WRAP · Atlas

1. Introduction

Version followed: Mary Ellen Copeland's Wellness Recovery Action Plan as set out in her public-domain SAMHSA booklet Action Planning for Prevention and Recovery (SMA-3720, rev. 2003), updated to the current structure published by the Copeland Center and licensees (five key concepts, Wellness Toolbox plus six plan sections including a Post-Crisis Plan, Values and Ethics), with group delivery as described in the NREPP summary and the Cook et al. (2012) trial. The current WRAP Facilitator Manual (updated edition 2024, Advocates for Human Potential) is not drawn on here [uncertain]; where versions differ this is noted.

What it is. WRAP is a self-designed wellness and crisis-prevention plan, developed by Mary Ellen Copeland with a group of people who had lived experience of mental health problems and wanted to manage their own recovery [source: Pitt CPSP WRAP workbook; SAMHSA SMA-3720]. It is mainly taught as a peer-led group programme run by certified WRAP Facilitators, usually 8 to 12 weekly sessions of 2 to 2.5 hours, or a 2-day Seminar I workshop [source: ACF Prevention Services Clearinghouse; NREPP summary; GMHCN]. It is not a psychotherapy and the clinician does not "deliver" it in the therapeutic sense: the plan belongs to the person, who decides what goes in it, who sees it and when it is worked on [source: Pitt CPSP workbook]. A clinician's realistic roles are (a) referring to a WRAP group, (b) supporting a client who is writing or using their own WRAP, (c) acting as a named supporter or provider within the client's crisis plan, and (d) facilitating WRAP groups only after Seminar II certification [source: GMHCN; ACF] [synthesis for a and b].

How change happens. Many people already know what helps them but do not do it consistently, especially under stress or when symptoms flare; writing it down in advance as a structured set of if-then action plans (what I do every day; what I do when triggered; when early signs appear; when things break down; what others do in a crisis) makes self-help systematic and lets supporters act on the person's own wishes when the person cannot [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]. Change is driven by five key recovery concepts: hope, personal responsibility, education, self-advocacy and support [source: SCIA WRAP overview; ACF; NREPP summary]. Copeland reports that people who keep their plans updated describe fewer, shorter and less severe difficult periods [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720].

2. Framework

Structure of the plan (the content "phases"). The plan is organised from wellness to crisis and back [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720; SCIA; Pitt CPSP workbook]:

Part	Goal	When the person uses it
Wellness Toolbox	Inventory of simple, safe, usually free things that help	Reference for every other section
1. Daily Maintenance Plan (current name: Daily Plan / Daily Wellness Plan)	Describe self when well; daily essentials; occasional reminders	Every day
2. Triggers	Name likely external stressors; plan responses	When a trigger occurs
3. Early Warning Signs	Name subtle internal changes; plan responses	When signs appear
4. When Things Are Breaking Down (Getting Worse)	Name signs of serious deterioration; directive plan	When signs appear
5. Crisis Plan	Instructions for supporters who take over when the person cannot decide	Shared in advance; used by others
6. Post-Crisis Plan	Pace the return to daily wellness; learn and revise the WRAP	After a crisis, when energy allows

Version note: the 2003 SAMHSA booklet has five tabs and a nine-part crisis plan and no post-crisis section; the 2004 workbook copy and current materials have six sections and a ten-part crisis plan (adding instructions if the person's behaviour endangers self or others, and spelling out home/community alternatives) [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720; Pitt CPSP workbook; SCIA].

Group programme format. Groups of about 5 to 12 participants with two trained co-facilitators; weekly 2 to 2.5 hours over about 8 weeks (range 8 to 12); lecture, discussion, individual and group exercises, and examples from facilitators' and participants' own lives; many groups continue meeting afterwards [source: NREPP summary; ACF; Cook et al. 2012]. Session sequence used in the Cook et al. trial: (1) core concepts and ground rules; (2-3) personal wellness tools for difficult feelings; (4) daily maintenance plan; (5) early warning signs and responses; recovery themes (hope, self-worth, peer support) woven through 1-5; (6-7) crisis plan; (8) post-crisis plan and revising the WRAP after a crisis [source: Cook et al. 2012]. Seminar I compresses the full curriculum into two (some providers three) full days, and participants write their own WRAP [source: GMHCN; Turning Point brochure].

