Have a Plan

If you are not ready to make the call, have a plan so you’ll be safe if it becomes necessary to leave.

• Pack a bag with important things you’d need if you had to leave quickly. Include cash, car keys, a change of clothing, and important information (such as: court papers, passport or birth certificates, medical records & medicines, immigration papers) and put it in a safe place, or give it to a friend or relative you trust.

• Take pictures of bruises or injuries or get medical attention.

• Plan an escape route out of your home and decide where you would go; teach it to your children, along with a code word that tells your children to use the escape route.

• If you call 911, get the dispatcher’s name and the police officer’s name & badge number.

• Call a domestic violence program or shelter and ask them to help you make a safety plan.

You are not alone…you deserve to be safe. Help and safety are just a phone call away: 1.800.799.SAFE (7233).