Support Routes
Resources
Crisis routes, local-service connectors, and safer ongoing support options. Reviewed March 2026.
Showing United States. Switch anytime above.
EmergencyImmediate physical danger: call 911.
U.S. crisis routes, local-service connectors, and safer ongoing support options.
National U.S. routes first. Local connectors, peer support, and moderated communities next.
Crisis Lines & Hotlines
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- WAYS
- Call or text 988, or use the official web chat.
- HOURS
- 24/7/365.
- LANGUAGES
- English and Spanish, with dedicated routes for veterans and Deaf or Hard of Hearing support through the official site.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- Confidential crisis support. If immediate physical danger is the issue, move to 911 instead.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- The 988 network can route to local crisis centers and follow-up options when available.
- FIRST CONTACT
- A crisis counselor starts with the immediate risk, stays with the moment, and helps build the next safer step.
VictimConnect Resource Center
- WAYS
- Call, text, or use live chat at 855-4-VICTIM (855-484-2846).
- HOURS
- Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm ET.
- LANGUAGES
- Over 200 languages available via translation services.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- Confidential, with stated exceptions for abuse or neglect of a child, elder, or vulnerable adult, or threats to harm yourself or others.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- Yes. Local victim-service referrals are a core part of the service.
- FIRST CONTACT
- They begin by checking that you are physically safe, then help sort what kind of victim support or local handoff fits.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
- WAYS
- Call, text START to 88788, or use live chat.
- HOURS
- 24/7/365.
- LANGUAGES
- Over 200 languages through advocates and interpretation support.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- Confidential support, with privacy and legal limits explained by the service if they apply to your situation.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- Yes. Advocates can connect you to local, state, and national resources.
- FIRST CONTACT
- An advocate usually starts with whether you are in a safe place to talk, listens without judgment, and works through options or safety planning with you.
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
- WAYS
- Call 800-656-HOPE, use web chat, text HOPE to 64673, or use the official WhatsApp route.
- HOURS
- 24/7.
- LANGUAGES
- English and Spanish are clearly offered; local provider language access can vary after handoff.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- Confidential support, with privacy and legal limits described by the service and its hotline terms.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- Yes. RAINN connects people to local sexual-assault service providers and can help find trauma-informed medical care.
- FIRST CONTACT
- A trained support specialist helps slow the moment down, talk through options, and connect you with a local provider if you want one.
love is respect
- WAYS
- Call 866-331-9474, text LOVEIS to 22522, or use live chat.
- HOURS
- 24/7/365.
- LANGUAGES
- Built for U.S. teens and young adults. The site highlights dedicated Deaf and Native service routes rather than a broad language list.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- Free and confidential. Advocates do not need your name or other contact information, though they may ask your age and city to help with local referrals.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- Yes. Advocates can connect you to service providers, legal resources, counselors, or survivor networks.
- FIRST CONTACT
- They ask what is happening, how safe you are right now, and work with you on options that fit teens and young adults.
StrongHearts Native Helpline
- WAYS
- Call or text 1-844-7NATIVE (1-844-762-8483), or start one-on-one web chat.
- HOURS
- Daily, 5am-8pm PT.
- LANGUAGES
- Built for Native American and Alaska Native contacts. The site does not list a broad interpreter menu, so ask about language needs when you connect.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- Safe, anonymous, and confidential. Texts come back from a secondary number and standard text rates may apply.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- Yes. StrongHearts specifically offers referrals to Native-centered and other direct service providers.
- FIRST CONTACT
- You reach a one-on-one advocate trained in domestic and sexual violence who can do safety planning, peer support, and local referrals.
Find local 211 help
- WAYS
- Call 211 or search by address, ZIP code, or county on the site.
- HOURS
- Many 211 systems are 24/7 by phone; the directory is always available on the web.
- LANGUAGES
- 211 states that help is available in English and many additional languages. Exact coverage depends on the local 211.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- 211 describes conversations as confidential. The website search itself is a normal web visit.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- Yes. This is the local handoff for housing, food, bills, transport, shelter, and other practical services.
- FIRST CONTACT
- You tell the specialist or search tool what practical problem is pressing, then get routed to nearby programs.
988 crisis centers by state and territory
- WAYS
- Browse the state or territory list on the web.
- HOURS
- The directory page is always available. Each crisis center sets its own local operations.