Individual format. Read the whole booklet once, then work on one section at a time, at the person's own pace, alone or with chosen supporters, setting sections aside and revising as self-knowledge grows [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]. In therapy a common rhythm is one section per one or two sessions, with homework between [synthesis]. Daily use takes about 15-20 minutes, often in the morning [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720].

Moving between sections. There are no formal mastery criteria. In writing: move on when the person has a usable list and action plan for the current section; the crisis plan is written only while the person is well and is left for a few days then revisited [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]. In use: the person moves up and down the plan according to which description matches how they are today (trigger, early signs, breaking down), and supporters activate the crisis plan when the listed signs are present and stop when the listed recovery signs are met [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720].

Certification and fidelity. Anyone may write their own WRAP. To run WRAP groups (of three or more people) under the WRAP name, complete Seminar I then Seminar II (facilitator training, 3-5 days, led by Advanced Level Facilitators) to become a Certified WRAP Facilitator [source: GMHCN; Turning Point brochure; ACF]. Renewal interval differs by source: every three years for facilitators and two for ALFs [source: ACF] versus a two-year certification [source: Turning Point] [uncertain: check with the Copeland Center or your licensee]. A session-by-session fidelity checklist exists; the Cook trial reached about 90% self-reported fidelity, and NREPP noted the fidelity tool is not emphasised in materials [source: Cook et al. 2012; NREPP summary]. The Values and Ethics checklist is used for self-assessment each session [source: mentalhealthrecovery.com Values and Ethics checklist].

3. Guiding principles

Source for this section: WRAP Values and Ethics checklist (paraphrased) and the five key concepts [source: mentalhealthrecovery.com checklist; SCIA; ACF]; practical meanings are [synthesis].

Hope - people can get well, stay well for long periods and pursue their goals. Practical: say this explicitly and build plans that include future goals, not only symptom control.
Personal responsibility - the person takes the actions that keep them well, and defines what responsibility means for them. Practical: ask "what will you do" before "what will others do".
Education - learning about one's own experience to make informed decisions. Practical: offer information and options; the person decides what fits.
Self-advocacy - reaching out and saying what you need, in ways you choose. Practical: rehearse requests to supporters and providers.
Support - giving and receiving support; the person defines what good support looks like. Practical: map the support network and who does what.
Self-determination and empowerment - the plan belongs to the person. Practical: never write items into a client's WRAP they have not chosen; they control copies and access.
Shared decision-making in groups - the group chooses which issues to address. Practical: invite the group to set priorities within the session plan.
Equality and dignity - everyone treated as an equal with mutual respect and unconditional positive regard. Practical: facilitators participate as fellow learners and share their own WRAP.
Unconditional acceptance and diversity - accept each person as they are across culture, identity, disability and readiness for change; no discriminatory comments; make accommodations. Practical: set this as a ground rule and enforce it.
No limits to recovery - support goals without judgment. Practical: do not pre-judge a goal as unrealistic; help break it into steps.
Choices, not fixed answers - explore options; no expected conclusion. Practical: offer menus of tools.
Voluntary participation - involvement must be genuinely voluntary. Practical: no mandated WRAP; any section can be skipped.
Each person is the expert on themselves - decisions rest on self-knowledge. Practical: ask, do not tell.
Strengths focus - emphasise what people do well. Practical: start the toolbox from what already works.
No clinical, medical or diagnostic language in WRAP sessions. Practical: say "feeling well", "early warning signs", "tough times", not diagnoses or symptoms checklists; a clinician must leave clinical framing outside the WRAP.
Peer, mutual learning - participants learn from each other through whole-group and small-group exercises.
Simple, safe tools only - promote strategies safe for anyone; redirect discussion of potentially harmful approaches to other resources. Practical: if someone proposes something risky, acknowledge and steer to safer tools.
Difficult feelings as understandable responses - normal responses to hard or traumatic circumstances, not symptoms; respond with compassion.
Respect for creative work - any creative expression is accepted; comment only from your own perspective; the creator decides what happens to it.
Plan as living document - date, revise and redistribute after learning or change [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]. Practical: schedule reviews, especially after any crisis.
WRAP complements, not replaces, other treatment [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]. Practical: share with providers if the person chooses.

