This training was designed for client-facing staff across the organization who complete safety plans with clients. It serves as an optional refresher that reinforces skills taught in the required instructor-led training.

Internal and external audits, along with staff feedback, revealed that safety plans were often too vague and did not consistently meet agency or regulatory expectations. Staff also expressed uncertainty about how to adapt plans for different populations, particularly youth and individuals with IDD. Because the required training is only offered during onboarding and then quarterly thereafter, staff needed an easily accessible resource they could revisit whenever questions came up.

I developed this training in collaboration with the IDD team, school-based staff, and the Zero Suicide Workgroup through an iterative process of review and feedback. To ensure the content reflected best practices, I also reviewed resources from other local mental health authorities and used them to inform the structure and tools included in the course.

The training provides an overview of the agency’s safety planning process, documentation expectations, and population-specific adaptations. To make the content more practical and easier to apply, I included downloadable exemplars, client scenarios, and an interactive quality review checklist based on the standards used during internal and state audits.

Although the training has only recently launched, early feedback has been very positive. Staff have reported increased confidence in completing safety plans and a clearer understanding of documentation expectations. The training also gives staff a central place to revisit information, which may reduce reliance on supervisors for routine questions and support stronger results in future documentation audits.