Course Summary
Note: It is strongly recommended that you complete the previous course in this series prior to beginning this one:
Secure Firearm Storage Counseling for Suicide Prevention 1: Why, Who, What
This course is designed for behavioral health and medical providers who have a foundational understanding of secure firearm storage in the context of suicide prevention and wish to build proficiency and comfort in discussing secure firearm storage practices with patients at risk of suicide. The training will enable attendees to move beyond making basic recommendations and give them the knowledge, skills, and tools to engage in patient-centered counseling that encourages meaningful firearm-related behavior change. As attendees move through the course, they will examine potential reasons a person might have for owning and using firearms, the value they may place on their firearms, why they may store their firearms in certain ways, and why they may be reluctant or ambivalent about adopting secure firearm storage practices.
Patient perception of firearm suicide risk will also be considered, and attendees will have the opportunity to explore and practice using strategies (e.g., patient-centered language and motivational interviewing) that can be leveraged to initiate conversations about secure firearm storage for suicide prevention and encourage patients to adopt new firearm storage practices. After completing this training, attendees will be better equipped to navigate these conversations, having learned and developed a counseling approach that recognizes and respects patients’ needs and values, draws on established behavior change frameworks (e.g., the Health Belief Model), and incorporates realistic expectations for patient behavior change.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Recognize risk perceptions and other factors that may impact a patient’s willingness to change their firearm storage practices for the purpose of preventing suicide.
- Counsel patients on secure firearm storage for suicide prevention in a patient-centered manner.
- Help patients make meaningful behavior changes in favor of adopting secure firearm storage practices for suicide prevention.
Learning Audience
This course is designed to help Colorado behavioral health and medical providers support patients at risk of firearm suicide. That being said, the information and materials included may benefit anyone in the healthcare field who engages with patient populations (support staff, administrators, etc.) on a regular basis.
Continuing Education Credits
This course is eligible for Continued Education Units (CEU) upon completion, which are awarded as follows:
- 1 CE credit awarded per (1) hour of completed learning
The University of Colorado is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The University of Colorado maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Questions about CEU credits?
Course Duration
Content Contributors
Joseph Simonetti, MD, MPH; Director of Education, Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine
Marian Betz, MD, MPH; Founding Director, Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine
Frances M. Aunon, PhD; Associate Research Scientist, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine
