9-Step Self-Safety Abolition Plan

This is an abolitionist guide to support people struggling to be safe with themself. It’s designed to be used by both care workers and community members. After years of working within crisis, I wanted to create a free community tool rooted in the belief that safety comes from connecting with your neighbors, not the state. There is research that shows that involving the police, non-profits, emergency rooms may be more endangering to a person in crisis. For this reason, I try to put as much space as possible between loved ones, people in my care and the state, no matter their emergency.

Please get in on the project! This plan is specific to services offered in Philadelphia, PA and local resources should be modified for your city and state. It is also a living document and my hope is it will grow from nine steps to nineteen, then on to ninety, and so on. Please write with any additional steps you think I’m missing at my contact page and I’ll be glad to credit and link to you.

If you’re concerned about someone’s safety with themselves:

1.
PLAN AHEAD FOR CRISIS:

Create a safety plan with them about what they want to happen during a mental health crisis. This can include strategies for grounding, safe places to go, and people they want on their care team. If you’d like to use a form, they can fill out a safety plan with you or individually using one of these free tools: TMAP (in-depth) or My Safety Plan (brief).

*If they reach out while they’re having a hard time 🡒 Step 2   

2.
VALIDATION + CONNECTION:

Offer a validating connection with them and clarify whether this is a crisis (they are immediately unsafe) or having a difficult time (are upset/activated/triggered though still safe). Support regardless. If a difficult time, plan for the next time to speak/meet in the future and talk through what would be soothing to do in the next hour or two.

*If this is an immediate crisis 🡒 Step 3

3.
DE-ESCALATION:

Call or text a short-term, three-step safety plan. (1) De-escalate using harm reduction (ie: can they get someplace safe? If not, are they willing to do lesser harm to self?) (2) find hope (ie: do they have a pet or friend they can think of?), and/or, (3) co-create grounding (ie: are they able to wrap themselves tightly in a blanket?). Find a time together to check in the next day.

*If de-escalation is not possible 🡒 Step 4   

4.
ORIGINAL SAFETY PLAN:

Text or call with their original self-made safety plan from their intake or what is known from your relationship. Ask for a response as confirmation. Let them know you’ll reach out to emergency contacts if you don’t hear from them by a certain time. If they decide that they want to move forward with self-harm, can they agree to check-in after?

*If no response 🡒 Step 5   

5.
Call Emergency contact #1:

Call Emergency Contact #1: Make a plan to call or visit the person depending on what they want; or if this is not clear, do what you and the emergency contact decide together.

*If they are not available 🡒 Step 6   

6.
Call Emergency contact #2:

Call Emergency Contact #1: Make a plan to call or visit the person depending on what they want; or if this is not clear, do what you and the emergency contact decide together.

*If they are not available 🡒 Step 7   

7.
Offer a Hotline:

Offer a hotline to them and ask for a one word confirmation that they have received this. When possible, advise people not to give identifying information given the dangers of hotline data sharing.

*If no response 🡒 Step 8   

8.
Call a peer:

Call a colleague or a friend you trust to get perspective before calling the state. Note that this is a floating step that may be done at any time..

*If an outside opinion doesn’t offer another possibility 🡒 Step 9   

8.
CALL DBHIDS: Behavioral Health Emergency Line: 215 685-6440 Available 24/7:

Call this number if you are located in Philadelphia and need to (1) speak with a mental health delegate (2) need emergency assistance for a child, such as finding an ER/CRC that serves children (3) need the Mobile Emergency Team to come out to your location to assess a mental health emergency or (4) are not sure what resource you need but, know it is related to mental health, suicide, or substance use. Make every attempt to inform the person that you are calling DBHIDS before you do so that they have choice in the matter.

9-Step Abolition Safety Plan PDF

Abolitionist Care Resources

AntiCarceral Crisis and Safety Planning Guide – fill this out with community member/clients

Transformative Mutual Aid Practices (T-MAPs) - fill this out with community member/clients

Mapping our Madness Zine - fill this our with community member/clients

Pod-Mapping – fill this out with community member/clients

Fireweed Collective Crisis Toolkit – resources for you and community member/client to consider

Psychiatric Advanced Directives – fill this out with community member/clients

Treatment not Trauma Coalition – Abolitionist policy reform coalition in Philadelphia

Defund the Police - Invest in Community Care - A Guide to Alternative Mental Health Crisis Responses – Advocacy guide for non-police mental health crisis responses

Inclusive Therapist List of Harms of Carceral Involvement - Quick facts about police involvement in mental health emergencies

Mia Mingus and Cara Page’s Visual of Medical Industrial Complex Involvement in harm

Don’t Call the Police – list of programs throughout USA

Abolitionist Law Center - movement lawyering and organizing project that defends human rights and challenges incarceration and other state & structural violence

For more local Mental Health resources including free therapy, financial support for therapy, mutual aid, and local crisis support, please go to the Philadelphia-based Welcome Wellbeing page.

Background Image: A bright red ginger flower.

Thanks to the following therapists and comrades for sharpening this tool with me:

Catalyst Geraci, Zara Raven, Renya NeoNorton, Iris Bowen, & Audrey Hausig