- LANGUAGES
- Varies by center and state.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- This is a public directory page rather than a private conversation.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- Yes. It shows the crisis centers behind the 988 network in your state or territory.
- FIRST CONTACT
- Start by opening your state or territory, then use the listed local center information if you need the local network behind 988.
The Hotline local providers
- WAYS
- Search the web directory by ZIP code or location.
- HOURS
- The directory is available on the web. Each local program sets its own hours and intake rules.
- LANGUAGES
- Varies by provider.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- The search itself is a normal website visit. Once you contact a listed provider, that program's own confidentiality rules apply.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- Yes. This directory is built to move you from a national hotline to nearby domestic-violence programs, shelters, and advocates.
- FIRST CONTACT
- Search by location, review the local program options, then contact the specific provider that fits the immediate need.
Find LSC-funded legal aid
- WAYS
- Search by address or city on the map to find an LSC-funded legal aid office.
- HOURS
- The map is always available. Office hours vary by program.
- LANGUAGES
- Varies by legal aid office.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- The search page is public. Confidentiality begins when you talk with the legal aid office under its intake rules.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- Yes. It is built to identify the legal aid office covering your area.
- FIRST CONTACT
- Enter your location, find the local office, then call or use its website intake to ask about civil legal help.
Search WomensLaw by state
- WAYS
- Choose your state online, then open the lawyer, court, shelter, or sheriff listings that fit the problem.
- HOURS
- The legal information and state pages are always available on the web.
- LANGUAGES
- English and Spanish site navigation are available. The language options of local courts and programs vary.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- The site is public. If you use the Email Hotline or contact a listed program, that service's privacy rules apply.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- Yes. WomensLaw organizes state-by-state lawyer referrals, courts, shelters, sheriff departments, and legal information.
- FIRST CONTACT
- Pick your state, then use the narrower section for restraining orders, lawyers, courthouses, or shelters instead of starting from zero.
RAINN medical care and local provider help
- WAYS
- Call, text, or chat with RAINN through the official hotline if you need a local clinic, hospital, or advocate.
- HOURS
- 24/7 through the hotline.
- LANGUAGES
- English and Spanish are clearly offered. Local provider language access varies after handoff.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- The hotline is confidential, with the same privacy and legal limits described by RAINN and its hotline terms.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- Yes. The point is to connect you with a local sexual-assault provider who can help find trauma-informed medical care or a SANE-capable hospital.
- FIRST CONTACT
- Tell the support specialist whether the assault was recent, whether injuries or evidence collection matter, and what kind of local care you can safely reach.
TrevorSpace
- WAYS
- Create an account and use the moderated online community.
- HOURS
- Platform access is online anytime.
- LANGUAGES
- The site is presented in English.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- It is an account-based community space. Review TrevorSpace privacy rules before posting personally identifying details.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- TrevorSpace itself is community, not a local directory. Use Trevor counselors for crisis or referral help.
- FIRST CONTACT
- You join, review the community rules, and post or read inside a moderated LGBTQ+ youth space rather than a public feed.
1in6 Support Group Chat
- WAYS
- Use the online registration and join a scheduled support group chat.
- HOURS
- Groups run on a scheduled basis rather than on-demand 24/7.
- LANGUAGES
- The site is presented in English.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- Anonymous participation is part of the design. Follow the group privacy rules and avoid identifying details you do not want repeated.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- It is peer support first, not a local directory.
- FIRST CONTACT
- You sign up for a counselor-facilitated chat group and take part by text without video or audio.
SMART Recovery
- WAYS
- Search for an online or in-person meeting by city or state.
- HOURS
- Meeting times vary. The directory is always available on the web.
- LANGUAGES
- Varies by meeting.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
- Meeting guidelines apply. It is mutual support, not emergency or medical confidentiality.
- LOCAL REFERRALS
- The site routes you to nearby or online meetings rather than other survivor services.
- FIRST CONTACT
- Pick a meeting, review the meeting guidelines, and join a facilitator-led group focused on practical tools.
Support Resources
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Use when you or someone near you is in emotional crisis, suicidal, overwhelmed, or needs a live crisis counselor now.
Call or text 988 for 24/7 crisis support. If it is safer, use the official chat route instead of a personal phone log.
- ·Availability: 24/7 in the U.S.
- ·Modes: Call, text, or online chat.
- ·If there is immediate physical danger, call 911 first.
