A useful phone number can disappear into an ordinary day. Someone sends a contact in a message. A clinic writes its number on an appointment sheet. A friend offers to answer whenever things get hard. Later, finding those details means opening conversations, checking papers, and remembering who offered what.
The Wallet Crisis Card gives those contacts a place you can carry. The front holds public help numbers. The back has spaces for your own people and places. Preparing the back makes the printed resource personal: the person you intend to call, the person to try next, and the clinic you already know.
Imagine an illustrative situation. You are away from home and want to hear a familiar voice. Your friend's number is saved in a phone whose battery has run down. A paper card gives you the number to use from another phone. The preparation happens when you have time to check the details.
People and places
The card's personal side has labeled spaces for “Call first,” “If no answer,” “Clinic or doctor,” “Safe place,” and “Meeting or group.” Those prompts let you prepare for a missed call as well as an answered one. The labels and printing instructions are in the free Wallet Crisis Card.
Ask the person you plan to list first whether that arrangement works. Check the number together. Talk about when the person usually answers and what you can do if the call goes to voicemail. Choose another contact for the next space.
For the clinic entry, copy the number the clinic tells you to use. Ask how to reach the office after regular hours and write any necessary instructions clearly. A familiar office may have separate numbers for appointments and urgent questions. Confirm which number belongs on your card with the clinic.
Choose a safe place you can identify and reach. Write enough information to recognize the place later. For the meeting or group, check the current location or contact details with the organizer. Use the card's available space for the information you would otherwise have to search for.
Public help numbers
In the United States, call 911 for an emergency requiring immediate police, fire, or ambulance assistance. The National 911 Program explains what to expect when you call and the information the call-taker may request. (911.gov)
For suicide-related distress or emotional support, call or text 988. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline serves the United States and its territories at any hour. Its website explains the call, text, and chat options. (988 Lifeline)
For help finding treatment for mental health or substance use concerns, the card lists 1-800-662-4357. SAMHSA identifies its National Helpline as a free, confidential treatment-referral and information service for individuals and families. (SAMHSA)
Read the labels beside the printed numbers while you fill out the card. Keep the emergency and crisis contacts visible alongside the people you know.
A copy you can carry
The printable includes instructions for cutting out the cards and putting their fronts and backs together. It also offers a larger-print version. Choose the version you can read comfortably, then check the finished card after printing and trimming.
Hold the card at the distance you would use to read a phone number. Make sure the ink is clear and your handwriting fits. Rewrite any digit that could be mistaken for another. Put the card in a wallet, phone case, or pocket you use regularly.
When a contact changes, update the card and remove outdated copies from the places you use. If you give a blank card to someone else, leave time for that person to fill in their own contacts. Before you put your card away, point to “Call first,” read the number aloud, and confirm that the next contact is filled in too.