4. Intervention inventory

WRAP's "interventions" are the sections of the plan plus the way they are taught and used. Section content is from Copeland's SAMHSA booklet and the WRAP workbook unless stated [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720; Pitt CPSP workbook]; group procedures from NREPP, ACF and Cook et al. (2012). All example language is illustrative and written for this guide. Item examples are paraphrased from Copeland's lists.

4.1 Introducing WRAP and the five key concepts

Purpose: Orient the person (or group) to WRAP as their own self-designed plan and to hope, personal responsibility, education, self-advocacy and support. First session of a group; first WRAP session with a client [source: Cook et al. 2012; SCIA].
Steps: (1) Explain that WRAP was written by people with lived experience and the person decides content, pace and who sees it. (2) Take each concept in turn and ask the person to define it for themselves (the current materials frame each concept as "you decide what it means") [source: SCIA]. (3) Ask for one example of each from their own life (e.g. a time they spoke up for themselves). (4) Explain the plan's layout (toolbox plus six sections) and the materials: a binder, tab dividers and paper, or a notebook/app [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]. (5) Suggest reading through once before writing anything.
Example language (illustrative): "This plan is yours. I can help you think it through, but nothing goes in it unless you choose it." / "What does hope look like for you right now, even a small amount of it?"
Watch for: The person treating it as a form to fill in for the clinician; low hope. Working: the person starts using their own words for the concepts.

4.2 Group ground rules and the Values and Ethics check (group facilitation)

Purpose: Create a safe, voluntary, peer learning space; monitor adherence to WRAP values [source: Cook et al. 2012; mentalhealthrecovery.com checklist].
Steps: (1) In session 1, agree ground rules with the group (confidentiality, voluntary sharing, time limits on personal stories, no discriminatory remarks). (2) Give participants a copy of the Values and Ethics checklist and invite suggested changes. (3) Each session, ask whether people feel well treated, whether needs are being met, and whether diversity is respected. (4) After each session, the co-facilitators rate themselves against the checklist (yes/no indicators) and adjust. (5) Co-facilitators share examples from their own WRAP [source: NREPP summary].
Example language (illustrative): "Before we finish: did today feel respectful for everyone? Anything we should do differently next week?"
Watch for: Facilitators slipping into lecturing or clinical language; one voice dominating. Working: participants raise their own topics and support each other.

4.3 Wellness Toolbox

Purpose: Build a long list of simple, safe, accessible (often free) things that help the person stay well or feel better; it is the reference for every action plan [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720; SCIA]. Current versions divide it into things that support wellness, things that give meaning or reflect values, and things to try [source: Pitt CPSP workbook].
Steps: (1) Ask what the person already does that helps, from daily essentials to occasional treats. (2) Brainstorm categories Copeland lists: regular meals and water, consistent bedtime, enjoyable activities (music, reading, crafts), exercise, relaxation or breathing exercises, journaling, phoning a friend, medications or supplements, small treats [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]; in the trial sessions: social connection, relaxation, distraction, counselling [source: Cook et al. 2012]. (3) Add ideas from friends, family, peers, self-help reading. (4) Keep going until the person feels they have plenty of choices. (5) Add a "want to try" list. (6) Cross out tools that stop working; add new ones over time. In groups: whole-group brainstorm on a flipchart, then each person copies what fits [synthesis on group mechanics].
Example language (illustrative): "Think of a day last month that went a bit better than the others. What did you do that day?" / "Nothing is too small for this list."
Watch for: Lists that are all "shoulds" or all expensive or risky; Copeland's emphasis is on simple and safe [source: checklist]. Blank lists in depressed clients (see 5.1). Working: the person later pulls items from the toolbox into their action plans unprompted.