- WAYS
- Call or text 988, or use the official web chat.
- HOURS
- 24/7/365.
Crisis Text Line
Use when you need crisis support but a voice call is not possible or not safe right now.
Crisis Text Line connects you to a trained crisis counselor by text message, 24/7, free and confidential.
- ·Availability: 24/7 in the U.S.
- ·Contact: Text HOME to 741741.
- ·A counselor prioritizes your most pressing concern and works toward a calm next step.
- WAYS
- Text HOME to 741741.
- HOURS
- 24/7/365.
NCMEC CyberTipline
Use when a child or teen is being pressured, blackmailed, or coerced online into self-harm or sexual acts.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children runs the central U.S. reporting channel for online exploitation of minors, including sextortion and coercion networks.
- ·Report at CyberTipline.org. Reports are routed to law enforcement.
- ·Preserve screenshots, usernames, and messages before deleting anything.
- ·If a child is in immediate danger, call 911 first.
FBI Tips and IC3
Use when you have information about online networks that coerce, threaten, or encourage self-harm or violence.
- ·Submit tips at tips.fbi.gov. For internet-enabled crime, file a complaint at ic3.gov.
- ·Include usernames, platforms, dates, and preserved evidence.
- ·If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 first.
VictimConnect Resource Center
Use when you need crime-victim support, advocacy, referrals, or help finding local services without sorting it alone.
VictimConnect can help with safety planning, victim rights questions, and finding nearby services that fit your situation.
- ·Availability: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm ET.
- ·Contact: 1-855-4-VICTIM (1-855-484-2846).
- ·Useful when you need a local handoff rather than only national information.
- WAYS
- Call, text, or use live chat at 855-4-VICTIM (855-484-2846).
- HOURS
- Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm ET.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Use for relationship abuse, coercive control, stalking, safety planning, or questions about leaving safely.
The Hotline helps people identify abuse patterns, plan safer next steps, and connect with advocates without forcing a public disclosure.
- ·Availability: 24/7.
- ·Contact: Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or use chat.
- ·Good fit when the pattern is relational and still active.
- WAYS
- Call, text START to 88788, or use live chat.
- HOURS
- 24/7/365.
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
Use for sexual assault, sexual abuse, recent or historic sexual harm, or help finding a local sexual-assault service provider.
RAINN offers trained support, local provider connections, and a lower-pressure way to talk through what happened before deciding what comes next.
- ·Availability: 24/7.
- ·Contact: Call 800-656-HOPE (4673), chat, or text HOPE to 64673.
- ·If you need urgent medical care or evidence collection, ask about local immediate options.
- WAYS
- Call 800-656-HOPE, use web chat, text HOPE to 64673, or use the official WhatsApp route.
- HOURS
- 24/7.
love is respect
Use when the abuse is happening in a teen or young-adult relationship, or when a young person needs a route that is built for dating abuse rather than a general hotline.
love is respect is a 24/7 route for teens, young adults, and the people supporting them who need relationship-abuse guidance without having to translate everything into adult domestic-violence language first.
- ·Availability: 24/7/365.
- ·Contact: Call 866-331-9474, text LOVEIS to 22522, or use chat.
- ·Useful for dating abuse, digital control, jealousy, coercion, and questions about whether this counts.
- WAYS
- Call 866-331-9474, text LOVEIS to 22522, or use live chat.
- HOURS
- 24/7/365.
StrongHearts Native Helpline
Use when Native American or Alaska Native survivors, relatives, or community members need domestic or sexual violence support that is culturally grounded and available now.
StrongHearts offers Native-centered advocacy, safety planning, crisis intervention, and referrals without requiring people to explain the cultural context from scratch.
- ·Availability: 24/7/365.
- ·Contact: Call 844-7NATIVE, text, or use chat.
- ·Built for Native Americans and Alaska Natives, while still helping anyone who reaches out.
- WAYS
- Call or text 1-844-7NATIVE (1-844-762-8483), or start one-on-one web chat.
- HOURS
- Daily, 5am-8pm PT.
Foster Youth & Alumni
AfterFoster
Use if you aged out of foster care (or are about to) and need to find federal benefits you may qualify for, housing, health coverage, education money, food assistance.
AfterFoster is a plain-language directory of federal programs for current and former foster youth: Chafee services through age 23, Medicaid to age 26, ETV education vouchers, FYI housing vouchers, SNAP, and Transitional Living Program housing.
