Supporting a loved one with disability who experiences challenging behaviours can be emotionally and physically exhausting. When behaviour escalates, it can feel sudden, confusing, or even frightening. You may find yourself wondering: What should I do? How do I keep everyone safe? Who can help?
If your family member receives NDIS-funded Positive Behaviour Support (PBS), one of the most important parts of their Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) is the Crisis Management Plan.
You may hear different terms, such as a Crisis Management Plan, Safety Plan, or Reactive Strategies, but they all refer to the same part of the Behaviour Support Plan.
This blog guides the support network of a person (i.e., parents, guardians or carers) on what to do when behaviour reaches a point where someone’s safety may be at risk.
But what exactly is a Crisis Management Plan, and how does it fit into the broader Behaviour Support Plan? Our PBS practitioners break it down in a clear and practical way:
Where Crisis Management fits within a Behaviour Support Plan
A Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) is a comprehensive document that supports the person in all areas of their daily life. It typically includes:
- An About Me section: A clear picture of the person, their likes, dislikes, routines, communication style, health needs, and what helps them feel calm and supported.
- Functional Behavioural Assessment (FBA): A simple explanation of why certain behaviours happen, and what the behaviour is trying to communicate. Related: Understanding Functional Behaviour Assessments: A Guide for Families and Carers
- Proactive Strategies: Everyday supports designed to reduce triggers, increase wellbeing, and prevent behaviour escalation before it starts.
- Crisis Management Plan: A step-by-step guide for what to do when behaviour escalates to a point of risk.
- Restrictive Practices Schedule: If restrictive practices are required and authorised, they are documented and developed here according to NDIS rules and state legislation. Restrictive practices are only used when absolutely necessary for safety and always follow strict NDIS safeguards.
Every section works together, but the Crisis Management Plan is the part families often find most reassuring because it provides clear instructions for the most stressful moments.
What is a Crisis Management Plan?
A Crisis Management Plan is a structured, easy‑to‑follow guide for responding safely and consistently when high‑risk behaviours occur. It outlines:
- How to recognise early warning signs
- What to do as behaviour escalates
- How to respond at the peak of crisis
- How to support the person afterward
Its goal is to maintain safety, reduce harm, and ensure everyone knows what to avoid further escalation or risk.
Purpose of a Crisis Management Plan
A good plan helps to:
- Protect the individual, staff, family members, and others.
- Provide consistent, approved responses to high‑risk behaviours.
- Prevent escalation and reduce risk in general for everyone involved.
- Guide recovery and post‑incident reflection.
- Support legal and ethical practices, especially when restrictive practices are involved.
A Crisis Management Plan ensures the person is supported with dignity, compassion, and respect even at their most vulnerable.
What does a Crisis Management Plan look like?
Most Crisis Management Plans follow a predictable behaviour escalation cycle:
- Early Warning Signs
- Escalation
- Crisis
- Recovery
In the BSP, this is shown as a clear sequence. At the top of the Crisis Management Plan, practitioners include a summary of what this cycle typically looks like for the individual that outline simple, easy-to-spot indicators.
The plan then breaks down each stage into two parts:
What it looks like (behaviours)
- Early warning signs are physical, verbal, or behavioural indicators that signal that a person may be escalating towards challenging behaviours. To illustrate an example, let’s see how PBS client James is likely to respond. His early warnings signs may include starting to drink from or filling up his water bottle. He smiles less, taps his hands or bottle against a surface nearby, and engages in argumentative conversation.
- Escalation may involve verbal or physical responses. In this scenario, James may make insulting comments, using confrontational language, become insistent and make demands for activities or items, stare intensely and clench his fists.
- Crisis may involve aggression or self-injury. James may strike others with open palms or closed fists, make verbal threats of physical harm, or accusatory remarks.
- Recovery is characterised by a reduction in challenging behaviours that were present during the crisis phase, taking the person back to the baseline. James might be upset but starts showing reduced anger, lowers his hands, hugs through around him, or distracts himself with an activity.
