Using safety plans
Staying safe from acting on suicidal thoughts can be really hard and takes a huge amount of strength. A suicide safety plan can be a really useful practical tool for anyone working to stay safe right now, giving them the opportunity to keep that strength going and a chance to fight another day. PAPYRUS’s safety plan gives space to explore individual reasons for living, coping mechanisms and distraction techniques all unique to the user, there is also room to think about longer term support options. Suicidal thoughts can come and go, so a safety plan is useful to have around to refer back to and change when needed, to help stay safe in the moment.
We know that some young people are able to work on a suicide safety plan independently but more often they work through these with a trained person in their life. If you are supporting someone else to stay safe we recommend contacting HOPELINE247 where advisers can offer you support and guidance. Our training packages also equip participants with the skills to talk sensitively and safely about suicide and explore the idea of safety planning and the importance of a collaborative approach.
If you are a young person and you would like a trained adviser to work with you on suicide safety then you can contact HOPELINE247.
Click here to access our Safety Planning tool.
