If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation...

SAFETY PLANNING Planning for safety is something everyone does day to day. However, victims of Domestic Violence must not only plan for safety but for their children and their own survival. This involves being prepared and planning ahead. You are the best person to know your situation. The following are precautions and plans that can help increase your safety. IN AN EMERGENCY If you are at home and you are being threatened or attacked: Stay away from the kitchen (the abuser can find weapons, like knives there) Stay away from bathrooms, closets, or small spaces where the abuser can trap you Get to a room with a door or window escape Get to a room with a phone to call for help; lock the abuser outside if you can Call 911 (or your local emergency number) right away for help: get the dispatcher's name Think about a neighbor or friend you can run to for help If a police officer comes, tell him/her what happened; get his/her name and badge number Get medical help if you are hurt Take pictures of bruises or injuries Call a domestic violence program or shelter; ask them to help you make a safety plan ITEMS TO TAKE WHEN LEAVING Identification for yourself Children's birth certificates Your birth certificate Social security cards, green cards, passports School, vaccination records Money, bankbooks, ATM card, checkbook Credit cards Medication Keys-house, car, office Driver's license, car registration Divorce or separation papers Public Assistance ID/Medicaid cards Lease, rental agreement, or house deed Car/mortgage payment books HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AT HOME Learn where to get help; memorize emergency phone numbers Keep a phone in a room you can lock from the inside If the abuser has moved out, change the locks on your door; get locks on the windows Plan an escape route out of your home: teach it to your children Think about where you would go if you need to escape Ask your neighbors to call the police if they see the abuser at your house; make a signal for them to call the police, for example, if the phone rings twice, a shade is pulled down or a light is on Pack a bag with important things you'd need if you had to leave quickly; put it in a safe place, or give it to a friend or relative you trust Include cash, car keys, and important information such as court papers, passport or birth certificates, medical records and medicines, immigration papers Get an unlisted and unpublished phone number Block caller ID Use an answering machine; screen the calls HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF OUTSIDE THE HOME Change your regular travel habits Try to get rides with different people Shop and bank in different locations Cancel any bank accounts or credit cards you shared; open new accounts at a different bank Keep your court order and emergency numbers with you at all times HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF SAFER AT WORK Keep a copy of your court order at work Give a picture of the abuser to security and friends at work Tell your supervisors what is happening Don't go to lunch alone Ask a security guard to walk you to your car Save messages the abuser might leave you at work HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? The Family Violence Center offers many different ways to help you help yourself. There is a 24-hour hotline with advocates to talk over your situation with you. They help assess the situation and talk with you on what options are available and what might be the best way for you to leave or the best way for you to stay in the relationship. Safety is our main focus. Our advocates can review Safety Planning* which helps you with specific things to do. For example, items to take with you (licenses, birth certificates etc.), people who might be an undiscovered source of help, and how you can get where you need to go. Volunteer court advocates* are in the Circuit Clerk's Office at the Greene County Courthouse to assist those filing for orders of protection. Court advocate volunteers might be able to attend the hearings with you if you file for an order of protection. We also offer shelter services for those who need a place to go when they leave the relationship. *For more information you can call our hotline at 417-864-SAFE or 1-800-831-6863. OTHER RESOURCES There are more things out there then you think. Call your local phone company and see if they could moniter your line if you are getting harassing phone calls. You might consider filing for an ex parte, which is an order of protection granted by a judge to keep the undesired person away from your home and orders that person to keep from abusing, threatening to abuse, harassing or stalking you. FAMILY VIOLENCE CENTER P.O. BOX 5972 SPRINGFIELD, MO 65801 24-Hour Hotline: 417-864-SAFE 1-800-831-6863 TTY: 417-837-7705 Office: 417-837-7700 Fax: 417-837-7707