Community Support
Mental health struggles rarely announce themselves on a schedule. They can show up in the middle of a workday, in the quiet of a Sunday evening, or in a moment that catches someone completely off guard. That unpredictability is exactly why a suicide safety plan exists. Not as something to think about during a crisis, but as something built calmly, in advance, so it's ready at the moment it's needed.
This guide walks through what a safety plan is, why it matters, and how to create one, whether you're building it for yourself, a loved one, or a client.
What Is a Suicide Safety Plan?
A suicide safety plan is a simple, personalized document, usually one page, that lays out what to do when thoughts of suicide or overwhelming distress start to build. It's not a treatment plan, and it's not a substitute for therapy. It's a practical, in-the-moment tool: something to turn to when clear thinking feels hardest to access.
Safety plans are typically built around five core areas:
1. Warning Signs
2. Coping Strategies
3. Support Contacts
4. Safe Environment
5. Reasons to Keep Going
This structure is widely used by therapists and crisis services because it's concrete. When someone is overwhelmed, a written plan is far easier to follow than trying to think through options from scratch.
Why Build a Safety Plan Before a Crisis?
Crisis moments are, by definition, moments when clear decision-making is hardest, because the decision-making areas of the brain are taken offline when the nervous system goes into threat detection mode. A safety plan removes that barrier by doing the thinking in advance, when things are clearer and calmer. Research on safety planning interventions has consistently shown that having a plan in place, created collaboratively with a therapist or crisis worker, is associated with a meaningfully lower risk during future crises.
Just As Important
Building a safety plan is itself a protective act. The process of naming warning signs, identifying supports, and writing down reasons to keep going can bring a sense of control and hope, even before the plan is ever used.
How to Build a Safety Plan, Step by Step
1. Identify your warning signs
Start by naming the specific thoughts, moods, or triggers that tend to come before a difficult moment. For example: withdrawing from others, sleep changes, exposure to people or environments that call to mind painful memories, or a particular kind of intrusive thought. Being specific here makes the plan easier to recognize and use later.
2. List immediate coping strategies you can do alone
These are small, accessible actions: going for a walk, listening to a specific playlist, journaling, breathing, or using a grounding technique. The goal isn't to solve the underlying pain; it's to create space and reduce intensity in the moment.
3. Write down people you can reach out to
Include names and contact information for people who can offer support and connection: friends, family, or support groups. It helps to list more than one person, since availability can vary. For some, this is not easy, and an emergency visit to the local hospital emergency unit can be chosen as a safe alternative to find human care.
4. Make the environment safer
This step involves reducing access to any means of self-harm during high-risk periods, often with the help of a trusted person. It's one of the most evidence-backed parts of a safety plan, even though it can be the hardest to think through alone.
5. Write your reasons for living
This section is personal: the people, goals, values, or moments that matter most. It's often the part of the plan people return to first. Questions to promote reflection can include: “what important future life events would I miss out on?”, “who would miss me”, or “what bucket list item would I not get to check off if I were gone?”.
6. Know who to call in a crisis
Every safety plan should end with clear, immediate crisis resources. In Canada, that means:
Call or text 988 — the Suicide Crisis Helpline is available 24/7 across Canada.
If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
A Free Tool to Help You Build Your Plan
Building a safety plan is easier with the right structure, and you don't have to start from a blank page. My Safety Plan is a free, guided tool that walks individuals and therapists through each step of the safety planning process together, producing a plan that can be saved, printed, and kept close. Many people start there, then bring the plan into a therapy session to refine it further.
If You're in Crisis Right Now
You don't have to wait for an appointment to get support. If you or someone you know is struggling right now:
For the Suicide Crisis Helpline
For Kids Help Phone
If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Community Mental Health Resources by Region
Beyond national crisis lines, many communities have local crisis teams and mental health services that can offer more immediate, in-person support.
A few resources by province and region:
Ontario
- Mental Health Helpline (ConnexOntario): Free, 24/7 province-wide service navigation: 1-866-531-2600
- Good2Talk (Ontario): 24/7 support for post-secondary students in Ontario: 1-866-925-5454
Ottawa & Surrounding Areas
- Distress Centre Ottawa and Region: 24/7 crisis support: 613-238-3311
- Ottawa Mental Health Crisis Line (The Ottawa Hospital): 24/7 mobile crisis support: 613-722-6914 (within Ottawa) or 1-866-996-0991 (outside Ottawa)
- Tel-Aide Outaouais: 24/7 French-language support: 613-741-6433 (Ottawa) or 819-775-3223 (Gatineau)
- Youth Services Bureau (YSB) Crisis Line: 24/7 support for youth: 613-260-2360
- Counselling Connect: Free same/next-day counselling for children, youth, adults, and families in the Ottawa area
Hamilton & Surrounding Areas
- COAST (Crisis Outreach and Support Team) Hamilton: 24/7 mental health crisis support: 905-972-8338
- CMHA Hamilton: Community mental health programs and service navigation
Nova Scotia
- Good2Talk (Nova Scotia): 24/7 support for post-secondary students in Nova Scotia: 1-833-292-3698
Halifax & Surrounding Areas
- Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line (Central Zone): 24/7 crisis support: 902-429-8167 (Halifax area) or 1-888-429-8167 (toll-free across Nova Scotia)
- Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team / IWK Health: 24/7 telephone support, with mobile response available in most of HRM
- Mental Health and Addictions Intake Service: For connecting to ongoing care: 1-855-922-1122
- 211 Nova Scotia: Dial 211 for referrals to local community, housing, and social supports
Every life matters, and having a plan in place, alongside knowing what local support is available, is one of the most concrete ways to protect it.
