Firearm Safety through the Lens of Suicide Prevention

An innovative initiative aimed at enhancing community safety and mental health awareness, a new training session, Firearm Safety Through the Lens of Suicide Prevention, has been announced. This engaging and proactive workshop is designed to equip participants with crucial skills and knowledge to initiate vital conversations about firearm safety in the context of mental health, pairing suicide and firearm experts together to present this material.

This session is a collaborative effort led by suicide prevention specialist Carri Raynor, and Sheriff James B. Quattrone. Together, they bring an unparalleled depth of expertise to the forefront of this pressing issue.

The training session promises an interactive and hands-on learning experience, focusing on the development of proactive mental health discussions among firearm owners and their families. This discussion is initiated proactively, addressing firearm safe storage with an individual who is dealing with mental health challenges before the potential onset of a mental health crisis.  Through immersive role-playing exercises, participants will be encouraged to actively engage in creating strategies for the safe handling and storage of firearms, aiming to address potential mental health crises preemptively.

This workshop was developed as part of the Lethal Means Safety workgroup, a part of the Governor’s Challenge to prevent suicide among Service Members, Veterans, and Families (SMVF), and this session is made possible through the generous support of the New York Health Foundation highlighting the community’s commitment to tackling this vital issue head-on.