8: Crisis Response Planning
Risk Management and Treatment » Non-pharmacologic Treatments
8: Crisis Response Planning
We suggest completing a crisis response plan for individuals with suicidal ideation and/or a lifetime history of suicide attempts.
Strength:
Weak for
Category:
ReviewedNew-replaced
Grades and Definitions
- Strong for
- or "We recommend offering this option …"
- Weak for
- or "We suggest offering this option …"
- No recommendation
- or "There is insufficient evidence …"
- Weak against
- or "We suggest not offering this option …"
- Strong against
- or "We recommend against offering this option …"
Categories and Definitions |
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Evidence Reviewed* | Recommendation Category* | Definition* |
Reviewed | New-added | New recommendation following review of the evidence |
New-replaced | Recommendation from previous CPG that has been carried over to the updated CPG that has been changed following review of the evidence | |
Not changed | Recommendation from previous CPG that has been carried forward to the updated CPG where the evidence has been reviewed but the recommendation is not changed | |
Amended | Recommendation from the previous CPG that has been carried forward to the updated CPG where the evidence has been reviewed and a minor amendment has been made | |
Deleted | Recommendation from the previous CPG that has been removed based on review of the evidence | |
Not reviewed | Not changed | Recommendation from previous CPG that has been carried forward to the updated CPG, but for which the evidence has not been reviewed |
Amended | Recommendation from the previous CPG that has been carried forward to the updated CPG where the evidence has not been reviewed and a minor amendment has been made | |
Deleted | Recommendation from the previous CPG that has been removed because it was deemed out of scope for the updated CPG | |
*Adapted from the NICE guideline manual (2012): The guidelines manual. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence;2012. and Martinez Garcia L, McFarlane E, Barnes S, Sanabria AJ, Alonso-Coello P, Alderson P. Updated recommendations: An assessment of NICE clinical guidelines. Implement Sci. 2014;9:72. |
Recommendation Resources
- Crisis Response Plans (CRP) and Safety Plans (SP) are tools that include step-by-step instructions to use prior to or during a suicidal crisis.
- They are developed in a collaborative, patient-centered manner.
- Key components shared by CRP and SP include; identifying warning signs, self-management or internal coping strategies, social support networks and professional/crisis services.
- Although the research is evolving and limitations exist with previous studies, completing a Crisis Response Plan vs. treatment as usual resulted in a significant difference in future suicide attempts (Bryan et al., 2017).
- Crisis Response Planning and Safety Planning are recommended over "no harm contracts," which have no research support.
Training Resources
This section includes links to recommended trainings about Crisis Response Planning and Safety Planning.
- Crisis Response Planning for Suicide Prevention Training Workshops
- Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention Training
Manuals
This section includes links to recommended manuals about Crisis Response Planning and Safety Planning.
- Crisis Response Plan Overview
- Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention
- VA Safety Planning Quick Guide for Clinicians
- Center of Deployment Psychology Safety Planning Infographic
Mobile Apps
This section includes links to recommended mobile apps about Crisis Response Planning and Safety Planning.
Return to Resource OptionsVideos
This section includes links to recommended videos about Crisis Response Planning and Safety Planning.
Return to Resource OptionsWebinars
This section includes links to recommended webinars about Crisis Response Planning and Safety Planning.
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Empowering Veterans through Crisis Response Planning & The Safety Planning Intervention Presented by Drs. Craig Bryan & Wendy Batdorf
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Safety Planning — Basics and Beyond Presented by Drs. Megan Harvey & Suzanne McGarity
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Safety Planning in the Emergency Department Presented by Dr. Bridget Matarazzo
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Suicide Prevention 2.0 Clinical Telehealth Program Presented by Dr. Jessica A Walker
Podcasts
This section includes links to recommended podcasts about Crisis Response Planning and Safety Planning.
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What if Suicide Prevention is Simple? Crisis Response Planning Interview with Dr. Craig Bryan
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Rocky Mountain Short Takes on Suicide Prevention: A mobile safety-planning app with Dr. Pearl McGee-Vincent
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Rocky Mountain Short Takes on Suicide Prevention: Safety Planning in the Emergency Room (It Works!) with Drs. Barbara Stanley, Greg Brown and Lisa Brenner
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Collaborative Safety Planning for Older Adults with Drs. Elizabeth Conti and Ali Abbas Asghar-Ali
Articles
This section includes links to recommended articles about Crisis Response Planning and Safety Planning.
- 2017). Effect of crisis response planning vs. contracts for safety on suicide risk in U.S. Army Soldiers: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of affective disorders, 212, 64-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.01.028 (
- 2009). Managing suicide risk in primary care: Practice recommendations for behavioral health consultants. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 40(2), 148-155. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0011141 (
- 2018). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Safety Plans for Military Veterans: Do Safety Plans Tailored to Veteran Characteristics Decrease Suicide Risk?. Behavior therapy, 49(6), 931-938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2017.11.005 (
- 2020). Integrating crisis response planning for suicide prevention into trauma-focused treatments: A military case example. Journal of clinical psychology, 76(5), 852-864. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22920 (
- 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 (
- 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), 894-900. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.1776 (