4.4 Daily Maintenance Plan (Daily Plan)

Purpose: Describe the person when well and set out what they need to do daily to stay that way; most "off" days can be traced to dropping something from this list [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720].
Steps: (1) Feeling well: a short list of words describing how they are (or want to be) when well. (2) Dreams and goals (optional): list goals from ambitious to achievable, break into small steps, add a step to the daily routine [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]. (3) Daily list: only things they must do each day to stay well, kept manageable (e.g. meals, water, daylight, medication if used, a relaxation or journaling slot, something enjoyable, checking in with a partner, a brief self check-in, going to work if scheduled). (4) Reminder ("Do I need to?") list: less frequent but important tasks (appointments, contacting friends, support groups, housework, shopping, laundry, planning something fun). (5) Optionally list helpful actions they know of but do not do [source: Pitt CPSP workbook]. (6) Review the daily list each day.
Example language (illustrative): "If someone who didn't know you read the 'feeling well' list, would they recognise you on a good day?" / "Is this something you must do every day, or something that would be nice?"
Watch for: Over-long daily lists that become another source of failure; trim to essentials. Working: the person uses the list as a check when a day feels off.

4.5 Triggers and Triggers Action Plan

Purpose: Identify external events or circumstances that tend to set off uncomfortable feelings or a downward spiral, and plan responses in advance [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720; SCIA].
Steps: (1) List realistic, likely triggers, including ones already happening, not catastrophic hypotheticals. Copeland's examples include loss anniversaries, frightening news, overload, family conflict, a relationship ending, too much time alone, criticism, money worries, illness, being shouted at, unpleasant sensory experiences, and contact with people who mistreated them. (2) Optionally plan how to avoid or limit exposure [source: Pitt CPSP workbook]. (3) Write a Triggers Action Plan: things they must do when triggered (e.g. complete the daily list, call a supporter, a relaxation exercise) and things they could do if time allows (longer journaling, exercise, prayer, an absorbing hobby). (4) After using it, keep what helped, revise what partly helped, search for new tools if nothing helped.
Example language (illustrative): "Which of these is most likely to come up in the next month?" / "When that happens, what's the first thing you'll do?"
Watch for: Distress when trauma-related triggers are named; let the person keep entries general (see 5.3). Working: the person reports noticing a trigger and using the plan.

4.6 Early Warning Signs and Action Plan

Purpose: Catch subtle internal changes early so that action prevents escalation [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720].
Steps: (1) List the person's own subtle signs (examples: anxiety, forgetfulness, loss of enjoyment, low motivation, feeling slowed or sped up, numbness, withdrawal, fixating on small things, irritability, negativity, missed appointments, appetite change, restlessness). (2) Ask trusted supporters what they notice first. (3) Write an action plan drawing on the toolbox: e.g. do the daily list no matter what, tell a supporter or counsellor and plan next steps together, daily peer support, several short relaxation sessions, daily journaling, an hour of an enjoyable activity, ask others to take over chores for the day, contact the physician. (4) Revise if it does not help. In the trial, coping examples included contacting a provider, reframing negative thoughts and journaling [source: Cook et al. 2012].
Example language (illustrative): "Looking back at the last hard patch, what was the very first thing that changed, before anyone else noticed?"
Watch for: Confusion between triggers (external) and early warning signs (internal). Working: earlier help-seeking and shorter dips.

4.7 When Things Are Breaking Down (Getting Worse) and Action Plan

Purpose: Name signs that things have become serious or potentially dangerous but the person can still act, and set a more directive plan with fewer choices [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720].
Steps: (1) List personal signs of serious deterioration (examples: extreme sensitivity, irrational reactions, sleeping far too little or too much, not eating, wanting total isolation, substance use, lashing out, heavy smoking, overeating). (2) Write a short, clear, instruction-style plan: e.g. call the doctor or health professional and follow their instructions; talk at length with supporters; arrange for someone to be with them around the clock until it eases; arrange immediate help if it worsens; still do the daily list; take several days off; extra peer support; breathing exercises; request a physical check or medication review. (3) Note what worked; revise the rest when well.
Example language (illustrative): "In this section, fewer options is better. What are the two or three things that absolutely must happen?"
Watch for: This is the point where clinical risk assessment applies. Integrate the client's own plan with your service's safety planning rather than substituting one for the other [synthesis]. Working: the person contacts supporters and providers at this stage rather than at crisis point.

