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The Be Safe App helps you:

Create a safety plan.
Find local resources for support.
Be prepared if you find yourself in a crisis.

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BeSafe App
Connect

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

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

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

Be Safe by mindyourmind is a free mobile app designed to support young people in reaching out during a crisis. The app aims to help users with making informed decisions and accessing relevant and reliable resources in their area. Be Safe is available on both Apple and Android devices, and as a printable pocket guide. 

Be Safe does not replace professional clinical advice or emergency services, but looks to support users in navigating and selecting the most appropriate services when and where they need them most. 

The Be Safe Plan is intended to be completed with a supportive person when the user is not in crisis and should be kept up to date.
The Be Safe App includes:
  • 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
Everyone! 

Be Safe is targeted towards young people who have experienced or may experience a mental health crisis; however, it can be used by any individual, regardless of their age.

Be Safe can assist health care providers with helping their patients/clients make a safety plan. It can also be used by individuals to support a friend, family member or peer.
Be Safe was co-created with a group of young people with lived experience of mental health issues and of accessing crisis services. Their knowledge and overall expertise allowed them to play an integral role in the app’s conceptualization and development. 

Be Safe was piloted in London, Ontario, as a partnership between CAMH's Systems Service Collaboratives Initiative and mindyourmind. It has since undergone both provincial and national expansion with the help of 20+ region partners.
To use the app:
  • 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.
Youth have been involved in every step of the process, including contributing to the design of the mobile app. Youth participated in consultations with community clinicians held to ensure that Be Safe provides accurate information and is aligned with evidence-based practices. They also provided input on Be Safe's evaluation plan.

Youth have also participated in focus groups centered on improving the Be Safe app, including its design, content, and overall usability. Youth received honorariums for their contributions and mindyourmind  worked to implement all of their feedback.

This paper, published in the Canadian Journal of Mental Health, outlines the youth-adult partnership strategy that was used to create Be Safe and facilitate the development of a resource that is relevant to youth and informed by their personal experience and expertise.
In developing Be Safe, eight youth contributed their knowledge of what they needed in times of crisis based on their own experience navigating the mental health system. They also helped to inform how best to use technology to reach youth, and how service providers can engage youth to use the resource toolkit.

In June 2013, this group of youth participated in a weekend-long development session – otherwise known as a Design Studio. By the end of the weekend, the youth had tentatively mapped out and designed the key elements of the mobile app and paper-based "pocket guide" companion. Over another year of ongoing meetings, consultations with youth service providers and iterative drafts, the Be Safe App was ready for development. The Be Safe App launched in London, Ontario, in April 2014, followed by regional expansion and French support in July 2015.

This evidence brief, disseminated by the Evidence Exchange Network for Mental Health and Addictions, describes the partnership between CAMH and mindyourmind  that was facilitated by a youth leader, leading to the youth engagement design process of creating Be Safe.
Be Safe is a social enterprise program of mindyourmind. As such, there is a yearly fee for community partners, in order to support the maintenance and ongoing support of the app.

Contact us at besafeapp@mindyourmind.ca if you're interested in adding your region to the app. 

Once you sign on as a partner, we'll ask you to lead the collection of local crisis, mental health, and addiction resources. We'll work with you to get the app and its paper resources finalized and ready for launch as soon as possible.
Testimonial - Ethan

I use the Be Safe smartphone app on a daily basis. I refer to my lists of medications in the app when visiting the pharmacy; I share the addresses of local service providers to friends in crisis, to advise them of their options.

– Ethan

testimonial - CAMH Blog

When I'm not using the app for [a] personal resource or to help a friend, I'm showing it off while gushing about the life-changing experience of working with some of the most powerful minds in our community.

- E.S, one of the youth partners involved in the development of Be Safe (Source: CAMH Blog)

Testimonial - Andrew

BeSafe is the #1 app I promote to help share resources with the community. It’s a must-have app for youth or anyone who wants to have crisis resources only a click away. It helps with safety planning, answers questions about what to expect when you reach out, and it helps you find exactly which resource to reach out to.

- Andrew Needham Community Resource Specialist

testimonial - Jonathan

If you’re looking … to better your situation, to better understand the way you feel or maybe a friend feels, then you have the list of local resources.

- Jonathan Barr (CBC.ca)

testimonial - Andrew

BeSafe is the #1 app I promote to help share resources with the community. It’s a must have app for youth, or anyone who wants to have crisis resources only a click away. It helps with safety planning, answers questions about what to expect when you reach out, and it helps you find exactly which resource to reach out to.

- Andrew Needham Community Resource Specialist

testimonial - Aaron

I love this app. I’ve been having a rough week and finding this helped me a lot. Knowing that I’m able to get help if/when I need it is very comforting!

- Aaron

testimonial - Taylor

This is an awesome app! All my important info in one place when I need help! Every city needs to have Be Safe!!

– Taylor

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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.

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