Hey y’all!

At work, I’m the suicide prevention coordinator. We currently are working on implementing a new strategy that focuses on lethal means safety, not lethal means restriction, and being willing to reach out for help when you or somebody you know needs it.

Because in my region of the state firearms and poisoning due to medication overdoses are the two leading means of suicide, those are the two methods we target. This involves distributing medication lock boxes to target the overdoses. When we distribute the boxes, we include education on how to set a new combination, medication disposal information, suicide prevention lifeline number, poison control number, local services, as well as some additional information. Our target primary population for the lock boxes, at least for now, is the homeless population and those served by our local CSB due to funding and ease of distributing the materials. Now, the medication lock boxes are not particularly controversial because every body is aware of the opioid crisis, and they tie in nicely.

However, targeting firearms is much more controversial. I conceal carry myself. I’m all for safe gun ownership. Which, the program to me, also promotes safe gun ownership. It involves going to gun retailers in the area and asking them to hang a poster promoting reaching out to the suicide prevention lifeline in times of crisis. It also involves distributing trigger locks and cable locks in addition to education similar to what will be distributed with the medication lock boxes. This aspect of the program also encourages know when you need to set up a safety plan for yourself, which may include temporarily giving your firearms to another trusted person to store, or placing a lock on your weapon and giving the key to another person for a short period of time. This part of the program encourages safe gun storage in general. Now, some think this is just a way for the government to take our guns. However, the funding does come from the government, but we do not report any information on who received locks or education, just how many were purchased and distributed (because we have to keep track of where the money is going). My plan is to emphasize the safety aspect of it and to encourage others to reach out for help when needed.

This is also not supposed to serve as something to end suicides completely, but instead, to serve as a deterrent since the majority of suicides are completed in a short term crisis.

To all of you here in CC, what are your thoughts on the program?