What characterizes the overall approach a Peer Support Specialist should use in crisis or safety planning?

• A. Direct medical interventions.
• B. Support autonomy, empowerment, and connection to resources.
• C. Make decisions for the consumer.
• D. Avoid discussing safety planning.

Answer: (B)

Crisis or safety planning in peer support centers on honoring the person’s autonomy and empowering them to participate in decisions, while connecting them to relevant resources. The best approach is collaborative, strengths-based, and person-centered, helping them identify warning signs, preferred coping strategies, and concrete steps to mobilize supports (who to contact, where to go) in different risk situations. The Peer Support Specialist supports decision-making rather than making decisions for the person, and focuses on building a plan that the individual can own, adapt, and use. Direct medical interventions or taking control would undermine self-determination, and avoiding safety planning leaves the person without a proactive path to safety. The plan should be grounded in respect for the person’s values, culture, and lived experience, with connections to community resources and peer supports.