This Week: Safety Planning! Tea Time with TA-DVS This Week: Safety Planning!

Tea Time Etiquette Etiquette (noun): The customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group. Assume best intent No Case Specifics or Personally Identifying Information (PII) If PII is shared – Tea Time Hosts will make a toast to politely interrupt and remind of this etiquette

District Check In For training purposes, this call will be recorded.

Survivor knows their safety, situation, and abuser best! First and foremost: Survivor is the best judge of their safety. They know their abuser – what they will do, wont do, their patterns, their habits, etc. They know their situation and what will work best for them They know what is happening, what is safe and not safe. We have to trust the survivor and their knowledge of their own situation

Identify Safety Concerns Current concerns and/or Future concerns This should come from the survivor. Allow them to share with us what their concern is and how it meets the SSP Definition of Domestic Violence Ask them what are they concerned about today? What has been happening for you? To safety plan – we have to understand what the concerns are (IE – Being located, being harmed in the home, stalking is occurring, etc.)

Community Partners survivor is working with or considered Co-located Advocates/DV service providers – Don’t forget how great of a resource they are! Counselors –Are they talking to a counselor or someone that can offer ongoing emotional support? Support groups? Law enforcement and legal entities – Have they considered, and would it be safe, to contact legal or law enforcement? Legal can look at restraining orders, custody, leaving their apartment, etc. Child welfare – They can be a great resource for survivors. The survivor is the protective parent. What can they do to help support them? Housing and Transportation Services – Do they need housing resources? Transportation? Have they already connected with these folks? Talk about the pieces of what they need and how partners or resources can connect them with those pieces.

What does the survivor need from DHS? What the survivor needs from DHS? Safety measures to home, Relocations, etc. Do they need support groups? Advocates Do they need mental health? Counselors Do they need payment for a new place? Great! We can do that. Do they need transportation help? Look at what is needed and what supports we already have What does the survivor need from DHS?

Cash or other resources the survivor has available? Cash or other resource the survivor has available Financial resources – TANF, Employment, Jobs Support Services, Help from Community Action, roommates that can support Transportation resources – Car, public transportation, friends that can drive them, etc. Emotional support resources – Friends, family, advocates, school counselor, neighbor, etc.

Support Systems Support systems Family and friends – Can be neighbors, community members, churches Employers – Managers, coworkers, partners Counselors/School professionals – Doctors, advocates, attorney Support Systems

Plan to address immediate safety Repairs or safety modifications to home – like changing the locks or replacing a window Relocation – first look at emergency shelter, going to friends and family, church, community safe houses, and then look at long term relocation. Where is safe they can go tonight? Or how can they make their home safe for tonight? Seek services with DV service providers – ADVOCATES ADVOCATES ADVOCATES!!!

Plan to address stabilization from abuse Housing Assistance or relocating to a new home all together – get connected to resources Counseling/Support Groups – Advocates are GREAT resources. Support groups. If they need more one on one, counseling or ongoing services Self-Sufficiency services - We can be a plan! TANF, SNAP benefits, Jobs Classes to gain employment.

Next steps/To-Do’s Next Steps, to-do’s Write out plan of what to do from here, ie Change phone number, contact HUD Housing, etc. Help them to create practical steps. A big piece of trauma is not remembering all the details. The most pressing details of their plan might not be what their brain focuses on. Having something to follow up on and see what they wanted to do is helpful. Next steps/To-Do’s

Consider what has already been working for them Use the 1543 as a tool Consider what has already been working for them Get connected with your Co-Located DV Advocate Reach out to your DV Point Know your resources Use the 1543 as a tool A lot of these things we have talked about are on the 1543 – let that guide the conversation and support as a resource for the survivor Consider what has already been working for them They have already done something that has worked for them – what have they done already? For example, when the abuser gets mad the kids and I go to the neighbor’s house. That is a great plan! How can we expand on that or continue to do that to help with safety? Get connected with your Co-Located DV Advocate Cannot say this enough. The advocates can help them safety plan AND help US to safety plan. They can suggest ideas, give different questions to ask, things to consider Reach out to your DV Point DV points get additional training on DV and they have connection to resources. Brainstorm with the DV Points Know your resources Know who your resources are and pick their brains! Know what you can offer to a survivor, what resources for food, shelter, safety your community has.

Questions to ask? What have you been doing that has already worked? What do you think the abuser will do? Do you have any technology safety concerns? What are you most concerned about? Questions to ask? What have you been doing that has already worked? What do you think the abuser will do? Do you have any technology safety concerns? What are you most concerned about?

See attached document “Safety Planning Resource Sheet” Received in 2019 from Center for Hope and Safety – Co-Located DV Advocates in D3/Marion County Share this document widely!

Thank you! See you next time!