Register Now: "Firearms, Means Safety and Suicide Prevention: A Clinical Workshop"

5/5/2021

The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and Brady’s End Family Fire program are partnering to provide trainings for mental health clinicians, trainees, or students on the integration of firearm and means safety into clinical practice.

WHAT: “Firearms, Means Safety and Suicide Prevention: A Clinical Workshop”
WHO: Presented by Ted C. Bonar, PsyD, Director of End Family Fire
WHEN: Multiple dates through May-November 2021

3.0 CE credits awarded for APA, NBCC, NASW, or general attendance.

Clinical and medical interventions for suicidal crisis must include discussions of access to firearms and safe storage. This training will address the problem of suicide, the integration of firearm and means safety into clinical practice, and the cultural challenges of conversations about firearms with clients and patients. Participants will practice difficult discussions to improve clinical readiness regarding discussions of firearm safety and safe storage in the context of a public health approach to suicide prevention. This training includes:

• Evidence and data needed for comprehensive discussion of firearms and suicide

• Theoretical discussion and application of means safety as a construct of suicide prevention

• Specific challenges pertaining to clinical discussion about and with firearms, firearm owners, and firearm culture

• Integration of the problem and risk of suicide into conversations about firearms

• Focused practice module to increase willingness and competence about firearm safety and suicide with firearm owners

Register now for one of online workshop dates available through November 2021:

July 22, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET
September 22, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET
November 19, 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m. ET

Questions? Contact Jennifer Tinch at [email protected].

Learn more about safe firearm storage at endfamilyfire.org.

About Ted C. Bonar, Psy.D., Director of End Family Fire

Ted Bonar is a clinical psychologist, director of the End Family Fire program at Brady, and the executive director of the Clinical Readiness Project. He is a nationally recognized trainer and speaker at conferences and universities and known as a subject matter expert in suicide prevention, lethal means safety, military and veteran mental health concerns, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He serves on the Healthcare Advisory Committee for PsychArmor Institute and was previously the Chief of Continuing Education Programs at the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) where he oversaw and implemented training programs focused on common military-related behavioral healthcare concerns, evidence-based treatment of PTSD, and suicide prevention and treatment. Dr. Bonar has spoken at over 200 universities, national conferences, and continuing education events, including special projects for the PsychArmor Institute, the Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO), the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), the National Center for Veterans Studies (NCVS), PsychHub, Inc., and the National Council for Behavioral Health. Dr. Bonar has held clinical positions at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, The Ohio State University Counseling and Consultation Service, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Counseling Center, and private practice in both Bethesda, MD and Columbus, OH. Dr. Bonar was awarded the 2013 Distinguished Alum award by the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University/Chicago.

About End Family Fire

End Family Fire is a movement to encourage responsible gun ownership and safe gun storage in the home. “Family fire” refers to a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused firearm in the home that results in death or injury. The End Family Fire program engages gun owners, non-gun owners, parents, veterans, medical professionals, and more in conversations around safe gun storage.

Learn More About End Family Fire

About Firearm Storage and Suicide Prevention

Research shows that access to a gun increases risk of death by suicide by 300%. Guns are by far the most lethal method used in suicide attempts: while 4% of suicide attempts without a gun result in death, that percentage jumps to 90% when firearms are involved. In 75% of youth firearm suicides for which the gun storage method could be identified, the gun was stored loaded and unlocked. When guns in the home are properly stored, the risk of family fire is reduced by up to 61%. If a person is considering suicide or is at risk of a personal crisis, safe storage of a firearm can prevent a lethal suicide attempt.

Learn more about the relationship between guns and suicide

About the American Association of Suicidology (AAS)

The American Association of Suicidology is an organization aimed at understanding and preventing suicide and providing support for those impacted by it. Founded in 1968 by clinical psychologist Edwin S. Shneidman, PhD., AAS is the central hub for mental health providers that link their centers for a common need and provide training and materials to help them reach their goals.

Learn more about AAS
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