How to Make a Mental Health Safety Plan
Short answer
A safety plan is a short written list you make before a crisis. It names your warning signs, things you can do on your own, people and places that help, people you can ask for help, professionals and crisis lines, and ways to make your surroundings safer. If you are in danger now, call 911. To talk with someone, call or text 988.
In crisis or thinking about suicide? Call or text 988 now (in New York City it reaches NYC 988). If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
This guide is not enough if
- You might act on thoughts of suicide right now: call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
- You need to talk with someone today: call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org.
- Someone has been hurt or has taken an overdose: call 911.
- You want a clinician to judge your risk. A written plan supports care but is not an assessment.
If you need help right now
If you might act on thoughts of suicide, or you are in danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If you can stay safe but need to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. In New York City, 988 is answered by NYC 988, and its safety plan page says 988 can help you create a plan, any hour of any day.
If you are reading this on a calmer day, that is a good time to write your plan. NYC 988 points out that having it written down means you do not have to work out a plan in the middle of a crisis. More phone, text and chat lines are listed on the telephone hotlines page.
What a safety plan is, and what it is not
NYC 988 describes a safety plan as a prioritized list of coping strategies and sources of support. It helps you notice what leads to thoughts of suicide and what helps you feel better when they come. You use it in order: start with what you can do on your own, and move to people, professionals and crisis lines if the first steps are not enough.
NIMH says research has shown that creating a safety plan or crisis response plan can help reduce a person's risk of acting on suicidal thoughts. A plan is not a promise you sign, and it does not replace treatment. It is a tool you keep close and change as you learn what works for you.
The plans that get used tend to be specific. "Call my sister Ana" is easier to act on than "reach out to family," and a real phone number beats a name you would have to look up. Write it the way you talk, so it still makes sense when you are tired, scared or upset.
The six steps, one at a time
SAMHSA's printable safety plan, adapted from the Stanley and Brown model, has six steps. The NYC 988 tool uses the same six. Write in your own words, and keep each answer short enough to read when you are upset. It is fine to leave a step blank for now and fill it in later with your clinician.
- Warning signs. Write three signs that a crisis may be starting. This might be a thought you notice, a mood, a situation such as being alone late at night, or something you start doing.
- Coping on your own. Write three things you can do by yourself to take your mind off your problems, such as a walk, a shower, music, or a breathing exercise.
- People and places for distraction. List people and places that can take your mind off things, with phone numbers. This is about company, not about talking through the crisis.
- People you can ask for help. Name people you can tell that you are struggling, with their phone numbers.
- Professionals and crisis lines. Add your therapist or prescriber, your local urgent care or emergency room, and 988 (call, text or chat).
- Making your surroundings safer. Write at least two steps that put distance between you and things you could use to hurt yourself.
| Step | What to write | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Warning signs | Three thoughts, moods, situations or actions that come before a crisis | Tells you when it is time to open the plan |
| 2. Coping on your own | Three things you can do alone to take your mind off things | Gives you something to try right away |
| 3. People and places for distraction | Names, places and phone numbers | Keeps you from being alone with the feelings |
| 4. People you can ask for help | Names and phone numbers of people you can tell | Lets someone else know you need support |
| 5. Professionals and crisis lines | Your clinician, local urgent care or ER, and 988 | Puts professional help one tap away |
| 6. A safer environment | At least two steps to store or remove things you could use to hurt yourself | Adds space and time between you and lethal means |
Making your surroundings safer
This step matters even if you feel steady today. NIMH says research has shown that increasing safe storage of lethal means can help reduce suicide attempts and deaths by suicide. The CDC describes this as putting space and time between a person and lethal means, and its advice for families is to store firearms and prescriptions securely, for example in a gun safe or lock box. The CDC also says that simply putting them out of sight or out of reach is not secure storage.
