My Safety Plan

Write it on a better day, for a harder moment.

A short list of steps for when thoughts of suicide come, or get stronger. Write it now, in your own words, so you do not have to think hard later. Skip any step. It saves as you go and prints on one page.

Is my plan private? Yes. It stays on this device.

Never sent to us. No account, no email, no ads.

More about privacy
  • Your plan is saved only in this browser, on this device.
  • This website never sends what you write to a server. We cannot see it. We count page visits, but never what you type.
  • No account. No email. No ads on this page.
  • If other people use this device, they may be able to open your plan. You can turn saving off, or delete your plan at any time.
  • Clearing your browser data also deletes the plan. Print it or save a PDF to keep a copy.

Make your plan in six steps

Getting your plan ready

How do I use my plan?

  • When you notice a warning sign, start at step 1 and go down the list.
  • If a step does not help, move to the next one. If you feel in danger, go straight to step 5.
  • If you cannot stay safe, call your local emergency number. Or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. If you can, ask someone to go with you.
  • Look at your plan again after a hard time. Keep what helped. Change what did not.
  • You can make it alone, or with a doctor, counsellor or someone you trust. The method was made to do together.
  • Under 18? Please show your plan to an adult you trust, like a parent or a school counsellor.

Strong feelings like these often rise, then come down. Your plan helps you get through that time safely. About 9 in 10 people who survive a suicide attempt do not later die by suicide (Harvard Means Matter (opens in a new tab)). Help works.

Where does this plan come from?

This tool is based on the Safety Planning Intervention by Barbara Stanley and Gregory Brown (suicidesafetyplan.com (opens in a new tab)). The wording here is our own.

In a large US study, people who made a safety plan and got follow-up phone calls were less likely to act on suicidal thoughts in the next 6 months. It was about 3 in 100 people, compared with about 5 in 100 with usual care (Stanley and colleagues, 2018 (opens in a new tab)). A review of 6 studies found something similar (Nuij and colleagues, 2021 (opens in a new tab)). The same review did not find that plans make the thoughts go away. Treatment, like talking therapy, can help with that.

This tool does not replace care from a doctor or counsellor.