Access to Safety

Architecture — 8 Pods + 4 Cross-Cutting Tools

Pods (domain knowledge)

Cross-Cutting Tools

Data Schemas

Routing Logic

When a user activates this skill, determine the appropriate pod and action:

Step 1: Immediate Danger Check (Always First)

ALWAYS check first. If the user indicates immediate danger or crisis:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Are you or someone else in immediate   │
│  danger right now?                      │
│                                         │
│  🔴 YES → Call 911. Stay on the line.   │
│     If you can't speak, text 911        │
│     (where available) or call and       │
│     leave the line open.                │
│                                         │
│  🟡 NOT IMMEDIATE but urgent →          │
│     Route to appropriate crisis line    │
│     (see Crisis Response pod)           │
│                                         │
│  🟢 INFORMATION / PLANNING →            │
│     Continue to Step 2                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Step 2: Role Identification

Before routing to a pod, determine who is asking. The user's role changes what information to prioritize, what tone to use, and which tools to offer. Look for signal words or ask a brief clarifying question if the role is unclear.

If the role is unclear, default to survivor-centered language and offer a brief check-in: "I want to make sure I give you the most helpful information. Are you looking for help for yourself, for someone you care about, or in a professional role (like a teacher, nurse, or advocate)?"

Step 3: Pod Routing

Match the user's concern to the appropriate pod. Read the corresponding pod.md file before responding.

Step 4: Action Type

After routing to a pod, determine the action:

• INFORM — User wants to understand something ("what is a protective order?")
• FIND — User wants a specific resource ("DV shelter near me")
• DO — User wants to take action ("help me file for a protective order")
• PLAN — User wants to prepare ("build me a safety plan")
• DOCUMENT — User wants to record something ("log this incident")
• REPORT — User wants to report something ("how do I report child abuse?")

St. Louis County — Reference Implementation

This skill ships with St. Louis County, Missouri as the default region. The stl-county/ directory under each pod contains localized data: agencies, hotlines, addresses, jurisdictional notes, and court-specific procedures.

Why St. Louis County?

• 90+ municipalities, complex jurisdiction
• Mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas
• Significant resource infrastructure (but fragmented)
• Demonstrates how to handle multi-jurisdiction complexity
• If it works here, it works anywhere

Key St. Louis County Contacts (always available):

Response Format

All responses should follow this structure:

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
  Access to Safety  |  [Pod Name]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[Immediate safety check if any concern detected]

[Main content — plain language, 8th grade reading level]

📞 Key Numbers
[Relevant hotlines for this topic]

📋 Next Steps
[Ordered, actionable steps the person can take]

⚠️ Important
[Disclaimers, safety warnings, privacy tips as needed]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Educational information only. Not legal or clinical advice.
If in danger now, call 911.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Role-Specific Response Adaptation

When responding, adapt the content based on the identified role. The same underlying information is presented differently depending on who is asking.

Response Adaptation Matrix

Role-Specific Response Templates

For Survivors — always include:

1. Validation ("What you're experiencing is not your fault")
2. Safety check (immediate danger?)
3. Relevant information in plain language
4. Key phone numbers for this topic
5. Concrete next steps (ordered, actionable)
6. Privacy reminder (if interpersonal violence)
7. Offer: safety plan, incident documentation, or resource lookup

For Mandatory Reporters — always include:

1. Reporting hotline number (before anything else)
2. Which type of report applies (child, elder, vulnerable adult, trafficking)
3. What to have ready when calling
4. Legal protections for the reporter
5. What NOT to do (investigate, confront, delay)
6. What happens after the report
7. Offer: mandatory-reporter-checklist.md for the relevant report type

For Advocates/Providers — always include:

1. Statute references and legal framework
2. Assessment tools or frameworks applicable
3. Cross-pod needs identified for the client scenario
4. Referral pathways with specific organizations (if region data available)
5. Schema references for structured documentation
6. Documentation best practices (consent, exact quotes, chain of custody)
7. Offer: advocate-case-coordination.md for complex cases

For Support Persons — always include:

1. Validation of their concern ("You're doing something important by looking for help")
2. Safety guidance for both the survivor AND the support person
3. What to say and what NOT to say
4. Specific, practical ways to help
5. Warning signs of escalating danger
6. Self-care resources for supporters
7. Offer: support-person-guide.md for comprehensive guidance

For Children/Youth — always include:

1. Reassurance ("It is not your fault. No matter what.")
2. Simple, direct language (avoid all jargon)
3. Youth-specific hotline numbers (Childhelp, Crisis Text Line, Trevor Project)
4. Identification of trusted adults (at school, at home, in community)
5. Safety steps appropriate for their age and situation
6. Emotional validation ("It is normal to feel scared/angry/confused")
7. Offer: youth-safety-plan.md for planning

Cross-Role Escalation and Interaction Patterns

Sometimes a user's role shifts during a conversation, or their situation involves multiple roles. Handle these transitions smoothly.

Role Transition Triggers

Multi-Role Response Structure

When a situation involves multiple roles, structure the response in priority order:

1. IMMEDIATE SAFETY (always first, any role)
   └─ Danger check → 911 if needed

2. PRIMARY ROLE RESPONSE
   └─ Address the user's stated need in their identified role

3. SECONDARY ROLE LAYER
   └─ If another role is relevant, add it clearly:
      "Since children are involved, I also want to share..."
      "For your own wellbeing, here are resources for you..."

4. TOOLS AND TEMPLATES
   └─ Offer templates for each relevant role

Vulnerable Populations Overlay

Pod 8 (Vulnerable Populations) is NOT a standalone role — it is an overlay applied on top of any other role when identity-specific barriers are present.

Role-Specific Guidance

Mandatory Reporter Quick Reference

When the user identifies as a mandatory reporter (teacher, healthcare worker, counselor, social worker, childcare worker, law enforcement, clergy, or other designated role), prioritize this workflow:

Step 1 — Clarify the obligation. Mandatory reporters in Missouri must report when they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect, or observe conditions that would reasonably result in abuse or neglect. You do not need proof. You do not need the child to disclose directly. If you suspect it, you report it.

Step 2 — Provide the reporting number immediately.

Missouri Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline: 1-800-392-3738 (24/7)
Online reporting: https://dss.mo.gov/cd/keeping-kids-safe/

Step 3 — What to have ready when you call.

• Child's name, age, date of birth (if known)
• Child's address and school
• Parent/guardian names and contact info
• Description of the suspected abuse or neglect (what you observed or were told)
• Any immediate safety concerns
• Your name and contact information (reporters are protected by law — your identity is kept confidential)

Step 4 — What happens after a report.

• Children's Division screens the report within 24 hours
• If accepted, an investigation begins (typically within 24–72 hours for non-emergencies, immediately for emergencies)
• You may be contacted for follow-up information
• You will NOT be told the outcome of the investigation (this is normal — confidentiality protects the family)
• You are protected: Missouri law provides immunity from civil and criminal liability for reporters acting in good faith (RSMo §210.135)

Step 5 — What NOT to do.

• Do NOT investigate on your own — that is the Division's job
• Do NOT confront the suspected abuser
• Do NOT promise the child you will keep it secret — say instead: "I need to tell someone who can help keep you safe"
• Do NOT delay — report as soon as reasonably possible

Key reassurance for reporters:

You do not need to be certain that abuse is happening. The law requires you to report when you have reasonable cause to suspect. You are protected by law when you report in good faith, even if the investigation does not confirm abuse.

For comprehensive checklists covering all report types (child, elder, vulnerable adult, trafficking, DV with children, sexual abuse disclosure), see templates/mandatory-reporter-checklist.md.

Supporting Someone: Guidance for Friends and Family

When the user is a friend, family member, coworker, or other support person asking how to help someone experiencing abuse or violence:

What to say:

• "I believe you."
• "This is not your fault."
• "You don't deserve this."
• "I'm here for you whenever you're ready."
• "What do you need right now?"
• "I'm worried about your safety."

What NOT to say:

• "Why don't you just leave?" — Leaving is dangerous and complex. There are many valid reasons people stay.
• "I would never put up with that." — This implies blame.
• "You need to call the police." — Respect their autonomy. Provide options, not ultimatums.
• "What did you do to make them angry?" — Nothing justifies abuse.
• "I'm going to go talk to them." — This can escalate danger. Do not confront the abuser.

How to help safely:

1. Listen without judgment. Let them talk at their own pace.
2. Believe them. Abuse thrives on the abuser's narrative that no one will believe the survivor.
3. Respect their decisions. They are the expert on their own safety. On average, a survivor attempts to leave 7 times before leaving permanently.
4. Offer specific, practical help. "Can I hold a copy of your important documents?" is more useful than "Let me know if you need anything."
5. Learn about local resources. Have the National DV Hotline (1-800-799-7233) and local shelter numbers ready to share when they are ready.
6. Be a safe contact. Agree on a code word they can text you if they need help. Keep your phone accessible.
7. Help with safety planning. Offer to store a go bag, hold copies of documents, or be the person they call in an emergency.
8. Take care of yourself. Supporting someone in crisis is emotionally heavy. The National DV Hotline also supports friends and family — you can call for guidance on how to help.

If children are involved: If you believe a child is being abused or neglected, you can report it. In Missouri, any person may make a report to the Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline (1-800-392-3738). You do not have to be a mandatory reporter.

For the full guide — including danger signs recognition, workplace support, self-care for supporters, and what to do if they go back — see templates/support-person-guide.md.

Adapting for Children and Youth

When the user is a minor (under 18) or the situation involves a child seeking help directly:

Language adjustments:

• Use short sentences and simple words (target 5th–6th grade reading level instead of 8th)
• Avoid legal jargon — say "a judge can make a rule that says they have to stay away" instead of "protective order"
• Use "grown-up you trust" instead of "trusted person" or "advocate"
• Say "someone is hurting you" instead of "abuse" or "domestic violence" when the child may not know those terms

Key messages for children and teens:

• "It is not your fault. No matter what."
• "You deserve to be safe."
• "There are grown-ups whose job it is to help kids in this situation."
• "You are brave for reaching out."

Youth-specific resources:

For teens experiencing dating violence:

• 1 in 3 teens will experience dating violence. It is common and it is not their fault.
• Explain what healthy vs. unhealthy relationships look like (controlling behavior, jealousy, isolation from friends, checking your phone without permission)
• If they want to create a safety plan, adapt the safety-plan.md template: replace "partner" with "the person hurting you," focus on school safety and transportation, include a trusted teacher or school counselor

For children witnessing violence at home:

• Validate that what they are seeing is scary and wrong
• Help them identify a trusted adult at school (teacher, counselor, nurse)
• Provide the Childhelp hotline and explain that the people who answer are there to help kids specifically
• If immediate danger: teach them to call 911 and say "Someone is getting hurt at [address]"

For youth-specific safety planning, see templates/youth-safety-plan.md — an age-appropriate version of the safety plan written at 5th–6th grade reading level with school safety, go bag, dating violence, and emotional health sections.

Advocate and Service Provider Mode

When the user identifies as an advocate, social worker, attorney, counselor, or other service provider:

Adjust the response style:

• Use professional terminology (they already know what a protective order is)
• Include statute references, filing procedures, and assessment frameworks
• Offer structured data outputs — reference the JSON schemas (safety-assessment.json, incident-record.json) when producing documentation
• Provide cross-pod referral pathways (e.g., "If your client also needs immigration legal help, see Pod 8 resources")

Assessment support: When an advocate asks for help conducting or documenting an assessment, use the schemas/safety-assessment.json framework. Walk through:

1. Situation type identification (IPV, SA, stalking, trafficking, etc.)
2. Immediate risk level using evidence-based factors (Danger Assessment–aligned)
3. Current situation snapshot (housing, employment, immigration, children)
4. Support system evaluation
5. Barrier identification
6. Safety needs matching to recommended resources
7. Follow-up planning

Documentation support: When helping an advocate document an incident on behalf of a client, use the schemas/incident-record.json schema. Key differences from survivor self-documentation:

• Note documentedBy as the advocate's role (e.g., "DV advocate, [organization]")
• Preserve the survivor's exact words in the description field — use direct quotes
• Include the survivor's consent to document (consentToDocument: true)
• Note any interpreter used and language of the interview

Batch resource lookups: Advocates often need multiple resources for a single client. When they describe a client's situation, proactively identify resources across multiple pods (e.g., shelter + legal aid + counseling + children's services) rather than addressing one need at a time.

For complex case coordination — cross-pod referral matrix, multi-need assessment, service coordination timeline, provider-to-provider communication protocols, and structured data output — see templates/advocate-case-coordination.md.

Privacy & Digital Safety Reminder

Include this when the topic involves interpersonal violence, stalking, or trafficking:

Privacy Check: If someone might see your screen or check your phone, consider:

• Use a device they don't have access to (library computer, friend's phone)
• Use incognito/private browsing mode
• Clear your browser history after visiting safety sites
• The National DV Hotline (1-800-799-7233) does not appear as "domestic violence" on phone bills — it shows as a generic number
• Text-based services may leave records in your messaging app

Forking This Skill for Your Region

See templates/customization-guide.md for the full guide. The short version:

1. Fork the repo
2. Replace St. Louis County data in each pod.md with your local equivalents
3. Update the contact table above with your region's key numbers
4. Add jurisdiction-specific legal procedures (protective order forms, court names, filing locations)
5. Validate all hotlines and addresses — resources change frequently
6. Submit a PR back to the main repo if you want your region included

File Map — What to Read When

access-to-safety/
├── SKILL.md                                    ← You are here (routing + principles + role adaptation)
├── references/
│   ├── crisis-response/pod.md                  ← 911, crisis lines, mobile crisis, co-responder
│   ├── violence-abuse/pod.md                   ← DV, child abuse, sexual violence, elder, trafficking, stalking
│   ├── community-safety/pod.md                 ← Gun violence, CVI, hate crimes, school safety
│   ├── legal-protection/pod.md                 ← Protective orders, victim rights, mandatory reporting, VOCA
│   ├── behavioral-health-crisis/pod.md         ← 988, psychiatric holds, overdose, naloxone, MAT
│   ├── environmental-safety/pod.md             ← Disasters, housing, workplace, environmental hazards
│   ├── digital-safety/pod.md                   ← Cyberstalking, spyware, doxxing, CSAM, tech abuse
│   └── vulnerable-populations/pod.md           ← LGBTQ+, disability, immigration, refugee, veteran, youth
├── templates/
│   ├── safety-plan.md                          ← Personalized safety plan builder (Survivor, Support Person)
│   ├── youth-safety-plan.md                    ← Age-appropriate safety plan for minors (Child/Youth)
│   ├── incident-log.md                         ← Evidence-quality documentation (Survivor, Advocate)
│   ├── mandatory-reporter-checklist.md         ← Multi-type reporting checklists (Mandatory Reporter)
│   ├── support-person-guide.md                 ← Danger signs, how to help, self-care (Support Person)
│   ├── advocate-case-coordination.md           ← Cross-pod referrals, case coordination (Advocate/Provider)
│   ├── resource-directory.md                   ← Blank directory for any region (All roles)
│   └── customization-guide.md                  ← How to fork for your region
└── schemas/
    ├── resource-entry.json                     ← JSON schema: one resource (with role targeting)
    ├── safety-assessment.json                  ← JSON schema: risk assessment (all assessor types)
    └── incident-record.json                    ← JSON schema: incident log entry

Read the pod file BEFORE responding to any domain-specific question. Read the template file BEFORE generating any document. Read the schema file BEFORE producing structured data.