In practice, this can mean asking someone you trust to hold onto certain items for a while, or locking things away and giving the key to someone else. The 988 Lifeline's advice for helping someone in crisis is plain: remove means, like weapons or pills. Ask your prescriber or pharmacist how to store your medicines safely and how to get rid of ones you no longer need. A clinician or a 988 counselor can help you work out what makes sense for your home.
Who to write it with, and who to share it with
You can start a plan alone with SAMHSA's printable sheet or the NYC 988 online tool, which lets you text or email the finished plan to yourself or save it as a PDF. Many people find it easier to finish with a therapist or psychiatrist during a visit, who can help you choose steps that fit your life and check that the crisis contacts are current.
Plans tend to work better when other people know about them. NYC 988's advice for helping someone in crisis includes making a plan that involves trusted people or professionals. Consider giving a copy to one person you trust, and keep one on your phone. For a teen, the plan is usually built with the teen, the family and a clinician; the guides on teen suicide warning signs and teen self-harm cover what parents can do.
If you want to work on a plan as part of ongoing therapy or psychiatric care, you can contact Mind Body Seven. The practice cannot respond to emergencies, so the crisis steps in your plan should point to 988 and 911, not to the office.
When a safety plan is not enough
A plan is a first line of support, not the whole response. If you are using it often, if warning signs keep getting stronger, or if you have recently been to an emergency room or hospital, tell your clinician. You may need more support than weekly visits, and the guide to levels of mental health care explains the options.
If you live in New York City and need someone to come to you, 988 can send a Mobile Crisis Team during the day and evening. See crisis options in New York City for how that compares with a hospital, and what happens when you call 988 if you are nervous about reaching out. If you are in danger at any point, call 911.
A plan also does not replace the care behind it. If you do not have a therapist or prescriber yet, the professionals step can still list 988 and your nearest emergency room while you look for ongoing care.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a safety plan by myself?
Yes. You can fill in SAMHSA's printable six-step sheet or use the NYC 988 online tool on your own. Many people find it helps to go over the plan with a therapist, psychiatrist or 988 counselor afterward, so the steps fit their life and the phone numbers are correct. If you feel unsafe while writing it, stop and call or text 988, or call 911.
How do I help someone else make a safety plan?
NYC 988 suggests talking openly about suicide, listening without judging, not agreeing to keep it secret, and helping the person make a plan that involves trusted people or professionals. It also advises removing means such as guns or stockpiled pills. If the person is in immediate danger, call 911. You can also call or text 988 yourself for advice.
Where should I keep my safety plan?
Keep it where you will see it when things get hard. Many people save a photo or PDF on their phone and keep a paper copy at home or in a wallet. The NYC 988 tool can text or email the plan to you. Giving a copy to someone you trust means they know how to help if you reach out.
What if I try my plan and still feel unsafe?
Move down the plan to people and professionals, and do not wait. Call or text 988 to reach a counselor at any hour. If you might act on thoughts of suicide, or you cannot stay safe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Afterward, tell your clinician what happened so you can change the plan together.
How often should I update my safety plan?
Look at it whenever something changes, such as a new phone number, a move, a new clinician or a new medicine. It is also worth reviewing after a hard stretch, since you may learn which steps helped and which did not. Clinicians often go over the plan at follow-up visits, so you can bring it with you.
Next: take the next step
When you are ready, read more about how Mind Body Seven can help, in Brooklyn or by telehealth across New York State, or request a consultation and an Intake Coordinator will follow up.
Sources
- SAMHSA: Safety Plans Work (printable six-step safety plan, PEP24-08-03-007)
- NYC 988: Safety Plan
- NYC 988: Helping Friends or Family in Crisis
- NIMH: Frequently Asked Questions About Suicide
- CDC: Preventing Suicide
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Help Someone Else
Reviewed by Dr. Beata Lewis, MD, Founder and Clinical Director, board-certified in adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and integrative medicine on November 8, 2026. Facts checked against the sources above on November 8, 2026. This guide is general education, not medical advice, a diagnosis or a treatment plan, and reading it does not make you a patient of Mind Body Seven. For advice about your situation, talk with a licensed clinician.