Last updated: June 19, 2026
If you need help right now
If you or your children are in immediate danger, call 911. If calling is not safe, text 911 only if text-to-911 works where you are. Keep the text short and include your location. If text-to-911 is not available, you may get a message telling you to call instead.
For Tennessee domestic violence help, call the Tennessee helpline at 1-800-356-6767. It is listed as a 24/7 referral and counseling line for victims of domestic violence. You can also contact The Hotline at 800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or use chat.
For sexual assault help in Tennessee, the Tennessee Coalition lists the statewide sexual assault hotline at 1-866-811-7473. Native survivors and relatives can contact StrongHearts at 844-762-8483 by call, text, or chat.
Use a safer phone or computer if you can
Someone who is abusive may be able to see phone calls, texts, browser history, location sharing, car data, bank activity, email, or social media. Use a safer device, library computer, clinic phone, school phone, or trusted person’s phone if you can. This guide is general information only. It is not legal advice, medical advice, or a personal safety plan.
Bottom line
If you are a single mother in Tennessee dealing with abuse, threats, stalking, sexual assault, or control at home, start with a real advocate, not a random grant list. A domestic violence advocate may help you talk through shelter, safety, court, housing, benefits, child care, legal referrals, and children’s needs.
You do not have to promise to leave, file a police report, or go to court just to ask questions. Some help can be limited by shelter space, local funding, transportation, and safety risks, so call early if you can do that safely.
For broader next steps, ASMOM has a national domestic violence guide and a Tennessee state help page. Use official crisis contacts first when safety is the main issue.
Where to start in Tennessee
When many problems are happening at once, pick the safest first step. You can ask an advocate to help you decide what to do next.
You need shelter
Call the state domestic violence helpline or a local program. Ask about shelter, hotel options, transportation, children, pets, and nearby openings.
You need court help
Ask a court clerk, legal aid office, or Family Justice Center about an Order of Protection. Bring what you have, but do not risk safety to collect papers.
You need benefits
Apply for food, cash help, child care, or health coverage. Tell the office if mail, child support contact, or appointments are unsafe.
You need local referrals
Dial 211 or text your ZIP code to 898-211 for food, shelter, rent, utilities, transportation, and other local help.
Quick contacts
| Need | Start here | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Danger now | 911 | Say if children, weapons, injuries, strangulation, stalking, or an order are involved. |
| Domestic violence | 1-800-356-6767 | Ask for safety planning, shelter referral, a local advocate, or the next safe step. |
| Sexual assault | 1-866-811-7473 | Ask for rape crisis support, an exam location, an advocate, or counseling referrals. |
| Child abuse report | DCS hotline | Call 1-877-237-0004 or report online if you suspect child abuse or neglect. |
| Food and shelter | TN 211 | Ask for local emergency aid, food, rent, utilities, transportation, or shelters. |
| Legal help | Legal aid contacts | Ask about protection orders, custody, housing, benefits, or a deadline. |
Find local domestic violence advocates
A local advocate can help before you call a landlord, court, school, benefits office, child support office, or police non-emergency line. The Tennessee Coalition lists programs by region and county.
Family Justice Centers can also help in some areas. The Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs describes a Family Justice Center as a place where services are brought together for victims of family violence and related crimes.
| Area | Resource | Useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide | Coalition program list | Finding shelter, advocacy, sexual assault support, and hotlines by region. |
| Nashville | Family Safety Center | Walk-in advocacy, orders, counseling, shelter referrals, and local services. |
| Chattanooga | Chattanooga FJC | Advocacy, safety planning, counseling links, and local referrals. |
| Upper Cumberland | Upper Cumberland FJC | Orders, advocacy, civil legal help, shelter access, and public benefits referrals. |
| Memphis/Shelby | YWCA Memphis | Domestic violence crisis support and shelter services. |
Call first if you can
Hours, safe entrances, shelter space, and service rules can change. Ask what is safe before you show up.
Orders of Protection in Tennessee
An Order of Protection is a civil court order. It may tell the other person not to contact you, harm you, threaten you, come near you, or come to your home, work, or school. It may also include temporary terms about children, housing, pets, or other safety issues when the judge orders them.
You can start with the court clerk, a Family Justice Center, a local advocate, or legal aid. Tennessee courts post official protection order forms, and Help4TN orders explains the process in plain language.
Tennessee law allows a temporary ex parte order when the court finds immediate and present danger. State law also says a hearing must be held within 15 days after service of the temporary order. Tennessee law says domestic abuse, stalking, and sexual assault victims do not have to bear costs tied to filing, service, registration, appeal, or enforcement of these orders.
| Step | Where to ask | Reality check |
|---|---|---|
| Ask about filing | Court clerk or advocate | Forms should be clear and honest. Ask for help if you are unsure. |
| Temporary order | Judge reviews papers | It is not guaranteed. It depends on what the judge finds. |
| Service | Law enforcement process | The other person usually must be served before the full hearing. |
| Full hearing | Court on your papers | Bring evidence and witnesses if you have them and it is safe. |
| Violation | 911 or law enforcement | Keep a copy of the order with you if safe. |
A court order can help, but it cannot guarantee safety. Ask an advocate how to handle service, school pickup, child exchanges, work, housing, firearms concerns, and online contact. ASMOM’s Tennessee legal help page can help you find civil legal resources.
Keeping your address private
Tennessee has a Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program through the Secretary of State. The Safe at Home program is open at no cost to eligible victims of domestic abuse, stalking, human trafficking, rape, sexual battery, or another sexual offense. Approved participants get a substitute address for many state and local government purposes.
You do not usually apply alone. Safe at Home uses trained application assistants. A domestic violence advocate, Family Justice Center, or legal aid office can help you find one.
Watch out
Address confidentiality is not the same as police protection or a secret location. Ask how to handle school records, court papers, driver license records, mail, utility accounts, benefits mail, and online accounts.
Housing, shelter, and staying housed
If you need a place to stay tonight, call a domestic violence advocate or 211. Ask whether a local program has shelter, hotel help, transportation, or referrals in another county. Shelter space can fill, and rules can vary by program.
If you live in federally assisted housing, the Violence Against Women Act may protect you from being denied housing, evicted, or losing assistance because you experienced domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. HUD posts VAWA housing rights and model forms for emergency transfers.
Tennessee law may also let certain victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking end a residential lease early with written notice and required proof. Do not rely on a short summary before you move. Read the lease law and talk with legal aid or an advocate about what papers you need and what rent may still be owed.
For broader housing steps, use ASMOM’s Tennessee housing help, national housing guide, and Tennessee emergency help.
Money, food, child care, and benefits
Leaving abuse can affect food, rides, child care, mail, bank access, school schedules, phone access, and work. Tennessee help is usually a mix of public benefits and local programs, not one large grant. Apply as early as you safely can, keep copies, and tell the office if family violence affects your case.
| Help type | Official start | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Cash help | Families First | Ask about TANF rules, work steps, child support safety, and safe contact. |
| Food help | Tennessee SNAP | Ask about expedited help if you have little food or money. |
| Child care | Child care aid | Ask which program fits work, school, training, or referral-based needs. |
| Apply online | One DHS | Ask about safer contact if online access or mail is unsafe. |
| Phone or internet | Low-cost programs | Ask how to change passwords and safe contact before adding accounts. |
For program details, see ASMOM’s Tennessee TANF page, Tennessee SNAP page, Tennessee child care guide.
Legal, child support, and medical help
Domestic violence often touches legal issues beyond an Order of Protection. You may need help with custody, divorce, child support, school safety, housing, benefits, immigration-sensitive questions, or medical bills. Use a legal aid office or licensed lawyer for advice about your case.
Child support can help with long-term stability, but it can also create safety risks in abuse cases. Tennessee DHS has safety concern resources for child support cases and includes device-safety warnings for submitted forms.
If you have been sexually assaulted, Tennessee law says a facility cannot bill the patient directly for a qualifying forensic medical examination, and payment by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund must be treated as payment in full. Ask an advocate or medical provider about the nearest sexual assault nurse examiner or exam site.
The Tennessee crime compensation program may help eligible victims with certain crime-related costs. Current rules list a maximum compensation award of $34,200 for claims filed for crimes occurring on or after July 1, 2025. A claim generally must be filed within two years, but exceptions can apply, so ask a victim advocate for help.
For more next steps, use ASMOM’s Tennessee child support, Tennessee health care and related legal or disability resources.
