A crisis plan is the physical manifestation of

crisis management Crisis management is the process by which an organization deals with a disruptive and unexpected event that threatens to harm the organization or its stakeholders. The study of crisis management originated with large-scale industrial and envir ...

with respect to the creation of a real document – digital or otherwise – outlining a personal or organizational reaction to

crisis A crisis ( : crises; : critical) is either any event or period that will (or might) lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affair ...

. Examples of a crisis plan could include a map of evacuation routes, an outline of a personal wellness recovery action, a list of emergency supplies, a

CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore sponta ...

manual or a corporate disaster contingency plan. A crisis plan could be stored or generated in digital form and be represented through the deployment of such as a

smart phone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, which ...

app,

USB key A USB flash drive (also called a thumb drive) is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface. It is typically removable, rewritable and much smaller than an optical disc. Most weigh less than . Since first ...

PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...

file format, or various other translations of a literal document. Every crisis is different and individual plans vary by necessity. Crisis plan implementation for emergency situations is assisted by modern technology. There are numerous apps available for

smart phones A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, which ...

and other mobile technology platforms that promote enhanced crisis plan implementation and situational awareness. One example is the "CPR & Choking" app for iPhone and

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...

, developed in part by the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

and King County EMS.

Personal crisis plan

One element of personal wellness and mental health includes the creation of a crisis plan. Development of a real crisis plan and post-crisis plan is key to the daily maintenance of the evidence-based practice of the

Wellness Recovery Action Plan Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) is a recovery model developed by a group of people in northern Vermont in 1997 in a workshop on mental health recovery led by Mary Ellen Copeland. It has been extensively studied and reviewed, and is now an evid ...

as referenced by the

SAMHSA The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA; pronounced ) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is charged with improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitative service ...

National Registry for Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. Recovery from personal crisis or

health crisis A health crisis or public health crisis is a difficult situation or complex health system that affects humans in one or more geographic areas (mainly occurred in natural hazards), from a particular locality to encompass the entire planet. Health cri ...

may be impeded by

trauma Trauma most often refers to: * Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source * Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event *Traumatic i ...

, circumstance, or

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

. An effective post-crisis plan can reduce exposure to personal

risk In simple terms, risk is the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that humans value (such as health, well-being, wealth, property or the environme ...

, including the impact of

substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

and

addictions Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use of ...

. With respect to mental health recovery – families, service providers and others can help develop crisis plans that form an effective and enforceable legal document that can be used in times when a person is unwell.

Mental health 'crisis cards'

Those involved with mental health care have developed so-called 'crisis cards' which may be used in the event of a mental health crisis. These cards may be used to present to friends, health care workers,

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

or strangers should an emergency ever arise and an individual becomes unwell."Creating a crisis card (PDF)"
"CAMH: Crisis cards", Centre For Addiction & Mental Health

Organizational crisis plan

One example of a component of an organizational crisis plan is the

Material Safety Data Sheet A safety data sheet (SDS), material safety data sheet (MSDS), or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is a document that lists information relating to occupational safety and health for the use of various substances and products. SDSs are a widely ...

, which provides guidance and standards for the handling of hazardous and unsafe materials. These documents are a key element of

occupational safety and health Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or occupational safety, is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at wor ...

Disclosing crisis online

There are many complicated elements concerning

privacy Privacy (, ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively. The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of a ...

when discussing the disclosure of personal information online. This is only made more so during times a person is pushed into crisis. Given the nature and confusion of those in a crisis state, developing and maintaining a crisis plan that includes provisions dealing with online privacy is crucial.

References

{{Reflist Crisis Emergency management

Personal crisis plan

Mental health 'crisis cards'

Organizational crisis plan

Disclosing crisis online

See also

References