Safer Homes continues to provide education about the importance of lethal means safety in reducing suicide risk.

Through our SAFER and TeleSAFER programs, we teach individuals about the importance of locking up medication and firearms in reducing suicide risk, and we give them free locking equipment. This year we gave away locking devices to over 100 TeleSAFER program participants, as well as at 13 in-person events across Washington.

We also educate physicians and other health care providers on cultural issues unique to the firearms-owning community, so they are better equipped to discuss lethal means safety with patients, as an aspect of comprehensive suicide prevention.

• The online training Targeted Interventions: Firearms, Culture & Suicide Care reviews attitudes, knowledge, and skills to support clinicians in working with patients who own and use firearms. Over 200 participants have enrolled in the course since it launched at the end of 2021.
• Jeff Sung, MD, & Brett Bass presented to community outreach specialists from the US Department of Health & Human Services, Region X (Pacific Northwest) on the importance of cultural competence while interacting with firearms owners, and Brett Bass gave a talk on Safer Homes’ lethal means safety work to the Department of the Navy.

The Safer Homes Task Force was reauthorized by the Washington State Legislature, starting July 1, 2022, and is now co-chaired by Brett Bass, Safer Homes Program Manager and Codie Garza, WDVA. We are grateful to our partners and supporters, in particular Safe & Vault Store, its second year of partnership, and Boeing Global Engagement, who has supported our program for four years.