Documents to gather if safe
Do not risk your safety to collect papers. If you cannot get something, tell the advocate, court, agency, or legal aid office what happened. Ask about backup proof options. ASMOM’s documents checklist can help when it is safe.
| Need | Helpful items | If missing |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Driver license, state ID, birth records, Social Security cards | Ask about replacement documents and safe mailing. |
| Court | Photos, messages, call logs, police reports, witness names, medical records | Ask an advocate what else may help your petition. |
| Housing | Lease, notices, voucher papers, landlord letters, utility bills | Ask legal aid before signing or moving. |
| Benefits | Pay stubs, rent, utilities, child care costs, work or school schedule | Apply anyway and send proof later if allowed. |
| Children | School records, custody orders, medical cards, medicine list | Ask school staff or doctors for copies if safe. |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Do not assume shelter is open. Call first when possible and ask about nearby programs if the closest shelter is full.
- Do not miss court dates. A temporary order can end if you miss the hearing.
- Do not rely on verbal lease promises. Ask legal aid before moving, breaking a lease, or signing new papers.
- Do not use unsafe mail. Ask about Safe at Home, safe contact, and address privacy before giving an address.
- Do not wait for every paper. For food, child care, shelter, or court help, ask what can be started now.
If help is denied, delayed, or ignored
If a public benefit is denied or delayed, ask for the decision in writing and the appeal deadline. If a landlord, housing authority, court office, or benefits office says domestic violence does not matter, ask legal aid or an advocate before accepting that answer.
If you cannot get shelter, ask the advocate to check nearby counties, hotel options, transportation, and 211 referrals. If you cannot get child care, ask DHS what document is missing and whether another child care category fits. If you cannot get legal help, ask about another legal aid office, clinic, or court navigator.
ASMOM’s benefits problem guide, Tennessee community help, and Tennessee transportation pages may help while you keep calling official programs.
Phone scripts
Calling the helpline
“I am in Tennessee and need to talk safely. I have children with me. I may need shelter, an advocate, and help deciding the next step. Can you tell me the safest local option?”
Calling the court clerk
“I need information about filing for an Order of Protection. I am not asking the clerk for legal advice. Can you tell me where to get the forms, whether advocates are available, and what hours I can file?”
Calling DHS
“I am applying for SNAP, Families First, child care, or child support services. Domestic violence affects my mail, appointments, and contact with the other parent. What safe-contact or good-cause steps should I ask about?”
Calling legal aid
“I am a survivor of domestic violence and need help with an Order of Protection, housing, custody, child support, or benefits. I have a deadline or court date on [date]. What intake step should I take today?”
Resumen en español
Si usted o sus hijos están en peligro inmediato en Tennessee, llame al 911. Para ayuda por violencia domĂ©stica, llame a la lĂnea estatal al 1-800-356-6767. TambiĂ©n puede llamar, chatear o enviar texto a la LĂnea Nacional de Violencia DomĂ©stica.
Un programa local puede ayudarle a buscar refugio, una orden de protecciĂłn, ayuda legal, beneficios, comida, cuidado infantil y opciones de vivienda. Si su direcciĂłn, telĂ©fono, correo o contacto con el otro padre no son seguros, dĂgalo antes de dar informaciĂłn. Esta guĂa es informaciĂłn general, no consejo legal ni un plan de seguridad personal.
FAQ
What number should I call for domestic violence help in Tennessee?
Call the Tennessee Statewide Domestic Violence Helpline at 1-800-356-6767. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 first.
Can I get an Order of Protection without paying court fees?
Tennessee law says domestic abuse, stalking, and sexual assault victims do not have to bear costs tied to filing, service, registration, appeal, or enforcement of an Order of Protection or ex parte order.
Can I leave my lease because of domestic violence?
Tennessee law may allow certain victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking to end a residential lease early with written notice and required proof. Talk with legal aid before you rely on this rule.
Can I apply for SNAP if I left the abuser?
Yes, you can apply. Tell DHS who is now buying and preparing food together. If you have little food or money, ask whether expedited SNAP applies.
Will child support put my safety at risk?
It can in some cases. Before starting or changing a child support case, ask a domestic violence advocate, legal aid office, or DHS child support staff about safety options and good cause.
Are sexual assault forensic exams free in Tennessee?
Tennessee law says a facility cannot bill the patient directly for a qualifying sexual assault forensic medical exam, and payment by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund must be treated as payment in full.
About this guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.
A Single Mother is independent and is not a government agency, benefits office, lender, law firm, medical provider, or tax advisor.
Program rules, funding, local availability, and eligibility can change. Always confirm details with the official program before you apply or make decisions.
Verification: Last verified June 19, 2026, next review September 19, 2026.
Corrections: If you see something wrong or outdated, email suggestions@asinglemother.org.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It is not legal, financial, medical, tax, immigration, disability, safety, or government-agency advice.