Prioritizing Survivor Safety and Confidentiality Within Coordinated Entry Systems

Safety Planning with Survivors at Entry Points

Key Points

  • CES staff should consider and discuss safety as it pertains to survivors’ participation in the entry and service-matching process.
  • Demonstrate safety and transparency immediately and with everyone who accesses the system.
  • Honor survivor preference: survivors need all the housing options, and support should be individually tailored.
  • All participants should be directly invited to disclose abuse or safety concerns. This should be done one-on-one in a private setting.
  • Trauma is pervasive and impacts how people approach services. Service providers must be trauma-informed.
  • Survivors should be given information about shelters, emergency services, and other potentially beneficial programs.

If you are in danger, please call 911, a local hotline, or the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224. Avoid using a computer that could be accessed by a person who may cause harm, and learn more technology safety tips.

Please note that the Safe Housing Alliance is not a direct service provider and does not provide individual counseling, crisis response, housing advocacy, or legal services. We have compiled a brief list of resources for survivors here.