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Colorado Safety & Victim Resources

By Attorney Charles E. Liken Jr., Colorado court-appointed Child & Family Investigator. A free, plain-English guide for anyone facing domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or the aftermath of a crime in Colorado.

Charles E. Liken Jr., Esq. — On the Legal Front Lines · Government Investigator, Denver Human Services · Licensed Colorado Attorney ~ 20+ Years in Private Practice · Colorado Deputy District Attorney · Colorado Court-Appointed Child and Family Investigator

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If someone may be monitoring your device, consider using a trusted friend’s phone or a public computer, and use the Quick exit button (top right) to leave this page fast.

Every DV Program in Colorado — all 47, county by county, searchable Pet-Friendly Safe Shelters — never leave a pet behind to leave safely Keep Your Address Confidential — the state program, start to finish Break a Lease Safely — DV survivors can end a lease early by law File a Protection Order — the steps and official forms, free Find Your Victim Advocate — all 23 Colorado districts Help Near You — shelters & advocates on a live map 200+ Court Forms — official, searchable, always current Child Support Calculator — the real formula, no sign-up

If You Need Help Now

Crisis hotlines

Confidential, 24/7, and free. You don't have to have decided anything to call.

Emergency

911

If you are in immediate danger.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

1-800-799-7233

24/7, confidential. Text START to 88788, or chat at thehotline.org. TTY 1-800-787-3224.

Colorado Crisis Services

988

Statewide 24/7 behavioral-health crisis line — call or text 988. Can route to local DV help.

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline

1-800-656-4673

24/7, confidential. Text HOPE to 64673, or chat at rainn.org.

StrongHearts Native Helpline

1-844-762-8483

24/7 for Native American and Alaska Native survivors.

National Human Trafficking Hotline

1-888-373-7888

24/7, confidential. Text 233733 (BeFree) for help with labor or sex trafficking.

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline

1-800-422-4453

24/7 for concerns about a child's safety — call or text 1-800-422-4453.

love is respect (Teen Dating Abuse)

1-866-331-9474

24/7 for teens and young adults. Text LOVEIS to 22522, or chat at loveisrespect.org.

Plan Ahead

Make a safety plan

A safety plan is a practical guide to staying safer — whether you’re staying, getting ready to leave, or have already left. A local advocate will help you build one, free and confidentially. Here’s a starting point.

Documents to gather — IDs and Social Security cards, birth certificates, passports or immigration papers, insurance cards, and financial records for you and your children — originals or copies, kept somewhere safe.

A bag ready to go — Some cash or a prepaid card, a spare set of keys, medications, a change of clothes, chargers, and a comfort item for the kids. Leave it with someone you trust if it isn’t safe to keep at home.

A code word & safe contacts — Agree on a word or emoji with people you trust that means ‘call for help right now.’ Know two places you could go, day or night.

Plan the exit — Leaving can be the most dangerous moment. Think through timing, transportation, and where you’ll go before you need to — a local advocate will help you plan it safely, for free.

Protect the children — Teach kids to call 911 and to stay out of the middle. Tell their school or daycare, in writing, who is — and isn’t — allowed to pick them up.

If you have a protection order — Keep a copy with you and at work or school, give one to a trusted neighbor, and write down every violation: the date, time, what happened, and any witnesses.

Digital Safety

Stay safer online & on your phone

Use a device the other person can’t access — a friend’s phone or a library computer — especially to look for help. This page has a Quick exit button, top right.
Turn off location sharing (Find My, Google location, social-media check-ins) and look for unfamiliar tracking apps or hidden AirTags.
Change your passwords from a safe device, choose ones the other person can’t guess, and turn on two-factor authentication.
Watch shared accounts and family plans — phone, email, banking, and smart-home or car apps the other person may control.
Save evidence where only you can reach it — dated screenshots of threats, backed up. An advocate or lawyer can tell you what actually helps a case.

Explore the Resources

Everything in one place

Every DV Program in ColoradoAll 47 community domestic-violence programs statewide — county by county, searchable, with 24/7 crisis lines and websites.Pet-Friendly SheltersColorado domestic-violence programs that keep survivors and their pets together — plus the national directories.Break a Lease Safely (DV)Colorado lets survivors end a lease early under C.R.S. § 38-12-402 — the notice, the proof, and what you owe (often nothing) under the 2025 law.Address Confidentiality ProgramHow to get a substitute mailing address that keeps your real address private — with downloadable request forms.Colorado Victims' Rights ActThe rights every crime victim has in Colorado — verbatim and in plain English — with a downloadable rights-request form.DA Victim AdvocatesEvery Colorado district attorney's victim-advocate contact — all 23 judicial districts, searchable.Protection Orders (How to File)Step-by-step guidance and the current pro se JDF forms to file a civil protection order.Interactive Resource MapFind the DV programs and victim advocates nearest you, with distance from your location.

Statewide & national directories

The always-current way to find a program near you.

Violence Free ColoradoThe statewide domestic-violence coalition — a searchable directory to find a local Colorado program near you.Safe Havens for PetsSearchable national directory (by the Animal Welfare Institute) of shelters, boarding, and fostering that keep survivors' pets safe.RedRover Relief — Domestic ViolenceFunds up to 45 days of pet boarding while a survivor is in shelter (applied for by the shelter advocate).DomesticShelters.orgSearch shelters nationwide and filter for programs that accept pets.Colorado Address Confidentiality ProgramState program that gives survivors a substitute mailing address — see our full explainer below.

Facing a protection-order case, a criminal charge, or a divorce tangled up with abuse? These situations are exactly where experienced counsel matters. A no-charge 20-minute call with Attorney Liken is a safe place to start — and we defend the wrongly accused, too.

Charles E. Liken Jr., Esq.

Attorney & Counselor at Law

You don't have to navigate this alone.

No-charge 20-minute phone consultation, or an in-depth hour ($300) — both directly with Attorney Liken, whichever fits.

Directly with Attorney LikenStrictly ConfidentialFormer Colorado Deputy DA30+ Years in the Law

Free 20-Min Call with Attorney Liken