Extreme risk protection orders, or ERPOs, are civil orders that enable the temporary removal of firearms from a person who is behaving dangerously and at risk of committing violence against themselves or others. The innovative, life-saving policy was developed by the Consortium for Risk-Based Firearm Policy, first convened by Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence Executive Director Josh Horwitz, in 2013 after the horrific shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
Today, there are extreme risk laws in 19 states plus the District of Columbia. These policies have shown promise as a tool to prevent suicides, mass shootings, and interpersonal violence.
Starting Wednesday, October 21, the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, and the Bloomberg American Health Initiative will launch an online “Teach-Out” on extreme risk protection order laws. A teach-out is a short, free online course, the components of which you may complete at your convenience.
The Teach-Out, ERPO: A Civil Approach to Gun Violence Prevention, will bring together a team of public health, policy, and medical experts who will provide educational information about ERPO laws – what they are, what states have ERPO laws in place, and how they work. We will hear as well from the voices of clinicians, law enforcement, and community members about why ERPOs are an important tool within the civil justice system.
The Teach-Out will be co-led by:
- Shannon Frattaroli, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Gun Policy and Research
- Katherine Hoops, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Center for Gun Policy and Research
- Josh Horwitz, JD, Executive Director, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence; Associate Faculty, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
The Teach-Out will be available through November 8 and include a live discussion of questions posted to the Teach-Out site by participants as well as a live webinar on Friday, October 30.
