Whatever the circumstances of the hospital admission, the inpatient stay is an opportunity to uncover a history of battering and design a plan for help. Assessment begins with a patient-centered interview that is conducted in a place that affords privacy. Repeat, shorter interviews, the use of other significant events in a woman's life as "markers" for violent episodes, and asking the woman to provide a written chronology of her experience help elicit complete information as well as trust. Although family members are often enlisted in the discharge planning process to determine what resources are available at home or in the community, a major objective in assessment with battered women is to determine jointly immediate danger and future risks if the client is discharged home. A useful way to frame the client's safety concerns is to help her identify her degree of entrapment by specifying elements of control that might prevent her from defending herself, escaping, or using helping resources when she is threatened or hurt again. Overall, the objectives with battered women at discharge are to review the woman's priorities in relation to available options and resources, facilitate the implementation of a safety plan for the woman and her children, and plan for ongoing support. In addition to shelter and other emergency housing, legal services, and treatment for substance abuse, planning for safety with battered women often includes women's groups, ongoing physical therapy, changing jobs, continuing education, applying for Aid to Families With Dependent Children or emergency assistance, links to self- help groups, counseling for children, work with child or adult protective services, and programs for the disabled.