Safety planning

If danger is immediate, call 911. You do not have to work this out alone, and you do not have to decide everything today.

What a helpline can help with

• Crisis counselling and listening, without judgement
• Helping you make a safety plan for your own situation
• Referrals to shelters, legal advice and community services
• Talking through options for children, pets, accessibility and language needs, so referrals fit

Practical points people find useful

• Call from a safe phone and location if you can.
• Do not assume one call or one notice resolves risk — keep the helpline number somewhere safe, for example memorised or with a trusted person, not only in a shared phone.
• Tell the helpline about children, pets, accessibility or language needs.
• For suicide or distress, 988 responders assess risk and can connect you to local crisis support. This guide’s self-help notes are not a substitute for calling in a crisis.
• If you are worried about someone else, you can also call 988, Kids Help Phone resources, or a violence helpline for advice on how to support them.

This page gives general information only. A helpline can help you build a plan for your specific situation — that personal plan is safer than any generic list.

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