Crisis Action Plan

All families have times when things get tough & crises happen. Sometimes things can happen out of the blue that are stressful. Sometimes there are things that we know can happen from time to time & it is helpful to plan ahead for this. For many families, this is planning for times when a parent or family member becomes unwell with their mental illness.

How can we plan ahead?

Everyone feels better if they know what to do if there is a crisis. It is a good idea to work out what needs to happen if your Mum or Dad has to go to hospital if they get sick. Your Mum or Dad's case manager or worker can help with this & everyone can have a copy.

Some important things are:

• Who will look after you?
• How will you get to school?
• Are there other people you can stay with?
• Do you have after school activities (eg: sport, art, etc) that other people could help you get to?
• What should you tell your friends or school?

If things get very upsetting or scary at home & there are no other adults there who can help you, you should know what to do. So, you need to know where all the important phone numbers are so that you can get help at any time of the day or night. These numbers should be talked about with your family. Put them on the fridge or put them automatically in to your phone if you have a touch phone.

• Call a relative or trusted adult friend who lives close by.
• Call the police for help on "000"
• Call the CATT Team
• Find a place in the house if you can where you feel safe.
• Call kids help line 1800 55 1800

How will I know if it is a crisis?

• If you feel usafe or scared by the way your parent is behaving
• If there is physical fighting between your parents or other adults in the house
• If you cannot understand what your parents are saying or they are not making sense to you
• If you notice your parent is hurt
• If you are alone & worried about where your parent might be

Making a Crisis Action Plan