Wellness Safety Plan

 

Self Directed Recovery
How to Create a Safety Plan for Your Mental & Emotional Health

By Amela Sandra
Originally written, June 2015


The Safety Plan will need to be revised every six months to one year depending on your goals and determination in accomplishing those recovery based goals. If you are not working with a mental health professional on a recovery plan it may be easier to develop a basic safety plan. 

What is a safety plan?

A safety plan is good to have near your desk, at work or in your backpack, at school, or a miniature safety-plan card in your pocket. 

There are many variations of Safety Planning—there are Safety Plans available for Survivors of Domestic Violence, Human Labor/Sex Trafficking and the one focused here is for those experiencing severe distress mentally, emotionally or physiologically.

When feeling under severe mental stress, whether it is physical, emotional or simply in your mind or all of these; the best thing to do is to call your therapist and let them know how you’re feeling. If your therapist doesn’t answer your phone call, be sure to leave a message for him/her. Let them know whether you’re having any mental health adversity at that moment—for example, if you’re having suicidal ideation call your therapist and let them know. Chances are your therapist may call 9-1-1 and have an emergency response team come to you for a thorough assessment of whether or not you should be hospitalized. If you do or don’t get hospitalized make sure to call your therapist and schedule an appointment.



Hospitalization & Your Safety Plan
In that situation, when you are discharged from the Psychiatric Emergency Room you can easily go to your therapist and discuss your safety plan while also inquiring about the advance directive. An advance directive is a plan that can be used pre and post crisis. 


Safety Plan Check-List

• When I am not feeling well physically — I will eat if I have not eaten well for the day or sleep if I did not sleep the full eight hours

• When I am not feeling well emotionally — I will contact my peer for support

• When I am not feeling well mentally — I will take a pause and be mindful of negative thoughts

• When I am feeling suicidal — I will call the suicide prevention hotline and express why I feel the way I do

• When I am feeling uncomfortable — I will remind myself that if I can’t change this situation, maybe I can change the way I think about it

• When I have attempted suicide — I will call 9-1-1 and prepare my advance directive for my psychiatric nurse and psychologist at the hospital


Here is a printable worksheet of the safety-plan to have your psychotherapist or counselor review, provide a copy of this plan to a board certified counselor or therapist. It is your right to provide a copy of your safety plan and it is also your right to have your safety plan to be approved by a licensed and board certified professional. If you do come to find yourself in a psychiatric emergency room remember to specify that you have a mental health recovery specialist or a legal mental health advocate. The psychiatric emergency room is a great place to further inquire about recommendations for a psychiatric advance directive. 

This list exemplifies common signs when one does when not feel well. It’s important that you do the best you can to avoid attempting or engaging in any harmful or life-endangering or life-threatening situations during an episode of mental distress. 

Make sure to keep your safety plan with you at all times with the contact information of all of your mental healthcare providers. If you are suicidal, I recommend you try a Daily Maintenance Plan and share the list of wellness tools with your psychiatrist. Your psychiatrist is not your enemy, s/he is meant to help you with your recovery. 

Remember that there are many forms of therapy, there’s psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, humanism, existential therapy, and so many more. Find the therapy structure that works best for you and never settle until you feel confident in the therapist you have. Believe in the recovery journey, remember that recovery is a process of changes, pain, struggle, empowerment, and self-discovery. 

This post is relative to ‘How to Create a Psychiatric Advance Directive’

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