- ·Covers: housing, health care, education, employment, and stacking multiple benefits at once.
- ·Key deadlines: many programs expire at specific ages, check before they pass.
- ·Even a brief time in care can unlock benefits. Contact your state Independent Living coordinator to confirm eligibility.
National Foster Care & Adoption Directory
Use to find your state Independent Living coordinator, ETV coordinator, foster care program manager, or kinship contacts, the people who can unlock your benefits.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway directory provides contact information for state child welfare officials, including Independent Living and ETV coordinators in every state, territory, and tribe.
- ·Search by state for IL coordinators, ETV coordinators, foster care program managers, and kinship contacts.
- ·Your state IL coordinator is required to tell you what benefits you qualify for, even if you are unsure, ask.
- ·Also lists adoption program managers, CJA grantees, and state liaison officers for child abuse and neglect.
FosterClub
Use when you want peer support, transition tools, and a national community of current and former foster youth, not a crisis line.
FosterClub is the national network for youth in and from foster care. Offers peer community, a transition toolkit, policy council participation, and resources organized by what you need right now.
- ·Built for youth, powered by youth.
- ·Transition Toolkit helps plan housing, health insurance, education, and employment before aging out.
- ·Hosts the National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council with Foster Care Alumni of America.
Foster Care to Success
Use if you are a current or former foster youth heading to college and need funding, mentoring, and support navigating higher education.
Foster Care to Success is the oldest and largest national nonprofit working solely with college-bound foster youth. Since 1981, over 50,000 foster youth have received funding, advice, or support.
- ·Largest provider of college funding and support services for foster youth in the nation.
- ·Helps with scholarships, the ETV (Education and Training Voucher) program, coaching, and mentorship.
- ·Recognized by Congress, HHS, and multiple White House administrations.
Foster Care Alumni of America
Use if you are an adult who spent time in foster care and want connection, community, and a national alumni network.
Foster Care Alumni of America is a national network of adults who experienced foster care, working to ensure all people in and from foster care are connected, empowered, and flourishing.
- ·Peer-led: founded and run by alumni of the foster care system.
- ·Co-convenes the National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council with FosterClub.
- ·Contact: [email protected] or 1-918-862-2586.
National Foster Youth Institute (NFYI)
Use when you want to turn your foster care experience into leadership, advocacy, and policy work, or find a local chapter.
NFYI trains current and former foster youth to inform child-welfare policy alongside legislators and decision-makers. Offers leadership programs, local chapters, and action campaigns.
- ·Mission: revolutionize the foster care system through education, action, and lifting up foster youth voices.
- ·Local chapters available in multiple states, see the chapter finder on their site.
- ·Creates leadership opportunities for former foster youth to shape policy discussions.
A Home Within
Use if you are a current or former foster youth and need free, open-ended, ongoing psychotherapy, not a crisis line or short-term counseling.
A Home Within provides free, open-ended individual psychotherapy to current and former foster youth. Volunteer therapists stay for as long as it takes. 650+ therapists across 29 chapters in 23 states.
- ·Free, open-ended therapy, no session limit. You can refer yourself or someone else.
- ·30,000 hours of free therapy provided each year. 3,000+ youth served.
- ·Available in 23 states with 29 chapters. Check their site for a chapter near you.
Juvenile Law Center
Use when you need legal information about juvenile records, sealing/expungement, foster youth rights, or the child welfare system.
Juvenile Law Center is the oldest public interest law firm for children in the US. Publishes state-by-state scorecards on juvenile record confidentiality, sealing, and expungement laws, and advocates for foster youth rights.
- ·National scorecard on juvenile records: see how your state handles confidentiality, sealing, and expungement.
- ·Records can block employment, housing, education, and military service, know your rights.
- ·Advocates nationally for child welfare system reform and foster youth rights.
National Runaway Safeline
Use if you are a youth who has run away, is thinking about running, is homeless, or was pushed out of a placement, including foster homes.
The National Runaway Safeline is a 24/7 crisis line for youth who have run away, are experiencing homelessness, or are at risk. Confidential support, messaging, and connections to local resources including shelters and transitional living.
- ·Availability: 24/7/365.
- ·Contact: Call 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929), text, or use online chat.
- ·Connects to the federal Transitional Living Program (TLP): up to 21 months of housing and life-skills support for youth 16–22.
