PREPARE A SAFE ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE
- Identify rooms with inside
locks on the doors.
- Plan barricades.
- Choose a room with a window.
- Have a telephone in that room;
or get a cordless telephone or cell phone.
- Arrange a signal for help with
a neighbor.
- Remove weapons.
PLANNING WITH YOUR CHILDREN
- Plan with your children &
practice the plan.
- Identify a safe place for them
to go.
- Be clear that you do not want
them to try to protect you.
SAFE HOUSING & HOW TO GET THERE
- Arrange to stay with friends or
family (try to avoid next door neighbors, close family and mutual friends).
- Call the local battered women’s
shelter.
- If you must leave your
children, recover them as soon as possible. Seek legal advice if there is no current
child custody order.
- Consider safe housing for your
children with relatives, friends or to a safe location with you.
DOCUMENT THE ABUSE
- Keep a journal (make sure it’s
hidden).
- Get photos taken of damage to
yourself/property.
- Get medical attention and have
it in medical records.
- Show injuries to a friend.
- Make copies of bills for damage
to property.
- Make copies of hospital bills.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
- Move all important papers to a
friend’s house or a secure location such as a safety deposit box (birth
certificates, marriage certificate, immigration papers, children’s
immunization records, social security cards, car title and registration,
deeds and other property information, etc.
MONEY AND KEYS
- Put aside emergency money as
you can.
- Open your own bank account.
- Hide extra sets of keys: car,
house, post office box, safety deposit.
PACK AN EMERGENCY SUITCASE
- Pack several sets of clothes
for you and your children as well as towels, snacks, toiletries.
- Pack valued possessions such as
pictures, keepsakes, favorite toys, etc.
- Hide the suitcase somewhere the
batterer is unlikely to look, with family/friends or public locker. Avoid using next door neighbors or
mutual friends.
WHEN YOU LEAVE
- Plan to leave while your abuser
is away from home, or ask local law enforcement to help you. If you take your children with you, it
is important to contact the local District Attorney’s Child Abduction unit
or a private attorney about custody rights as soon as possible. If you fear your children are in danger,
contact the local child/family protective services agency and law
enforcement as soon as possible.
- Reschedule any of your
appointments that the offender knows about.
- Be very aware of your
surroundings.
WHAT TO DO AT WORK
·
Inform
your employer of the situation. If you
have an Order of Protection that includes your workplace, keep a copy at work.
·
If
necessary, have co-workers screen your phone calls.
HOW
FAMILY/FRIENDS/NEIGHBORS CAN HELP
·
Keep
people informed of your situation. Let
the neighbors know, if they hear you scream, they should call 911.
·
Always
keep your neighbor’s phone numbers handy.
·
Find
out who can provide shelter for you and your children in an emergency.
CRISIS LINE
707-463-HELP (Inland)
707 964-HELP (Coast)
PROJECT SANCTUARY
Inland Office
564 S. Dora Street
Ukiah, CA
95482
707-462-9196
Coastal Office
461 N. Franklin
Fort Bragg, CA
95437
707-961-1507