety plan.