| Creating A Safety Plan
Safety During A Violent Incident
- Think and plan ahead for personal safety, if possible.
- Pay attention to cues and trust your instincts.
- Try to have your form of mobility available.
- Stay close to a phone. Keep the cordless or cell phone tucked away at your side with
the ringer off. Program the phone to 911 or another safety number.
- Know how you might be able to get out most safely.
- Know where your purse and car keys will be or where you have hidden the key.
- Tell trusted friends or neighbors about the violence you are experiencing so that they
can call 911 for you if they hear suspicious noises coming from your house. Arrange a
code word to tell them to summon police.
- Teach your children to call 911.
- Find a space you can move to in your home that presents the lowest risk to you. (Try
to avoid areas that are without access to an outside door.)
Safety When Preparing To Leave
- If you are thinking about leaving, do not let your abuser know of your planes to escape.
Be careful not to leave clues regarding your destination (i.e. long distance phone bills
or literature about domestic violence services).
- Find someone who can keep money, extra clothes, important documents and an extra set
of keys for you.
- Make sure if you drive an adaptive vehicle the adaptations are in good repair and has
plenty of gas.
- Consider applying for accessible transportation services in your community if available.
- Think about opening a savings account in your name only, use a friend's address on the
account, have your SSI/SSDI check direct deposited to this account.
- Explore other things you could do to increase your independence.
- If possible, have someone in mind that could lend you money or stay with, if necessary.
- Rehearse your escape plan and practice it with your children.
- Keep a laundry basket of clothes for you and the children near the door or in the car.
- Change your payee (if you have one) on your SSI/SSDI benefit check to someone you trust.
Contact the social security administration to change the payee name.
- If you plan to use a credit card or cell phone when you leave, make sure the statement
is sent to an address the abuser cannot access.
- Call and talk with a disability advocate agency in your area for assistance with locating
accessible housing and other support services.
- Call your local domestic violence program to alert them to your situation and accessibility
needs, memorize their number.
- Call Adult Protective Services and report the abuse. Let them know if your health and
safety are at stake. They must take down all self-reports. Ask APS what the process will
be for investigation and services. Not all APS reports end in a nursing home placement.
If you are not willing to tolerate a nursing home placement, then let the social worker
know that. There are emergency options other than an institutional setting and APS may
be able to set up other temporary emergency services.
Safety In The Home
- Change all locks.
- Replace wooden doors with metal doors.
- Install security system including additional locks, window bars, electronic system,
etc.
- Install outside lighting. Motion lights work well.
- Teach children how to call 911.
- Change telephone number, email address and email password.
- Watch for stalking behaviors.
- Inform friends, neighbors, and or landlord that your partner no longer lives with you
and that the police should be called if he is observed near the home.
Safety With A Protection From Abuse Order
- Get information about obtaining a protective order.
- Know where the protective order is at all times.
- Make as many copies as you need to distribute protective orders where you live or work
or other places you might visit.
- Inform trusted others that you have a protective order in effect.
- Contact the police and court if the protective order is violated.
- If the police do not help, contact police department to file a complaint.
Safety On The Job
- Inform supervisor and trusted co-workers of your situation.
- Ask for help at work to screen your calls.
- Find a safe escort when leaving work.
- Use a different route home to avoid problems from partner who knows your routines.
Items To Take When Leaving
Identification
- Identification, driver's license
- Children birth certificates
- Your birth certificate
- Social security cards or social security award letter
- Proof of disability
- Vision Card
- Green card, passport, work permits
Money
- Money, checkbook, ATM card, credit cards
- Insurance, Medicaid, Medicare and /or clinic card
- If applicable, information on stocks, bonds, retirement accounts, mortgage.
Legal Papers
- School and vaccination records
- Divorce papers
- Medical records
- Lease, house deed, mortgage book
Other Important Disability-Related Items
- Adaptive equipment
- Medications/prescriptions/doctor's orders
- Service animal and supplies needed for their care
- Name and phone numbers of home health agencies, caseworkers and other disability service
providers
- Phone numbers of friends or past attendants who might be willing to help with personal
care tasks
- Bus pass, transit card
- Medical records
Miscellaneous Items
- Keys
- Medications
- Small saleable objects
- Address book
- Pictures
- Jewelry
- Children's favorite toys
- Items of sentimental value
- Cell phone programmed to 911
Leaving an abusive relationship is a process for people with disabilities
just like it is for people without disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, this
process can be longer because of all the logistics. Leaving an abusive relationship is one
of the bravest, most frightening experiences a person can go through. Being abused is not
your fault and neither is having a disability.
Only you know your batterer best. Use the steps that make sense for your
personal situation. IF something does not feel safe and might put you or your children in
further danger-don't do it!
Remember there is hope. There are options. There is a way out.
Adapted from materials from Disability Services ASAP (A Safety Awareness
Program) of SafePlace, Austin, Texas. |