National SOGIE Center
Use if you are an LGBTQ+ youth in or from foster care, or a provider working with LGBTQ+ youth in child welfare systems.
The National Center for Youth with Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression provides training, technical assistance, and resources for creating culturally responsive systems for LGBTQ+ children, youth, and families across child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, and housing.
- ·Over 30% of youth in foster care identify as LGBTQ+, more than double the general population.
- ·Centralized hub for evidence-informed interventions and best practices for LGBTQ+ youth in systems of care.
- ·Works across child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, substance use, and housing/homelessness systems.
National Center for Lesbian Rights, Foster Care
Use if you are an LGBTQ+ youth in foster care and need legal advocacy, or want to understand your rights as an LGBTQ+ young person in the child welfare system.
NCLR advocates for child welfare policies that promote the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth. Works to prevent unnecessary entry into foster care, reunify youth with families when possible, and ensure LGBTQ+ youth receive love and support.
- ·LGBTQ+ youth are ~20% of foster youth, over twice their numbers in the general population.
- ·Legal advocacy for LGBTQ+ foster youth safety, permanency, and well-being.
- ·Part of the upEND movement to end the current child welfare system's disproportionate surveillance of Black, Native, and LGBTQ families.
Local Finders
The Trevor Project Lifeline
Use when an LGBTQ+ young person under 25 needs crisis support, suicide prevention, or a safe person to talk to.
The Trevor Project provides 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention support for LGBTQ+ young people.
- ·Availability: 24/7.
- ·Contact: Call 866-488-7386, text START to 678678, or use web chat.
- ·Confidential and specifically trained for LGBTQ+ youth issues.
Veterans Crisis Line
Use when a veteran, service member, or their family member needs crisis support connected to military experience.
The Veterans Crisis Line connects veterans in crisis with qualified, caring responders through a confidential toll-free hotline.
- ·Availability: 24/7.
- ·Contact: Dial 988 then Press 1, text 838255, or use web chat.
- ·Does not require enrollment in VA benefits or services.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Use when you suspect human trafficking, are experiencing trafficking, or need to connect someone with trafficking-specific support.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline provides 24/7 support in over 200 languages, connecting callers to services and resources.
- ·Availability: 24/7.
- ·Contact: Call 888-373-7888, text 233733 (BeFree), or use web chat.
- ·Confidential. Can help with safety planning, crisis support, and local referrals.
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
Use when a child is experiencing abuse, or when an adult suspects child abuse and needs to report or get guidance.
Childhelp provides 24/7 crisis counseling and support for children and adults in over 140 languages.
- ·Availability: 24/7.
- ·Contact: Call or text 800-422-4453 (800-4-A-CHILD).
- ·Confidential. Provides crisis counseling, information, and referrals to local agencies.
Find local 211 help
Use when you need nearby housing, food, shelter, transportation, or other practical services in the U.S.
211 lets you search by location to connect with the local 211 serving your area.
- ·Search by address, ZIP code, or county.
- ·Useful for practical support layers around safety and leaving.
- ·Best when national hotlines cannot solve the local logistics.
- WAYS
- Call 211 or search by address, ZIP code, or county on the site.
- HOURS
- Many 211 systems are 24/7 by phone; the directory is always available on the web.
Find LSC-funded legal aid
Use when you need free or low-cost civil legal help nearby for housing, custody, benefits, debt, immigration, or other legal problems tied to the abuse.
Legal Services Corporation funds legal aid offices in every state, D.C., and U.S. territories and lets you find the office for your area by address.
- ·Search by address or city.
- ·Useful when you need a local legal aid office instead of a general article.
- ·Pairs well with WomensLaw if you also need plain-language court or protection-order guidance.
- WAYS
- Search by address or city on the map to find an LSC-funded legal aid office.
- HOURS
- The map is always available. Office hours vary by program.
Search WomensLaw by state
Use when you need state-specific information about restraining orders, custody, lawyers, courthouses, or shelters without guessing where to start.
WomensLaw organizes state-by-state legal information and "places that help," including lawyers, advocates, shelters, courthouses, and sheriff departments.
- ·Choose your state first, then narrow to restraining orders, lawyers, shelters, or court locations.
- ·Useful when the next move is legal or court-related, not only emotional support.
- ·Includes an Email Hotline and a large state-by-state index.
- WAYS
- Choose your state online, then open the lawyer, court, shelter, or sheriff listings that fit the problem.
- HOURS
- The legal information and state pages are always available on the web.
988 crisis centers by state and territory
Use when you want to see the actual crisis centers behind 988 in your state or territory.
988 publishes a state and territory listing of the crisis centers in its network across the U.S. and its territories.
- ·Browse by state or territory.
- ·Useful when you want the local network behind the national number.
- ·Helps confirm whether your area has local crisis-center coverage.
- WAYS
- Browse the state or territory list on the web.
- HOURS
- The directory page is always available. Each crisis center sets its own local operations.
The Hotline local providers
Use when you need domestic-violence help where you live rather than only national guidance.
The Hotline maintains a local-provider search for people trying to find direct domestic-violence support near them.
- ·Built for local provider search.
- ·Useful for nearby shelters, advocates, and domestic-violence programs.
- ·Pairs well with national hotline support when the situation is current.
- WAYS
- Search the web directory by ZIP code or location.
- HOURS
- The directory is available on the web. Each local program sets its own hours and intake rules.
RAINN medical care and local provider help
Use when sexual assault, sexual abuse, injuries, STI concerns, pregnancy concerns, or evidence collection make medical care part of the next step.
RAINN explains what medical care can do and routes survivors to local sexual-assault service providers who can help find trauma-informed clinics, hospitals, or advocates.
- ·Best when medical care matters now and you want a local handoff, not just information.
- ·Useful for local clinics or hospitals prepared to care for sexual-assault survivors.
- ·Can also connect you with an advocate who helps you through the medical process.
- WAYS
- Call, text, or chat with RAINN through the official hotline if you need a local clinic, hospital, or advocate.
- HOURS
- 24/7 through the hotline.
Peer Routes
TrevorSpace
LGBTQ+ young people ages 13 to 24 who need peer connection that is not public social-media exposure.
TrevorSpace offers a moderated online community tied to The Trevor Project and built specifically for LGBTQ+ young people.
- ·For ages 13 to 24.
- ·Moderated and purpose-built for LGBTQ+ youth.
- ·Good when identity-safe community matters and exposure risk is high.
- WAYS
- Create an account and use the moderated online community.
- HOURS
- Platform access is online anytime.
1in6 Support Group Chat
Men and male-identified survivors of sexual abuse or assault who want issue-specific peer support.
1in6 keeps the space focused and specific, with anonymous chat groups facilitated by a counselor.
- ·Anonymous peer support chats.
- ·Counselor facilitated and moderator reviewed.
- ·Designed as support, not therapy.
- WAYS
- Use the online registration and join a scheduled support group chat.
- HOURS
- Groups run on a scheduled basis rather than on-demand 24/7.
SMART Recovery
People working on compulsive or self-defeating loops who want evidence-informed tools and a structured meeting format.
SMART Recovery meetings are structured and tool-oriented, with both local and online support options.
- ·Free meetings and tools.
- ·Online meetings available.
- ·Useful alongside therapy, clinical care, or other support.
- WAYS
- Search for an online or in-person meeting by city or state.
- HOURS
- Meeting times vary. The directory is always available on the web.
Tech Safety
If the device may be monitored, do not start with password changes.
The first move is a private channel and a safety plan, because sudden account changes can alert the person using technology for control.
- →Use a different phone or computer that the abusive person has not had physical or remote access to.
- →Do research, new logins, and backup planning from that safer device.
- →If you are unsure, ask an advocate to think through what could escalate before you change anything.
Check phone sharing, account access, and location tools before you move.
Phones, apps, shared plans, and even cars can quietly expose location. The safest move is understanding the route before turning settings off.
- →Check family-sharing, Find My, Google or Apple account access, social apps, and car or tag-based tracking.
- →Notice whether the person knows where you are live or only later. That helps narrow the route.
- →Turn sharing off only after you think through what the person may notice and what that could trigger.
Shared cloud accounts can expose photos, messages, passwords, and location logs.
Cloud access is often the quiet layer people miss. If accounts or backups are shared, a new device may still be visible.
- →Review the list of devices with access to each cloud account from a safer device.
- →If you see an unknown device, document it before you remove access.
- →If you move to a new phone, avoid restoring from a compromised backup until the old accounts are secured.
Document in a way that protects both safety and evidence.
