A safety plan is a personalised, practical guide for managing mental health crises before they escalate. Creating one together with your teen empowers them and prepares your family for difficult moments.
What is going on?
A safety plan is different from a crisis response, it is a proactive tool created during calm times to use when things get difficult. Research shows that having a written safety plan significantly reduces suicide risk. The most effective plans are created collaboratively with the teen, not imposed upon them. They identify warning signs, list coping strategies, name trusted contacts, and include professional resources. Having this plan in place before a crisis means everyone knows what to do when emotions are running high.
What is normal:
Key takeaways
- Understanding of what triggers difficult emotions
- Some coping strategies that work for them
- Awareness of warning signs when they are struggling
- Trusted people they can reach out to
- Willingness to discuss safety planning
- Some insight into their own patterns
What is not normal (seek support):
- No awareness of warning signs or triggers
- Complete refusal to discuss safety planning
- No coping strategies or trusted supports identified
- Active resistance to any crisis preparation
- Belief that nothing can help them
- History of escalating crises without intervention
Your teen’s perspective:
Having a safety plan makes me feel like I have more control. When things get really bad, I do not have to think about what to do, it is already written down. The best part is that I helped create it, so the strategies actually work for me. It also helps that my parents have a copy, so we are on the same page.
How to start the conversation:
- “I want us to create a plan together for when things feel really hard.”
- “What are the first signs that tell you things are getting difficult?”
- “What helps you feel better when you are struggling?”
- “Who are the people you trust to talk to when you are not okay?”
- “Let us write this down so we both have it when we need it.”
Do:
- Create the plan during a calm moment, not during crisis
- Include your teen as an equal partner in developing it
- Identify personal warning signs that things are escalating
- List specific coping strategies that work for them
- Name trusted people they can contact, with phone numbers
- Include professional resources and crisis lines
- Keep the plan accessible, on their phone, your phone, printed
Avoid:
- Creating a plan without their input
- Making it feel like punishment or surveillance
- Ignoring their preferences about what helps
- Creating it once and never reviewing it
- Making the plan too complicated to use in crisis
- Forgetting to include yourself as a support person
Watch for:
Review and update the safety plan regularly, at least every few months or after any crisis. Ask your teen if the strategies still feel relevant and if contact people are still the right ones.
When to seek help:
Worth knowing
Creating a safety plan is important, but if your teen is currently in crisis, address immediate safety first. A mental health professional can help develop a more comprehensive safety plan as part of ongoing treatment.
In the app:
Ladybird’s mood tracking and journaling features can help teens identify patterns and early warning signs that can be incorporated into a personalised safety plan.
A safety plan created together during calm times provides a roadmap for crisis moments. Include warning signs, coping strategies, trusted contacts, and professional resources.
Related articles
- how can I help prevent future crises , what long-term strategies work?
- how can I take care of my own mental and emotional health while supporting a teen in crisis?
- how can I be emotionally available and supportive without enabling my teen?
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