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.