Standard Home Safety Interventions

There is nothing more important than your safety and that of your family.  For this reason, we offer the following guidance around preventing a safety crisis with your child or teen.

If you believe your child or teen is at risk of harming themself or someone else or if your therapist has expressed safety concerns about your child or teen, please consider following the steps below.

Safety Proofing the Home:

• Secure and lock up objects your child or teen could use to hurt themself or others, such as;

  • Medications:  All medication, including all over-the-counter medicines.  

  • Sharps: Such as knives and razors. 

  • Belts, cords, ropes, and sheets

  • Firearms and ammunition:  Should be locked and kept in different locations from each other. 

  • Any other object that your child has mentioned thinking of using to harm themselves or others 

• If your child or teen is engaging in destructive or aggressive behaviors, lock up items that may be easily broken or used as a weapon.

• Hide Locked Items: Ensure that your child or teen does not have knowledge of the location of these items or how to get access (where keys are kept, what combinations unlock storage).

Supervision:

• One of the best ways to ensure your child or teen’s safety is to come up with a supervision plan. Based on the specific things your child is thinking about, it will be important to consider how, when, and where trusted adults can supervise the safety of your child. By supervision, we mean being physically present in close proximity and able to check in quickly. It is often helpful to collaborate on a supervision plan as part of your safety plan. Examples of this include (and may vary depending on the situation):

  • Having your child leave the bathroom door ajar (not entirely open) while occupying the bathroom and checking in verbally if the bathroom trip is taking longer than expected. 

  • Ensuring there is someone to hang out with your child or teen in person after school

  • Sleeping in the same room as your child or teen

What to Do if You Need Immediate Support

If your child is in distress and needs to talk to someone right away, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). You can also chat from a computer at 988lifeline.org

If this is an emergency and your child is in immediate danger of harming themselves or others, Call 911.

• Please consider your child’s or teen’s safety and the safety of others when deciding whether to transport them in your own vehicle.  

• If you are unable to safely transport your child, call 911 to have them transported.