The Be Safe App helps you:
Create a safety plan.
Find local resources for support.
Be prepared if you find yourself in a crisis.
CONNECT
Connect with the right resources in a time of crisis. You are asked a few yes or no questions to guide you to the most appropriate resources at that time.
SAFETY PLAN
Develop a safety plan before you are in crisis. You can complete a mobile safety plan by filling in the prompts directly on their phone. This safety plan is intended to be completed when you aren’t in crisis, to support you when you are
RESOURCES
Access helpful regional resources that support you in reaching out safely. Learn how to be safe in a crisis, what to expect when you call a crisis line, and your rights as a patient when seeking support.
ABOUT
Be Safe by mindyourmind is an evidence-informed safety planning and service navigation app developed in partnership with youth. The app is the product of a multi-sectoral network of stakeholders created to improve access to and coordination of mental health and addiction services for youth and families, consisting of the dedicated youth team, the London Service Collaborative, the CAMH Regional Implementation Team, and mindyourmind.
The first version of Be Safe was piloted in London, Ontario in April 2014. After a successful uptake, more regions joined the app across Ontario, and later, regions in British Columbia and Nova Scotia as well.
2019 came time for an app update to improve the functionality and longevity of Be Safe across iOS and Android. In this process, the Be Safe team conducted focus groups with youth and service providers to gather input on how the app could better meet changing community needs. Along with this update was an opportunity to scale the app nationally, to reach and help more youth across Canada. The Be Safe team has been working with its community partners to add new regions and provide youth outreach.
Be Safe by mindyourmind now includes regional resources for every province and territory in Canada, and continues to strive to provide support to more local communities across Canada.
FAQ
- Information on reaching out safely, including how to stay safe while you wait for help, what to expect when you access resources, and information on your rights
- A digital safety plan
- Access to information about local and provincial mental health and addiction resources
- A ‘Get Help’ script to help you reach out during a crisis
- Download Be Safe from either the App Store or Google Play.
- Once downloaded, select your region from the list provided. You can choose a new region at any time without losing your personal information.
- Fill out your safety plan with someone you trust.
- Review and update your Be Safe Plan often.
- When you need support, open the app and use the 'Get Help' button to guide you in reaching out safely.
Research
Be Safe was created out of a partnership between CAMH and mindyourmind that was brokered by a youth leader of the London Service Collaborative, facilitating the invaluable youth-adult partnerships that enhanced the development of the app. This evidence brief, disseminated by the Evidence Exchange Network for Mental Health and Addictions (EENet), details the youth engagement design process of creating Be Safe.
Youth engagement can improve the accessibility, effectiveness, and sustainability of programs and resources for youth. This paper, published in the Canadian Journal of Mental Health in 2017, describes how youth with lived experience in London, Ontario actively contributed to Be Safe as a system-level improvement initiative and evaluates the success of the youth-adult partnership. This co-creation model used to develop Be Safe is an example of a youth engagement strategy that can be easily replicated to develop resources that are relevant to youth needs and support mental health system improvement.
