Safety Planning: Thinking ahead about what your options are for safety so that when your well-being is threatened you are able to keep yourself (and those in your care) as safe as possible.
Safety planning is essential for the health and wellness of you and your loved ones who do not feel safe.
Odds are you are already doing a great job at safety planning. Below are a few suggestions of things that may also help when you need it the most.
Plan ahead:
Develop a plan for yourself
Develop a plan with your children
Arrange to have a place to go
Make copies of important papers and hide them
Have available important phone numbers in multiple places
Pack an overnight bag
Dial safely; be aware of your call logs
Talk through possible scenarios with those who are at risk
If you cannot leave the situation:
Avoid rooms with only one exit
Avoid the kitchen, bathroom, and garage areas (spaces with items that are commonly used as weapons)
Call for help
If you are worried about being harmed by someone who is now living outside of your home:
Change the locks; reinforce doors and windows
Arrange to have someone you trust stay with you
Obtain a Protection Order
At workplaces, schools, and in public places:
Inform those who will be helpful in keeping you safe
Consider mixing up your daily routine
Develop a plan for if/when you encounter your abuser
All of these suggestions are intended to be options, and are not "should's."
You are the one who best knows your circumstances and what is most helpful considering all of the complicated factors of your life.
Content added from Northwest Family Life Learning & Counseling Center