When you’re in the middle of a suicidal crisis, thinking clearly is nearly impossible. The pain is overwhelming, options seem to disappear, and the urge to escape can feel overpowering. This is exactly why safety planning matters—it gives you a roadmap to follow when your own judgment is compromised.
A safety plan is a personalized, practical document you create during calmer moments that guides you through crisis. It’s not a contract or promise. It’s a tool—one that has been shown to reduce suicidal behavior and save lives.
What Is a Safety Plan?
A safety plan is a written list of coping strategies, support contacts, and actions to take when suicidal thoughts arise. It’s designed to be used in the moment, when thinking is difficult and emotions are intense.
Unlike a “no-suicide contract” (which research shows is ineffective), a safety plan is collaborative, practical, and focused on specific steps you can take.
The most widely used format was developed by Barbara Stanley and Gregory Brown and includes six steps that you work through in order during a crisis.
Why Safety Plans Work
They interrupt the crisis
Suicidal crises involve tunnel vision—you lose the ability to see options or remember that pain is temporary. A safety plan provides external guidance when your internal compass is broken.
They slow things down
Going through the steps of a safety plan creates time between the urge and action. Many suicidal impulses, if survived for even a short time, pass or decrease in intensity.
They were created when you could think clearly
In crisis, you can’t access your full cognitive abilities. The safety plan holds the wisdom of your calmer self.
They connect you to support
Isolation intensifies suicidal states. A safety plan ensures you have specific people to reach out to.
Research supports them
Studies show that safety planning reduces suicide attempts and is more effective than simple screening or no intervention.
The Six Steps of a Safety Plan
Step 1: Warning Signs
Identify the thoughts, feelings, behaviors, or situations that signal a crisis is building. These are your personal red flags.
Examples:
– Feeling hopeless or like nothing will ever change
– Withdrawing from people
– Not sleeping or sleeping all the time
– Thoughts like “Everyone would be better off without me”
– Increasing alcohol or drug use
– Giving up on activities you usually care about
– Feeling numb or disconnected
– Specific situations (conflict with partner, job stress, anniversaries of losses)
Why it matters: Recognizing warning signs early allows you to intervene before the crisis peaks.
Step 2: Internal Coping Strategies
List things you can do on your own—without contacting anyone—to distract yourself or reduce distress.
Examples:
– Taking a walk or exercising
– Taking a cold shower or holding ice
– Listening to specific music
– Watching a particular show or movie
– Playing a video game
– Doing breathing exercises
– Journaling
– Cleaning or organizing
– Playing with a pet
– Working on a hobby
Important: These should be activities you can actually do during crisis. Be specific—not “watch TV” but “watch The Office season 3.”
Why it matters: Sometimes the crisis can be interrupted without involving others. These strategies buy time.
Step 3: Social Contacts for Distraction
List people you can contact or places you can go for social interaction—not necessarily to talk about the crisis, but simply to not be alone.
Examples:
– Call or text a specific friend to talk about anything
– Visit a family member
– Go to a coffee shop where you know the staff
– Attend a group activity or meeting
– Go somewhere public with people around
Include contact information: Names, phone numbers, addresses.
Why it matters: Being around others—even without discussing your state—can reduce crisis intensity.
Step 4: People to Contact for Help
List specific people you can tell about your suicidal thoughts who can help you through the crisis.
For each person, include:
– Name
– Phone number
– When they’re usually available
Who to include:
– Trusted friends or family who know about your struggles
– People who have helped before
– People who will take you seriously and not panic
Tip: Talk to these people ahead of time. Let them know they’re on your safety plan and what kind of support helps you.
Why it matters: These are your personal lifelines when you need direct help.
Step 5: Professional and Crisis Resources
List professional contacts and crisis services.
Include:
– Your therapist’s name and number (including after-hours contact if available)
– Your psychiatrist’s name and number
– Local emergency room address
– 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988)
– Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741)
– Local crisis services
Why it matters: When personal contacts aren’t enough, professional support is essential.
Step 6: Making the Environment Safe
Identify ways to reduce access to lethal means.
Examples:
– Have someone else hold your medications
– Remove firearms from the home or have someone secure them
– Give car keys to someone else if driving feels risky
– Remove or secure other potential means
Who can help: Name a specific person who can help with this step.
Why it matters: Reducing access to means during a crisis saves lives. Most suicidal crises are temporary, and surviving them means having the chance to feel better.
Creating Your Safety Plan
When to create it
Create your safety plan:
– When you’re relatively calm, not in crisis
– Ideally with a therapist or counselor who can help
– Before you need it, not during a crisis
Make it accessible
- Keep a copy on your phone
- Keep a paper copy in your wallet or by your bed
- Give copies to people on your plan
- Store it somewhere you can find it when distressed
Review and update regularly
- Your safety plan should be a living document
- Review it with your therapist periodically
- Update contacts as needed
- Add coping strategies as you discover what works
Using Your Safety Plan in Crisis
When warning signs appear or suicidal thoughts intensify:
-
Recognize you’re in crisis. Notice the warning signs from Step 1.
-
Start at Step 2. Try internal coping strategies first.
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Move through the steps in order. If Step 2 doesn’t help enough, move to Step 3, then Step 4, and so on.
-
Don’t skip to the end or give up. Work through the steps. Each one can help.
-
Use Step 6 if you’re in danger. If you have access to means and feel you might use them, implement the environmental safety strategies immediately.
-
Go to the emergency room if needed. If nothing on your plan is working and you’re not safe, go to the ER or call 911.
Safety Plan Template
Here’s a blank template you can fill out:
MY SAFETY PLAN
Step 1: Warning Signs
1. _____
2. _____
3. ________
Step 2: Internal Coping Strategies
1. _____
2. _____
3. ________
Step 3: Social Contacts for Distraction
1. Name: ___ Phone: __
2. Name: _ Phone: _
3. Place I can go: ____
Step 4: People I Can Ask for Help
1. Name: ___ Phone: __
2. Name: _ Phone: _
3. Name: _ Phone: ____
Step 5: Professional and Crisis Contacts
– Therapist: ___ Phone: __
– Psychiatrist: _ Phone: _
– Local ER address: ____
– 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988
– Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
Step 6: Making the Environment Safe
– _____
– Person who can help: _ Phone: ____
Tips for an Effective Safety Plan
Be specific
Vague plans don’t work in crisis. Instead of “call someone,” write “call Sarah at 555-1234.”
Be realistic
Include strategies you’ll actually use. If you hate exercising, don’t put “go for a run.”
Include enough options
For each step, list multiple options. If one doesn’t work, you have backups.
Practice using it
Don’t wait for a full crisis to use your plan. Practice during smaller moments of distress so it becomes familiar.
Share it
Give copies to people you trust. They can remind you to use it or help you through the steps.
Don’t treat it as failure-proof
A safety plan is a tool, not a guarantee. If it’s not working, move to higher levels of support (crisis line, ER).
For Loved Ones: How to Help
If someone you care about has a safety plan:
- Ask if you can have a copy
- Know your role (are you a Step 3 contact? Step 4?)
- Ask how you can best support them during crisis
- Take it seriously when they reach out
- Help them implement Step 6 if they ask
Safety Planning With a Professional
While you can create a safety plan on your own, working with a therapist offers advantages:
- They can help identify warning signs you might miss
- They can suggest coping strategies that work for your situation
- They can help you practice using the plan
- They become a professional contact on your plan
- They can help you update and refine it over time
If you don’t currently have a therapist, consider finding one who can help you with safety planning as part of your treatment.
A Final Word
A safety plan won’t eliminate suicidal thoughts or guarantee safety. But it provides a pathway through crisis—concrete steps when abstract thinking fails, external guidance when internal judgment is compromised, and connection when isolation feels overwhelming.
Creating a safety plan is an act of hope. It says: I want to survive this. I’m preparing for the hard moments. I believe there’s a future worth living for, even when I can’t feel it.
If you’re struggling, please reach out for support. You don’t have to navigate this alone.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
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