Building a crisis coping plan: a template you can fill in

The single best thing the well version of you can do for the unwell version of you is to write down a clear plan, in advance, for what to do when things go wrong. Clinicians call this a crisis coping plan, a safety plan, or sometimes a personal recovery plan. It is short, concrete, and lives where you can find it. This article gives you a template you can fill in this afternoon.

Why a written plan helps

Crisis coping plans grew out of suicide-prevention research (most notably the Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention) and the recovery movement. They sit at the centre of approaches such as the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) and align with self-management programmes recommended by SAMHSA and NAMI. The plan is most useful precisely because, in a crisis, you cannot remember everything — you can only follow the steps in front of you.

The template

Section 1: My early warning signs

What does it usually look like when you are heading into a difficult patch? Be specific. Examples:

• Sleeping less than 5 hours a night for two nights in a row
• Stopping replies to messages
• Feeling that strangers are watching me
• Voices becoming louder than usual
• Skipping medication for two days
• Feeling I "don't need" my medication anymore
• Withdrawing from family

List your top five or six.

Section 2: My everyday coping tools

The two or three tools you already know help in mild moments. Examples:

• 5-4-3-2-1 grounding
• Slow exhale breathing
• 20-minute walk
• Texting a friend
• My sensory toolbox

Section 3: My medium-distress steps

What to do when things are escalating. Examples:

• Use my coping cards
• Cold shower or cold water on wrists
• Put on a familiar podcast
• Take any as-needed medication my prescriber has approved
• Send a "yellow flag" text to my support person: "I'm not doing well today."

Section 4: People I can call

List in order. Phone numbers in full. Hours noted. Examples:

• Therapist — name and number, hours and emergency line
• Prescriber — name and number, after-hours coverage
• Trusted family member or friend — name and number
• Second trusted friend — backup if the first isn't available
• Local mobile crisis team — number
• Peer support warm line — local number
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (US) — call or text 988

Section 5: Steps if I am unsafe

• Remove or secure means of harm (medications, sharp objects, weapons). Identify a person who can hold them for me.
• Go to a place with people — coffee shop, library, neighbour's home, family member's house.
• Call 988 (US) or my local crisis line.
• Go to the nearest emergency department, or call my mobile crisis team to come to me.
• If I cannot make these calls, call 911 and ask for a mental-health response. (See CIT teams and when to call 911.)

Section 6: What helps me feel safe

The list of small things that reliably reduce distress. These get pulled into hospital rooms and crisis stays. Examples:

• Eye mask, earplugs
• A specific photograph
• The name of one staff member who is kind
• Permission to step out of group activities
• A familiar book

Section 7: My preferences in a crisis

This is the section a hospital or crisis team will most appreciate. Examples:

• If I become disorganised, do not assume I refuse treatment — read this plan first.
• Medications that have worked for me in the past: ____.
• Medications I do not tolerate: ____.
• People to contact for collateral information: ____.
• I prefer to be addressed by [name].
• I would like to be involved in treatment decisions where possible.

This section overlaps with a psychiatric advance directive — see also our preparing family for hospitalization guide.

How to write yours, this week

1. Block out 60 minutes on a calm day.
2. Open a blank document or print this template on paper.
3. Fill each section, even if briefly. You can refine later.
4. Share with one trusted person. Ask them to read it and tell you what is missing.
5. Save copies. One on your phone, one printed at home, one with a trusted person, optionally one with your treatment team.
6. Set a reminder to revisit it every three to six months.

Mistakes to avoid

• Too long. If it doesn't fit on two pages, you will not read it in a crisis.
• Too vague. "Use coping skills" is useless. "Cold water on wrists for 30 seconds, then 5-4-3-2-1" is usable.
• Outdated phone numbers. Update at every plan review.
• Hidden away. If you can't find it on a hard day, it isn't doing anything.

If you live alone

Your plan is even more important. Add an explicit "second person" — a neighbour, a sibling, a friend who has agreed to be on standby. If no such person exists, your plan should rely more heavily on local crisis services (mobile crisis teams, peer respite, warm lines) and on the 988 lifeline.

If you have a family

Write a version with them. Family-involved planning is a key recommendation in NICE guidance and improves outcomes. Sit down together, agree on early warning signs, and clarify what each person will do.

Related plans and frameworks

Your crisis coping plan can sit alongside or inside a fuller WRAP or relapse prevention plan. NAMI's family caregivers hub has additional templates and worksheets, and SAMHSA's national helpline can help you locate local crisis resources.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified mental health professional. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 in the US, or your local emergency number.