About this resource
Safety planning is a collaborative conversation, not a form to complete. This guide covers the practitioner's stance, asking directly and respectfully about suicide, building a plan in the person's own words, involving people they trust, reducing access to means, linking with crisis supports and following up. It is designed to sit alongside your organisation's risk procedures and validated tools.
Purpose
To support practitioners to hold safety planning conversations that are collaborative, compassionate and practical.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Social workers. Also relevant for counsellors and therapists, psychologists, youth workers.
Client or participant group: Social workers and practitioners supporting people experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Practice setting: Health, community, youth and crisis services, within organisational suicide prevention procedures.
Suggested uses
- Practitioner training
- Supervision
- Reviewing practice
- Preparing for conversations
Instructions for practitioners
- Follow your organisation's suicide prevention procedures and use any required tools.
- Ask about suicide directly and calmly.
- Build the plan with the person, in their words.
- Consult a senior colleague or crisis team when risk is high; call 000 if there is immediate danger.
- Follow up as agreed and document.
Accessibility considerations
Use interpreters, plain language and culturally safe approaches. Consider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and LGBTIQA+ specific services.
Scope and limitations
A practice guide. It is not a risk assessment tool and does not replace training, clinical judgement or organisational procedures. Family violence safety planning is different and needs specialist services.
Higher-risk topic: use only within your training, supervision and organisational procedures.
Research basis
Safety planning is an evidence-based brief intervention that reduces suicidal behaviour and increases engagement with care.
- Stanley, B., & Brown, G. K. (2012). Safety Planning Intervention: A Brief Intervention to Mitigate Suicide Risk. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 19(2), 256–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.01.001
- Stanley, B., Brown, G. K., Brenner, L. A., Galfalvy, H. C., Currier, G. W., Knox, K. L., Chaudhury, S. R., Bush, A. L., & Green, K. L. (2018). Comparison of the Safety Planning Intervention With Follow-up vs Usual Care of Suicidal Patients Treated in the Emergency Department. JAMA Psychiatry, 75(9), 894. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.1776
What is included
A 3-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced.
