Safety Planning
A safety plan is a personal plan for keeping yourself and your children as safe as possible in different situations.
You do not have to be ready to leave to make a safety plan. Plans can be made for staying, for leaving, or for different things that might happen.
A safety plan might include:
- Who to call if things get worse at home
- A safe word with a trusted person who will call for help
- Where you will go if you need to leave quickly
- Important documents and where they are kept
- What to take if you leave
- How to keep your children safe
- How to keep your digital activity private
Make a Plan with Us
Call our crisis line at 780-827-1791, any time, and we can work through a plan with you over the phone.
Download a Safety Planning Guide
Download Safety Planning Guide (PDF)Keeping Your Online Activity Private
If you are worried that someone is monitoring your device or internet activity, here are some practical steps:
Browsing
- Use a private or incognito browser window when searching for help. This does not save your browsing history on the device.
- Clear your browser history after visiting this site. On most phones: Settings > Safari/Chrome > Clear History.
- Use a library computer or a trusted friend's device if you are concerned your own device is monitored.
Accounts and passwords
- Change passwords on a safe device, not on a shared or monitored one.
- Use a new email account set up on a safe device if you need to communicate confidentially.
Use our Safe Exit button
The Safe Exit button at the top of every page on this site will immediately redirect your browser to a neutral website and attempt to remove this page from your recent history. You can also press Escape twice to activate it.
If you are unsure
Call us from a safe phone. Our crisis line is 780-827-1791, answered 24 hours.
Local Support in Grande Cache
The following organisations in the Grande Cache area can provide additional support:
- GCTHS Crisis Line: 780-827-1791 (24 hours, confidential)
- Tawow Community Centre: 780-827-3324
- Mental Health and Addictions: 780-827-4998
- Mamowichitowin Programme: 780-827-1648
Provincial and National Support
- Alberta Family Violence Info Line: 310-1818 (24 hours, free from any phone in Alberta, multilingual)
- Alberta Council of Women's Shelters (ACWS): acws.ca, shelter directory available
- Canadian Women's Foundation: canadianwomen.org
- Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (24 hours, for youth)
- Shelter Safe (national shelter finder): sheltersafe.ca
If You Are Supporting Someone
If someone in your life is in an unsafe situation, here is how you can help:
Do
- Listen without judgement
- Believe her
- Let her make her own decisions about what to do and when
- Offer practical help (childcare, a safe place to call from, transportation)
- Keep checking in, even if things seem to be okay
- Know the resources available and share them calmly
Do not
- Pressure her to leave before she is ready
- Give her an ultimatum
- Contact her partner on her behalf
- Share her situation with others without her permission
- Tell her what she should do
Leaving an unsafe situation is a process, not a single moment. The most helpful thing you can do is stay connected and let her know you are there.
To get advice on how to help someone: Call our office at 780-827-3776 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm) or our crisis line at 780-827-1791 (24 hours).