4.8 Crisis Plan (advance instructions to supporters)

Purpose: Prepare named supporters to take over some or all decisions when the person cannot care for themselves, so care follows the person's own wishes. Unlike the other sections it is written to be shared: clear, legible, plain language. Write it while well, take time, put it aside for a few days and return to it [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]. A crisis is never the person's fault [source: SCIA]. In groups it typically takes two sessions [source: Cook et al. 2012].
Steps (parts as in the 2003 booklet; the workbook version adds two): (1) Feeling well: what I am like when well, so people who do not know me well can tell. (2) Signs others should take over: specific, detailed, with durations (e.g. how many days without washing); the person may ask for input but has the final say. (3) Supporters: see 4.9. (4) Health care providers and medications: names and numbers of physician, pharmacist and others; current medications and reasons; ones that have worked; acceptable ones; ones to avoid and why; supplements to increase, decrease or stop (no doses are suggested in this guide). (5) Treatments: current, preferred, acceptable and to-avoid treatments, with reasons. (6) Planning for care at home or in the community: how supporters could take turns, transport, community programmes, so hospital is avoided if possible. (7) Treatment facilities: preferred ones and ones to avoid, checking local availability and insurance. (8) What I need from others: what comforts (e.g. listening without advice or judgment, letting me pace, art materials, music, nutritious food, rest); practical tasks with a named person for each (pets, children, bills, shopping); and things not to do even with good intentions (e.g. scolding, forcing activity, constant talking); plus how to approach me. (9) Recognising recovery / inactivating the plan: concrete signs supporters can stop (e.g. eating regular meals, awake a set number of hours, keeping up hygiene, holding a conversation) [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]. Workbook/current additions: instructions if my behaviour endangers me or others, and a fuller home/community options part, giving ten parts [source: Pitt CPSP workbook].
Example language (illustrative): "Imagine a friend reading this at 3 a.m. with no one to ask. What would they need to know?" / "What has someone done in the past that made things worse, even though they meant well?"
Watch for: Plans written during distress (postpone); vague signs (push for observable detail); conflicts with service protocols (see 5.8). Working: supporters have copies and can describe the plan back.

4.9 Choosing and preparing supporters

Purpose: Make the crisis plan workable by naming people who have agreed in advance [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720].
Steps: (1) List possible supporters (family, friends, providers); aim for at least five, as people may be unavailable. (2) Talk with each, confirm they agree and will follow the plan. (3) Record who does what, with contact details [source: Pitt CPSP workbook]. (4) Optionally list people who should not be involved, and why. (5) State how disagreements among supporters are resolved (e.g. majority vote, a named person, an advocacy organisation). (6) If the network is thin, plan to build it through support groups, volunteering and community activities.
Example language (illustrative): "Who would you trust to make a call on your behalf? Have they agreed to do it?"
Watch for: Fewer than two real supporters; a named supporter who is also a source of harm. Working: supporters have confirmed agreement.

4.10 Finalising and strengthening the crisis plan

Purpose: Give the plan as much weight as possible [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720; Pitt CPSP workbook].
Steps: (1) Date it; newer versions replace older ones. (2) Record who helped write it. (3) Sign in front of two witnesses. (4) Consider naming a durable power of attorney or completing a psychiatric advance directive; recognition varies by jurisdiction, so effectiveness is not guaranteed. (5) Give copies to every named supporter and redistribute after each revision.
Example language (illustrative): "Let's look up together what makes an advance statement count in this area."
Watch for: Assuming legal force it may not have; check local law [synthesis].

