Youth Safety Plan: How It Works

First things first: Name and date. Easy right?

Step 1: Warning Signs of a Crisis

What are thoughts, images, moods, situations, behaviors, etc. that might show that a crisis might be developing or that you’re not doing so well? Let’s try to think of 3. Can we only think of 2? That’s fine. Let’s get through the rest and come back to it later.

Step 2: Activities I Can Do by Myself to Try to Take My Mind off of Things

What are 3 activities you can do by yourself to try to take their mind off of things [i.e. distract themselves] without talking to someone else? Again, if you can think of at least 2, we’ll come back later and try to come up with a third. Some ideas: taking a walk, taking a shower, listening to music, writing down my feelings, etc.

Step 3: Taking My Mind off Things

You’re still trying to deal with this crisis by yourself. Try to identify at least 2 people you can call or 2 places that a person can go, without yet asking for help… this is to try to simply distract yourself from the crisis growing bigger and trying to decrease it. We’re going to write their name (or you would call them… you would write “mom” instead of “Connie” for your mom), their relationship to you, and their phone number, so that you always have it handy.

Step 4: People I Can Call for Help

So now, you’ve tried a bunch of things to shake off the feeling of a crisis. Now this is where you are gonna ask for help. Who’s the first person you would call who can help to get you through a crisis? Who else can you think of? Let’s write their number down in case you need to call them and you don’t have their phone.

Step 5: Ways That Supportive People Can Help Me Stay Safe

So what are some things you can do to keep your environment safe? What can your loved ones do to help you stay safe? Are there any weapons in the home? Can they lock them up? What about things like rope? Can they help you get rid of it? Medicine… can they lock it up or can someone be in charge of giving it to you every day?

Step 6: I Can Call These Very Important Phone Numbers

I’ve made this typeable so that you can plug in your local suicide prevention hotline, your local hospital, or other important numbers that the person can call if they need to. On the first line, I put my local emergency number: 9-1-1.

So these are some important phone numbers that I hope you can call if you need help. If you feel out of control, 9-1-1 can help you. Otherwise, here are some other numbers. What do you think about that?

I Have Great Strengths to Get By

What are some of the things that have helped you get through other tough times? What are the good things about you that you like about yourself? What has worked in the past to help you get through a crisis?

Safety Plan