Veteran’s Suicide Prevention: How CAs Protection Orders Help Keep Veterans Safe

Every day in 2022, an average of 17 veterans died by suicide
in the United States. Veterans face a risk of firearm suicide that is
three times higher than that of non-veterans.*

Reduce the Risk is honoring Veteran’s Day by bringing awareness to how California’s protection orders can help save the lives of those who served our country and help curb this public health crisis.

The Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) is a proven tool to prevent firearm suicide. GVROs allow the court to temporarily remove firearms
and ammunition from an individual in crisis, creating critical time
to pause and seek help.

More on Veteran Suicides

In 2021 there were 559 deaths among California veterans and the number rose to 570 in 2023.
In 2023, 68% of veteran suicides in California involved firearms, 96% of which were male veteran suicides.
The veteran firearm suicide rate has increased by 58% over the past 20 years.

GET THE FACTS

Veterans Suicide Prevention Fact Sheet

Download our Fact Sheet to learn more about how GVROs save lives:

Download English PDF

Download Spanish PDF

For more information visit ReduceTheRisk.ca.gov.

Through this training, and the other sessions we’ve presented, participants have become more confident in their abilities to use protection orders in their field to keep their communities safe.

If you or your organization is interested in scheduling a training to learn how you can become a gun violence prevention leader in your community, please visit our website.

To schedule a training, please visit
www.reducetherisk.ca.gov/about-the-campaign

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Dr. Amy Barnhorst

While protection orders serve as lifesaving tools for individuals in crisis, there is an overall lack of awareness about them. To bridge this gap, Reduce the Risk is working with partners to help inform the campaign.

This month, we would like to introduce you to one of these important partners, Dr. Amy Barnhorst.

Dr. Barnhorst is a leader in her community, serving as the Vice Chair for Community Mental Health at the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry, Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, and the Director of the BulletPoints Project.She plays a crucial role in developing firearm violence prevention curriculum for healthcare providers. Through her experience in the mental health field, she lends her expertise to gun violence prevention initiatives and acts as an advocate for firearm suicide prevention.

Dr. Barnhorst played an instrumental role in getting the California State Legislature to pass Assembly Bill 1014, California’s Gun Violence Restraining Order Law. Her testimony highlighted how to prevent gun violence-related tragedy, it is critical to bridge the gap between recognizing risk and being able to act, especially in the mental and behavioral health fields. This ruling was monumental for California because it created a legal pathway for individuals, healthcare professionals and law enforcement to take action to prevent gun violence.

Check out our interview with Dr. Barnhorst, where she discusses the critical role of Gun Violence Restraining Orders in preventing firearm suicides.

GET INVOLVED

Share Knowledge. Save Lives.

If you know someone who might find this information helpful,
please forward this notice and refer them to our site for in-person
and virtual training opportunities. You can also contact our team
of subject matter experts for media interviews.

To learn more about Reduce the Risk and how you can prevent gun violence in your community, visit www.ReduceTheRisk.ca.gov.

ReduceTheRisk@caloes.ca.gov