What is a "Safety Plan?"

  • It is a plan that YOU create for YOURSELF (and which only needs to be accessible to you.)
  • It is a plan that addresses (and hopefully decreases) behaviors that:
    • You don’t like doing or feel bad after doing
    • Decrease your ability to connect with others
  • Examples:
    • Self-injurious behaviors
    • Substance abuse
    • Binge-Eating
    • Gambling
  • This plan may not continue working if you do not
    • Seek treatment for a known mental-health issue
    • Do not use the activities more often when you are calm than when you are distressed (THINK PAVLOV, a calming activity must continue being associated with a feeling of calm more often than distress to continue calming you).

What does a safety plan include?

  • 3x ACTIVITIES to do instead of the behavior that disrupts your life
    • Listen to a specific song that calms you
    • Take a hot bath
    • Do a craft you love
    • Do a sensory activity you love like playing with clay or paint
    • Play with a pet that loves you
  • 3x PEOPLE to contact who will always pick up the phone for you (as many backups as possible to avoid strain on any one person)
    • A partner?
    • A close friend?
    • Family?
    • A mentor?
    • Another associate from your socio-cultural or religious background?
  • 3x Public SERVICES to Access in Case of Emergency
    • Your specific mental health provider such as a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist
    • Local Mental Health Board
    • Local Service for a specialty or minority background such as LGBTQ, POC, or Veteran.
    • National Mental health hotlines
    • National Specialty hotlines for the LGBTQ, POC, or veterans.
  • OPTIONAL for people whose home is not a safe place, where can you GO to feel safe?
    • The library
    • A public commons like a statue or fountain
    • A national or state park area
    • A church or other charitable organization’s property
    • A friend or acquaintance’s property

If you DO come in contact with the involuntary mental health system, can you answer these questions? (You likely can't create these answers ahead of time so just write them out and leave blank spots for them)

  • What behavior OF MINE did the mental health system concern themselves with? They usually worry about
    • Real or perceived threats to self
    • Real or perceived threats to others
    • PROFOUND inability to provide for one’s own safety (think naked in below-freezing temperatures or wandering into interstate traffic)
  • What part of that behavior did I MYSELF have control over?
  • What will I PERSONALLY do to prevent this problem behavior from occurring in the future?
    • Did I have a previous safety plan either formally or informally?
    • What safety plan could I develop to address this specific behavior?
    • How could I modify my safety plan to address this specific behavior?

Examples of places to keep a safety plan:

  • fridge
  • wallet
  • phone home screen

HELP! THERE'S A THING I DON'T HAVE 3 OPTIONS FOR!

  • Well I reckon you know where to focus your recovery now, don't you? Start with the first listed option you don't have enough items for and find some things/people.