4.11 Post-Crisis Plan

Purpose: Guide the return from crisis to the daily plan at a workable pace and turn the crisis into learning [source: SCIA; Pitt CPSP workbook]. Not in the 2003 booklet; present in the 2004 workbook and current curriculum (session 8 in the trial) [source: Cook et al. 2012].
Steps: (1) When energy returns, reflect on what happened, ideally with a trusted person. (2) Note what was learned about oneself and others. (3) Identify which parts of the WRAP did not work. (4) Decide changes to make a repeat less likely. (5) Add new tools learned; set a stepwise pace back to the daily plan. Detailed sub-headings of the current post-crisis section are [uncertain].
Example language (illustrative): "No rush. When you're ready, which part of the plan held up, and which part didn't?"
Watch for: Shame (reinforce that a crisis does not end recovery) [source: Pitt CPSP workbook]. Working: a dated revised WRAP.

4.12 Daily use routine

Purpose: Make the plan automatic [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720].
Steps: (1) Spend 15-20 minutes daily reviewing, often morning. (2) Start with the daily section; if well, do the daily list and check the reminder list. (3) If not well, find the section that matches today (trigger, early signs, breaking down) and follow it. (4) Carry a reduced-size copy. (5) Over time the review shortens and responses become habitual.
Example language (illustrative): "Which page of your plan matches how you are today?"
Watch for: Plan stored and forgotten. Working: the person can say where they are on the plan on a given day.

4.13 Revising the plan

Purpose: Keep the WRAP current [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720; Pitt CPSP workbook].
Steps: After using any action plan: keep what helped, change what partly helped, replace what did not. Revise when well, after a crisis, or when circumstances change; date and redistribute shared sections.
Example language (illustrative): "What would you cross out or add after this week?"

4.14 Running the 8-session WRAP group

Purpose: Teach WRAP through peer mutual learning [source: NREPP summary; Cook et al. 2012]. Requires Seminar II certification [source: GMHCN].
Steps: Two co-facilitators (in the trial both peers, plus a backup), 5-12 participants, weekly 2-2.5 hours in an accessible community setting. Session 1: concepts and ground rules (4.1-4.2). Sessions 2-3: wellness toolbox (4.3). Session 4: daily plan (4.4). Session 5: triggers and early warning signs (4.5-4.6; the trial named early warning signs). Breaking-down signs (4.7) are part of the plan; their placement in the trial schedule was not specified [uncertain]. Sessions 6-7: crisis plan (4.8-4.10). Session 8: post-crisis plan and revision (4.11-4.13). Hope, self-worth and peer support run through sessions 1-5. Methods: brief presentation, discussion, individual and small-group exercises, facilitators' and participants' own examples [source: NREPP summary]. Keep attendance and fidelity checklists [source: Cook et al. 2012].
Example language (illustrative): "Here's a tool from my own toolbox, and here's when it didn't work for me."
Watch for: Average attendance in the trial was about five of eight sessions; build catch-up into each session [source: Cook et al. 2012] [synthesis on catch-up]. Working: participants share tools with each other; groups continue informally.

4.15 Creative and experiential exercises

Purpose: The Values and Ethics checklist expects creative work (movement, sound, art, collage, 3D construction) to be accepted in WRAP groups [source: mentalhealthrecovery.com checklist]. Specific exercises are [uncertain].
Steps: Offer creative options as an alternative way to complete a section (e.g. a collage of "me when well") [synthesis]; comment only from your own perspective; the creator decides what happens to the work [source: checklist].

4.16 Clinician support for an individual's WRAP [synthesis]

Purpose: For clinicians who are not certified facilitators: support a client writing or using their own WRAP alongside therapy, which Copeland intends WRAP to complement [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720].
Steps: (1) Offer WRAP, explain it is optional and theirs. (2) Point to the free SAMHSA booklet or a local WRAP group/Seminar I via the Copeland Center facilitator directory. (3) Use sessions to work one section at a time; the client writes. (4) Bring session learning (e.g. early signs noticed in therapy) as suggestions, not entries. (5) If invited, accept a named role in the crisis plan and keep a copy in the record with consent. (6) Link the breaking-down and crisis sections with your service's risk and safety-planning procedures. (7) Review after any crisis.
Example language (illustrative): "Something we've noticed in our work is that you stop answering texts before things get bad. Would you want that on your early warning list?"
Watch for: Drift into a clinician-authored care plan; using clinical labels. Working: client brings their WRAP to sessions on their own initiative.

