I’ve been writing about the Safety Plan as a brief suicide intervention, Tear up that no-harm/no-suicide contract and The Safety Plan Initiative, and how it is an improvement over the no-harm/no-suicide contract.

The Safety Plan consists of 6 steps:

Recognition of warning signs

Internal coping strategies

Socialization strategies for distraction and support

Social contacts for assistance in resolving suicidal crises

Professional and agency contacts to help resolve suicidal crises

Means restriction

For a copy of the Safety Plan form or for the manual, go to suicidesafetyplan.com and request access.  The Safety Plan form is also included in the manual, along with ‘brief instructions’ which are very helpful.  The manual is for the VA, but can be used in any setting.

Two points about the Safety Plan.  First, it can be completed either on paper, as referenced above, or there are at least 2 apps available for smartphones or tablets.  Due to the ease of use and the fact that most people carry their phones everywhere these days, I recommend the app version.

The 2 apps are named MY3 and Safety Plan.  Both are free and available from the Apple app store or Google Play.

The second point is the Safety Plan can be completed by the patient or client themselves or with a healthcare professional.  My recommendation is for the latter, as the healthcare professional can assist with brainstorming recommendations to complete the 6 steps, as you’ll see as we explore these steps in future blogs.

Next time, we’ll look at the first step of the Safety Plan: recognition of warning signs.

If you are interested in my upcoming trainings or background, or want to review my CV, please visit my website at criticalconcepts.org.

In my last post, Tear up that no-harm/no-suicide contract, I discussed contracts as a suicide prevention tool and recommended the Safety Planning Initiative (SPI) approach.  Developed by Stanley & Brown, the SPI process prompts the individual to develop an escalating series of self-care steps.

The Safety Plan has a distinct advantage over the no-harm/no-suicide contract because the Safety Plan helps patients develop a plan for how to care for themselves while the no-harm/no-suicide contract is a “promise” not to try to end their life.

The Safety Plan is often a collaborative effort between the healthcare professional and the patient or client, developing the lists of options for each step.  One method is to encourage the patient/client to write on paper what they intend to do at each step, using their own words (download a Patient Safety Plan Template).  There are also apps for smartphones that can be used to develop the plan digitally.  We’ll talk about the digital option further into this topic.

One of the aspects of SPI that I really like is that the plan is developed when the patient is not in acute crisis.  When someone is in acute crisis and actively contemplating suicide, the individual is often not thinking clearly.  In that state of mind, often referred to as “tunnel vision,” thinking of options regarding who to talk with or what to do to take care of myself can be very difficult.  Developing the strategy or plan before you need it makes a lot more sense.

Next, we’ll look at the first step of the SPI, recognition of warning signs.

If you are interested in my upcoming trainings or background, or want to review my CV, please visit my website at criticalconcepts.org.