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Navigating A Mental Health Crisis: Creating A Crisis Plan

Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Resource Type: Documents and Publications

Focus Population: Family Members, Peers, People with Serious Mental Illness (SMI)

Topics: Crisis Response System, Mental Health Treatment

When a person has a mental illness, the potential for a crisis is never far from mind. Crises can occur even when a person is in treatment. Unfortunately, unpredictability is simply the nature of mental illness. A crisis plan is designed to help individuals and families address escalating symptoms/behaviors and prepare for oncoming crises. These plans should be written down and stored in a safe location; developed by the person with the mental health condition and their family and friends; and updated whenever there is a change in diagnosis, medication, treatment or providers.