of short-term repercussions, including the possible difficulties for the person and his/her loved ones. 3. Evaluate possible solutions. Identify alternate solutions to the person’s immediate and short-term needs. This process also helps identify obstacles to specific solutions. 4. Help in taking concrete steps. Help the person take action and be proactive. 5. Follow-up to check on progress. Plan subsequent steps and establish a procedure to monitor the process and progress of rehabilitation as closely as required so you can provide feedback or offer support in the future.
6. Design a personal safety plan
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Being ready with a plan for emergency situations means having an organized strategy to fall back on in case it is needed. If you do not have one yet, do consider the following points: j Identify the source of danger and its imminence. j Find a safe place where you feel protected from other people or from yourself. This place could be a safe house, the house of a friend or family member, or within your own house. It should be a space where you feel good and have privacy. j Have a list of telephone numbers at hand, so you can call for help in a crisis situation or when you feel your life is in danger. If you do not have a telephone, find a way of sending a signal to a neighbor or informing a friend. j Have documents, medicines, and other objects at hand that might be needed in an emergency. j If there are children or people who depend on you, check to see whether they are in danger and seek alternate solutions for their safety. j Build a support network. j Share with others what you need to fight an attack. This means identifying people you completely trust in a situation of crisis, such as a friends, relatives, therapists, or help centres. Likewise, if the source of danger is directly related to your work environment, then it is important that you share this with colleagues. You should express your fears and jointly seek alternatives to manage the situation.
76. Adapted from María Cecilia Claramunt (1999) “Ayudándonos para ayudar a otros: guía para el auto cuidado de quienes trabajan en el campo de la violencia interfamiliar”, Serie Género y Salud Pública 7, Pan-American Health Organization, Programa Mujer, Salud y Desarrollo, San José, Costa Rica, pp. 71-73
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