During risk assessment, which factor indicates imminent safety risk?

• A. The client reports no intent to self-harm.
• B. The client has a plan but no means.
• C. The client has clear intent and means to harm self or others.
• D. The client shows stable supports.

Answer: (C)

Imminent safety risk shows up when there is clear intent to harm someone or oneself and the person also has the means to carry it out. That combination means they could act very soon without significant barriers, so immediate safety actions are needed. If there’s a plan but no means, danger is real but not necessarily immediate because they may not be able to act right away. No stated intent reduces immediacy, and having stable supports generally lowers risk. So the strongest indicator of imminent risk is having both clear intent and the means to act.