5 Ways to Keep Your Loved One Safe: A Guide for Veterans, Service Members, and Families

When someone you love is struggling with their mental health, it can affect the entire family. You may want to help but worry about overstepping, saying the wrong thing, or making the situation worse. Balancing concern for your loved one with respect for their independence can be challenging.

If you’re concerned about a veteran, active-duty service member, or someone close to you, knowing the ways to keep your loved one safe can help you take meaningful, practical steps toward supporting their well-being.

You don’t need to have all the answers to make a difference. Showing your support, creating a safety plan, and working together to reduce access to potentially dangerous items can help make the home environment safer.

Here are five ways to support a loved one who may be experiencing mental health challenges.

1. Vocalize Your Support and Let Them Know You Care

One of the most important ways to keep your loved one safe is to remind them that they don’t have to face difficult times alone.

When someone is struggling with their mental health, they may find it difficult to ask for help or explain what they’re experiencing. A simple conversation can help them feel heard, supported, and less alone.

You don’t need to have the perfect response or offer a solution to every problem. Sometimes, listening without judgment and letting someone know you care can make a meaningful difference.

Consider saying things like:

• “I care about you, and I’m here if you need to talk.”

• “You don’t have to go through this alone.”

• “I may not have all the answers, but I want to support you.”

• “What would be most helpful for you right now?”

  
  

For veterans and service members, it can be especially important to create an environment where asking for support feels acceptable rather than like a sign of weakness. Everyone deserves support, regardless of their background, experiences, or circumstances.

Remember: You don’t have to fix everything. Consistently showing up, listening, and expressing genuine concern can help your loved one feel supported.

2. Identify and Reduce Access to Potentially Dangerous Items

When someone is experiencing a mental health crisis or may be at risk of suicide, reducing access to potentially lethal means can be an important part of creating a safer environment.

This process, often called lethal means safety, involves identifying potentially dangerous items and taking practical steps to make them less accessible during a difficult period.

Depending on your loved one’s circumstances, these items may include:

• Firearms and ammunition

• Prescription and over-the-counter medications

• Knives, sharp tools, and other potentially dangerous objects

• Items that could be used for strangulation

• Alcohol, particularly when combined with medications or other substances

  
  

The goal is not to punish your loved one or take away their independence. Instead, it is to work together to reduce immediate risks while they navigate their mental health challenges.

Whenever possible, involve your loved one in the conversation and decisions about safety. Ask what changes would help them feel safer and discuss practical options together.

For example, you might explore temporarily storing firearms outside the home where legally permitted, securing firearms and ammunition separately, or arranging for medications to be stored and dispensed in a safer way.

If firearms are involved, follow applicable laws and consult qualified professionals about safe storage or temporary off-site storage options. If medication access is a concern, ask a pharmacist or healthcare professional about safe storage, dispensing, and disposal.

The key is collaboration. Whenever it is safe to do so, creating a safety plan with your loved one rather than simply making decisions for them can help preserve trust and encourage participation.

If there is an immediate risk of harm, prioritize safety and seek professional crisis assistance rather than trying to manage the situation alone.

3. Determine Whether a Mental Health Safety Plan Would Help

A safety plan is a practical, personalized resource that outlines steps someone can take when their mental health begins to worsen or they experience a crisis.

For a veteran, service member, or family member who is struggling, having a plan in place before an emergency occurs can make it easier to recognize warning signs and know where to turn for help.

A safety plan may include:

• Warning signs: Thoughts, feelings, behaviors, or situations that indicate a difficult period may be developing.

• Coping strategies: Healthy activities or techniques that help the person manage distress.

• Supportive people: Friends, family members, or trusted individuals they can contact.

• Professional resources: Therapists, healthcare providers, crisis counselors, or other qualified professionals.

• Crisis contacts: Important phone numbers and clear instructions for getting urgent help.

• Home safety steps: Agreed-upon actions to reduce access to potentially dangerous items.

  
  

Creating a plan together gives everyone a clearer understanding of what to do if circumstances change. It can also help loved ones recognize how they can contribute without feeling solely responsible for another person's safety.

Although anyone can begin discussing a safety plan, working with a trained mental health professional is encouraged. A professional can help identify appropriate coping strategies, assess risks, and tailor the plan to the individual's needs.

For veterans and service members in Southern Arizona, our Best is Yet to Come program can help with mental health screenings, case management and safety planning for qualifying individuals. For veterans and service members anywhere else, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other qualified mental health providers can be valuable starting points for support.

4. Be Proactive About Putting the Safety Plan Into Action

Creating a safety plan is an important first step, but following through is just as important.