Evidence is helpful only if collecting it does not alert the person, expose extra private material, or make the situation more dangerous.
- →Keep a dated incident log with the tech used, what happened, and who witnessed it.
- →Use a second safer device to photograph screens when screenshots or recordings could notify the other person.
- →Save what helps your safety, court options, or advocate work. Do not collect extra private material just because it exists.
Abuse Entry Lanes
Entry lane / Stalking
Leaving does not always stop danger. Stalking often intensifies around separation and may be physical, digital, or both at once.
- →Do first now: start a dated log of calls, sightings, messages, visits, tags, or account access that make you feel unsafe.
- →If you have time: tell work, school, childcare, neighbors, or another trusted person what is happening and set a code word for help.
- →Local handoff: take that log into an advocate, legal-aid, or police conversation and pair it with tech safety if devices may be involved.
Entry lane / Children involved
Child safety planning works best before the next violent moment. The goal is not to make children protect you. The goal is to help them get safe fast.
- →Do first now: give children one clear plan for where to go, who to call, and what not to get in the middle of.
- →If you have time: gather medication, school or childcare details, comfort items, and any custody or ID papers that affect a safe exit.
- →Local handoff: ask an advocate, shelter, or legal-aid route to help you plan safe handoffs, school pickup, and custody-related risk.
Entry lane / Pets involved
A lot of survivors delay leaving because they fear what will happen to pets. Pet planning has to be part of the safety plan, not an afterthought.
- →Do first now: identify who could safely take the pet tonight if you had to leave fast.
- →If you have time: gather food, medication, records, carrier, tags, and any ownership or microchip details you can reach safely.
- →Local handoff: use a pet safe haven, shelter partner, veterinarian, or trusted foster route before the leaving moment if possible.
Entry lane / Guns in the home
If a gun threat is current, emergency help comes first if you can use it safely. Planning and legal follow-through come after the immediate moment is survived.
- →Do first now: if a gun is being handled, threatened, or pointed, treat it as an emergency and call 911 if you safely can.
- →If you have time: move firearm-specific research, notes, and evidence to a safer device because that research can itself trigger risk.
- →Local handoff: tell advocates, legal aid, or police about gun access early, especially if you are considering a protective order or leaving plan.
Entry lane / Planning to leave tonight
When leaving is close, the priorities narrow: a safe destination, a safe way there, and the small set of items that are hard to replace once you are out.
- →Do first now: use a live advocate or local shelter route first if you can do that safely, especially if you need space, transportation, or help timing the exit.
- →If you have time: take medications, keys, IDs, charger, money, and the essentials for children or pets that are hard to replace once you are out.
- →Local handoff: use a nearby shelter, 211, or another practical local route to confirm where you can go and how you will get there.
Lane Local Routes
State route / Stalking orders
Use this to prepare for an advocate or legal-aid conversation, not to figure the whole filing process out alone. Stalking orders are not named or filed the same way in every state.
- →Choose your state, then open the restraining-order section and look for stalking, harassment, or no-contact orders.
- →Check who can file, which county or court to use, whether an emergency order exists, and whether police reports are required first.
- →If the abuser crossed state lines or you moved, use legal aid or an advocate before assuming you have to file where the abuser lives.
ZIP route / Pet safekeeping
Safe havens for pets are local or regional programs that shelter pets, arrange foster care, or route survivors to partner programs so they do not have to choose between safety and an animal.
- →Search by ZIP code or state first and note whether the program houses pets onsite, uses foster care, or gives referrals only.
- →Ask how long the pet can stay, what records or medication to bring, and whether the location is kept confidential.
- →If your local domestic-violence shelter is not in the map, still ask if it has an informal partner or veterinarian arrangement.
State route / Gun order enforcement
Use this to prepare for an advocate or legal-aid conversation, not to manage firearm enforcement alone. The key questions are whether the order blocks possession, who collects weapons, and what to do if the abuser still has access.
- →Select your state, then look for the sections on guns and protection orders and on what to do if the abuser is not supposed to have a gun.
- →Write down which agency handles surrender or enforcement in your state: local police, sheriff, court, or another authority.
- →If a gun threat is current, treat it as an emergency first. Use legal aid or an advocate for follow-through instead of trying to manage enforcement alone.
Quick Links
Resource review stamp: March 2026. If you want to recommend a stronger resource, report one that felt unsafe or stale, or correct contact details, reach [email protected].