How to respond (strategies)
This includes:
- Tone of voice. For example, using a low and calm tone whilst remaining firm. Do not try and match James’ volume. Instead, speak at an even and calm speed, and support James to match your volume.
- Verbal and non-verbal communication. This could include avoiding causing overstimulation by asking too many questions, keeping communication as short, simple, and direct as possible, and avoiding interruptions when James is speaking.
- Environmental adjustments. For instance, the carer will ensure that James remains in their line of sight, with their back always facing away from him. And maintaining an appropriate distance from James, ensuring that they at least an arm’s length away. If possible, the carer would probably remove all items that can be thrown to injure someone.
- Safety steps. This could include maintaining a safe, respectful, and non-threatening body position. This can be achieved by keeping your hands open and down by your side, your legs shoulder-width apart, feet flat on the floor with your body remaining on an angle to James.
- De-escalation techniques. This could include using an open body language that highlights that you’re paying attention, with your body facing towards him, nodding when he talks, and maintaining arms by your side. This is known as ‘active listening’ and is one of the most common strategies. Ask questions that encourage him to reflect on his previous actions and identify what may have impacted him.
If the person experiences crises in specific environments, such as when out in the community or in the car, additional tailored sections are included.
Family’s role in shaping the Crisis Management Plan
Families and guardians play an essential part in building an effective Crisis Management Plan. PBS practitioners bring clinical expertise, but you bring lived experience.
You help shape the plan by sharing:
- What typically triggers distress, i.e. “what happens immediately before the incident?”
- What early signs you notice, i.e., “what were the first changes you observed in James?”
- What has helped (or not helped) in the past
- Routines, environments, or transitions that influence behaviour
- What makes your loved one feel safe and supported
Most importantly: You can request changes at any time.
Plans grow and change as the person’s needs change, and families are encouraged to:
- Ask questions
- Suggest adjustments
- Share new insights
- Raise concerns about any strategy that feels unsuitable
This collaboration is what makes the plan meaningful, realistic, and truly person‑centred.
Other essential components of a Crisis Management Plan
Communication Protocols
Clear instructions on:
- Who to notify
- How to contact them
- When to call emergency services
- What documentation is required
- Emergency exits, if needed, and how to reduce the risk in the home environment or in the community.
Post-crisis support
After the behaviour settles:
- Focus on calming and reassuring the person
- Allow staff and family to debrief
- Review what happened
- Update the BSP to prevent recurrence
Preventative measures
Even though this is a reactive section, it emphasises on prevention, recognising triggers early and using proactive strategies to stop escalation.
Accessibility
Instructions must be:
- Simple
- Practical
- Easy to follow under stress
- Available in both digital and physical formats
How a Crisis Management Plan helps families
A Crisis Management Plan is a safety-focused, compassionate guide designed to help everyone respond calmly and consistently during moments of high stress.
When crafted well, it can empower families and support teams to protect the person, maintain dignity, and feel confident in their ability to manage challenging situations.
Families often say having a clear Crisis Management Plan helps them feel more confident, less overwhelmed, and better prepared.
Training is available on developing a Crisis Management Plan for anyone who cares for the client. If the situation is very risky, Mosaic’s PBS practitioners can provide a training session just on the Crisis Management Plan to the client’s support team, so everyone knows what to do and can keep the client and others safe.
The role of our PBS practitioners
Mosaic’s PBS practitioners specialise in creating clear, practical, and person‑centred plans.
They work closely with individuals and their families to understand unique needs, reduce stress, build skills, and provide ongoing guidance so that everyone feels supported not just during a crisis, but every step before and after it.
You don’t have to navigate challenging behaviours alone. We’re here to help you understand the plan, feel confident using it, and make sure your family member is supported safely and respectfully.
We’re here to help
If you or a loved one is seeking Positive Behaviour Support services, contact Mosaic on 08 9314 8900 or submit an enquiry to learn how we can support.