COUNSELING ON ACCESS TO LETHAL MEANS

Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) is a powerful addition to existing strategies to reduce the risk of suicide death in at-risk people while respecting their rights and autonomy.

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Help keep your at-risk clients safe by learning how to collaborate with them to implement safe storage of firearms and dangerous medications. Training is available for individual providers as well as organizations, with in-person and virtual options available.

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For mental health clinicians | primary care providers | substance abuse counselors | hotline responders • crisis intervention services

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What is CALM?

CALM is a practical intervention to increase the time and distance between individuals at risk of suicide and the most common and lethal methods of suicide, particularly firearms. The oldest and most widely-used training on lethal means safety, CALM teaches why means matter and equips individuals with tools to intervene effectively with those at risk for suicide both upstream–before a crisis hits–as well as in times of crisis. Versions are available for both clinicians and non-clinicians.

Our Mission

CALM teaches clinicians, gun owners, and the general public strategies to reduce an at-risk person’s access to things that could easily kill them, especially firearms, using collaborative methods that preserve life, liberty, and the at-risk person’s decisional autonomy.
We aim to create a new clinical and social norm: when a client or someone you know is in enough distress that suicide is a concern, in addition to providing clinical or social support, talk with them about reducing their access to firearms and dangerous medications until they have recovered.