5. Handling problems

The primary sources address only some of these (marked [source]); the rest is [synthesis].

5.1 Stuck: "nothing helps" / empty toolbox. Start from what the person already does well and ask friends, family, peers for ideas; keep a "want to try" list [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720; Pitt CPSP workbook]. Shrink the unit: the smallest thing that made any difference on a slightly better day. In groups, peer brainstorming fills lists faster than individual reflection [synthesis]. If low mood is blocking any planning, treat that clinically first and return to WRAP later [synthesis].
5.2 Non-adherence: knows the plan but does not use it. This is the problem WRAP was built around; respond by trimming the daily list to true essentials, linking review to an existing routine (e.g. breakfast), carrying a pocket copy, and revising tools that are not working rather than blaming the person [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]. In therapy, review one section briefly at the start of sessions for a few weeks [synthesis].
5.3 Overwhelm, especially when listing triggers or crisis signs. Work one section at a time, set it aside and come back; write the crisis plan only when well [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]. Allow general labels ("reminders of the past") instead of detailed trauma content; use a grounding tool from the person's own toolbox before ending; respond with compassion and normalise reactions as understandable responses [source: checklist] [synthesis on specific steps].
5.4 Resistance or reluctance. Participation must be voluntary [source: checklist]. Do not mandate WRAP or make it a condition of service. Offer partial use (e.g. only a daily plan or only a crisis plan), and let the person decide who sees it [synthesis; ownership principle from Pitt CPSP workbook].
5.5 Rupture: clinician language or control. WRAP avoids clinical and diagnostic terms and treats the person as the expert [source: checklist]. If a client feels their plan has become "the service's plan", name it, apologise, return authorship, remove anything they did not choose [synthesis].
5.6 Supporters disagree or are unavailable. Name a resolution method in advance (majority, named person, advocacy organisation) and list at least five supporters [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]. If the network is small, list services and peer-support lines as supporters and work on building connections [synthesis].
5.7 A named supporter is harmful. The plan allows listing people who must not be involved [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720; Pitt CPSP workbook]. Where there is domestic abuse or safeguarding concern, follow your service's procedures and help the client decide carefully who holds copies [synthesis].
5.8 Crisis-plan wishes conflict with clinical or legal requirements. Explain honestly that the plan's legal standing varies by jurisdiction [source: SAMHSA SMA-3720]; explore psychiatric advance directive options; record the client's preferences in the clinical record with consent; where mental health law overrides preferences, tell the client in advance what can and cannot be honoured [synthesis].
5.9 Suicide and self-harm risk. WRAP is not a risk assessment. When breaking-down or crisis signs include self-harm or suicidal thinking, carry out standard structured risk assessment and collaborative safety planning (warning signs, coping steps, contacts, professional help, lethal-means counselling on safe storage or removal) and cross-reference it with the WRAP so the two do not conflict [synthesis].
5.10 Unsafe tools proposed (e.g. substance use, risky behaviour). WRAP promotes only simple, safe tools; acknowledge the need behind it and redirect to safer options and specialist resources [source: checklist].
5.11 Group problems: dominating participant, over-disclosure, discriminatory remarks. Use agreed ground rules and time limits on personal sharing; discriminatory comments are not allowed [source: checklist]; check in with the group each session about whether they feel well treated [source: checklist]. Have a backup facilitator available for someone who becomes distressed [source: Cook et al. 2012].
5.12 Missed sessions. Attendance in the trial averaged about five of eight [source: Cook et al. 2012]. Give a short recap and the section handout at each session; offer individual catch-up [synthesis].
5.13 Post-crisis shame or giving up on the plan. A crisis does not mean recovery is over; review what did and did not work and revise [source: Pitt CPSP workbook].
5.14 Fidelity drift when clinicians run WRAP. Only certified facilitators run groups under the WRAP name; use the fidelity and values checklists; avoid turning sessions into psychoeducation about diagnoses [source: GMHCN; checklist; NREPP summary].

Sources

Sources: