If you are genuinely concerned or have questions for someone you care about read more. It is really important for this cared person to know and understand what she* wants to do or get help preparing a safety plan. This plan will depend on several factors for e.g. visa status, support network, children, type of abuse etc. Hence it’s really up to her*. Now, remember any step you take would be based on what your friend or cared person wishes to do and again it’s best for her* to be involved in the process and make the decisions. That said there are several things you could do as well. Here are a few suggestions:- 1. If she* (or you) thinks that her* life is in grave danger (life threatening) then she* should instantly call 911 or you could make the call for her*."DO NOT CALL 911" if you think it's not an emergency this might put her* in a very dangerous situation which could have extreme and serious repercussions. If you really want to learn more about this then email Maitri at maitri@maitri.org or call the toll free number at (888) 862-4874 (1-888- 8MAITRI) and someone will be able to explain that for you. 2. Maitri serves individuals in the South Bay Area (close to San Jose, Ca) hence if we are geographically distant there might be some restrictions in our assistance. You could either find a local culturally related chapter from our website Resource List or locate a local chapter from the National Domestic Violence Hotline Resource List More information National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
Fax: 512-453-8541
Email ndvh@ndvh.org www.ndvh.org Now, you could also make the first call too and talk to someone that hopefully would be very helpful too. 3. For cultural support, help, questions and concerns she* can most definitely call us (Maitri) at (888) 862-4874 (1-888- 8MAITRI) or email us at maitri@maitri.org Again, what you are doing for this cared person is very kind and we empathize with you. Do let us know if you have any further questions or concerns and we will be more than happy to answer them for you. * In most cases the crisis victim is a women, however there could be a situation which the crisis victim is a man. Even in those situations the guidelines listed about will remain the same. DIVORCE AND IMMIGRATION There is no general rule that can be applied to a particular situation since each situation could have different a visa combination and divorce and custody issues. Maitri's primary focus is providing peer counseling and referrals to experts. We DO NOT provide immigration or divorce recommendations as we are not lawyers. However, if the situation calls for legal
representation, we can offer referrals restricted to those who have undergone domestic violence, elder abuse, or family conflict. | 