When someone is experiencing significant emotional distress, completing tasks or making decisions may feel overwhelming. A supportive friend or family member can help by offering practical assistance with agreed-upon safety steps.

Depending on the person's needs and professional guidance, these steps may include:

• Arranging for firearms to be stored securely or temporarily removed from the home through lawful, appropriate arrangements.

• Securing medications or coordinating with a healthcare professional or pharmacist about safer dispensing practices.

• Removing alcohol from the home when it contributes to risk or could interact dangerously with medications.

• Installing appropriate firearm locking devices or using secure storage practices.

• Helping the person contact a mental health professional, attend an appointment, or connect with a crisis resource.

Whenever possible, clarify who will handle each task and when it should be completed. This helps prevent misunderstandings and makes it easier to follow through.

For example, if a family member agrees to arrange secure firearm storage, identify the next step and confirm when the arrangement has been completed.

It is also important to understand your role. Supporting someone does not mean you must handle every responsibility yourself. If a situation feels unsafe or beyond your ability to manage, involve qualified professionals.

Taking action together can turn a safety plan from a document into a practical tool that supports your loved one's well-being.

5. Follow Up and Reassess the Safety Plan

Mental health challenges can change over time. Someone who feels better one day may struggle again later, which is why ongoing communication and follow-up are essential.

Checking in with your loved one can help you understand whether the current safety measures are working and whether additional support is needed.

If several people are involved in the safety plan, follow up with them as appropriate to confirm that agreed-upon tasks have been completed.

Examples of helpful follow-up include:

• Confirming that firearms are stored securely or that agreed-upon temporary storage arrangements are in place.

• Checking that medications are stored, dispensed, or disposed of safely, as appropriate.

• Discussing whether the safety plan still feels practical and helpful.

• Asking whether your loved one has noticed changes in their mental health or needs additional support.

• Reviewing contact information for healthcare providers, trusted supporters, and crisis services.

• Working together to identify alternative approaches if part of the original plan is no longer effective.

  
  

You can also ask open-ended questions such as, “Is there anything about our plan that we should change?” or “What would help you feel more supported right now?”

Approach these conversations with curiosity and compassion rather than criticism. The purpose of following up is to maintain connection and improve safety, not to make your loved one feel monitored or judged.

Remember that a safety plan should be flexible enough to change as circumstances evolve. If concerns increase or the person may be in immediate danger, seek professional help promptly.

Additional Resources for Keeping Your Loved One Safe in Arizona

Families and friends do not have to navigate mental health concerns alone. If you live in Arizona and are supporting a veteran, service member, or loved one experiencing emotional distress, several resources may be available.

Veterans Crisis Line

If you are concerned about a veteran or service member who may be experiencing a mental health crisis, you can contact the Veterans Crisis Line.

• Call: 988, then press 1

• Text: 838255

• Online: VeteransCrisisLine.net

  
  

The Veterans Crisis Line provides free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can reach out even if you are calling about someone else. You do not need to be enrolled in VA healthcare to contact the service.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available to anyone experiencing emotional distress, a mental health crisis, or thoughts of suicide. Friends and family members can also contact the service when they are concerned about someone they care about.

• Call or text: 988

• Online: 988lifeline.org

  
  

The Best is Yet to Come, a Veteran Suicide Prevention Program

NCHP's BYTC program provides mental health screenings, case management, referrals and resources to qualifying veterans, service members and their families. Visit our page here to learn more about our program and take our mental health survey to see if you could benefit from services.

For immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911.

Webinar: Reduction of Access to Lethal Means: Friends & Family Edition

Interested in learning more about keeping your loved one safe through limiting their access to lethal means? Join us for our free RALM webinar on Thursday, December 10th at 10am where we will explore:

• Types of lethal means

• Ways to reduce access to lethal means

• How to create a Safety Plan

• Roles & responsibilities between family/friends & professionals

• What additional help looks like

Certificate of completion is included. Registration is free but required. Visit our Live Webinars page to learn more.

Small Steps Can Make a Meaningful Difference

Finding ways to keep your loved one safe can feel overwhelming, especially when you are concerned about someone you care deeply about. You may not always know what to say or which steps to take, and you may encounter unexpected challenges along the way.

What matters is your willingness to listen, communicate, take reasonable safety precautions, and connect your loved one with appropriate support.

By expressing your support, reducing access to potentially dangerous items, developing a safety plan, following through on agreed-upon steps, and checking in regularly, you can help create a more supportive environment for someone experiencing mental health challenges.

You do not have to navigate these challenges alone, and you do not have to be a mental health expert to show someone that they matter.

If you are supporting a veteran or service member in Arizona, take the first step: contact our offices for a free mental health screening today.