If you are in crisis right now: Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). You don't have to be suicidal to call — anyone in emotional distress is welcome.

What Is a Safety Plan?

A safety plan is a personalized, written document you create with your own words — ideally during a calmer moment — to guide yourself through a mental health crisis. It's not a contract or a promise. It's a map you make for yourself, for the moments when your thinking becomes clouded.

Research consistently shows that people who have safety plans are better able to manage crises and are less likely to act on suicidal thoughts. The key is making it specific and personal.

The 6 Steps of a Safety Plan

1
Warning signs
Write down the thoughts, images, moods, situations, or behaviors that signal a crisis may be developing. "When I start to isolate and stop answering texts, I know I'm in trouble."
2
Internal coping strategies
Things you can do on your own to distract or soothe yourself. "Go for a walk. Listen to a specific playlist. Do the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise."
3
Social contacts who provide distraction
People and places where you can get your mind off the crisis — not necessarily by talking about it. A friend you can watch a movie with. A coffee shop you feel safe in.
4
People I can ask for help
Specific names and phone numbers of people you trust and can tell that you're struggling. Write their numbers here, not just in your phone — phones die and contacts get lost.
5
Professionals and agencies I can contact
Your therapist, psychiatrist, or primary care doctor. Crisis hotlines. The nearest emergency room. Write down specific names, numbers, and addresses.
6
Making my environment safe
Steps to remove access to means. This might mean giving medication to someone you trust, or asking someone to stay with you. Specific actions make this step effective.

How to Use Your Plan

Keep a copy somewhere accessible — in your phone, printed and placed somewhere you'll see it, shared with a trusted person. When you notice your warning signs, start at Step 1 and work your way down. You don't have to reach the bottom before asking for help.

Crisis Resources
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