At my internship agency serving children and families, I often had to create safety plans with clients who were in danger of harming themselves.
Why create a safety plan?
Safety plans can help us get through difficult moments and can make a difference in keeping us safe. Safety plans are developed in collaboration between a client and therapist. It is designed in such a way where the client writes down signals of emotional distress, actions to take, and people they can contact to keep themselves safe.
After researching online for templates and ideas from other mental health professionals, I found the following S.A.F.E.T.Y. acronym…and decided to use it as an overall template for safety plans with my clients!
Each letter in the word “SAFETY” signifies a different portion of the safety plan. I love this because it makes it easier for the client to remember aspects of the plan. It also helped me remember the details of the plan–which was super convenient because I didn’t always have my client files with me when I was in the field.
“S” stands for…
“A” stands for…
“F” stands for…
“E” stands for…
“T” stands for…
“Y” stands for…
When the client and I finished the plan, we both signed at the bottom. I also made a copy of the plan for my records and provided the client with the original for themselves.
Download the free printable from my Teachers Pay Teachers store!
