When developing a safety plan, what is the best approach for a Peer Support Specialist to support the consumer?

• A. Advise the consumer to search the internet for a plan.
• B. Tell the consumer that creating a plan is not necessary.
• C. Empower the consumer to contribute their own ideas to the plan.
• D. Create the plan for the consumer.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is empowering the person to shape their own safety plan. A safety plan works best when the consumer actively contributes their ideas, preferences, and coping strategies. When the peer support specialist facilitates rather than dictates the plan, the consumer sees it as relevant to their life, which builds trust, motivation, and ownership. The peer helps elicit what has helped in the past, identifies warning signs and triggers, lists effective coping steps, and pins down who to contact and where to go for support. This collaborative, person-centered approach also aligns with trauma-informed care and respects the consumer’s autonomy, strengths, and lived experience.

If the plan is simply created for the consumer or shuffled from the internet without personalization, it’s less likely to fit their specific situation, resources, or beliefs, and they may be less likely to use it. Telling someone a safety plan isn’t necessary removes a structured tool that can prevent crisis, and relying on the consumer to search for a plan online without guidance risks missing crucial details or supports.