July 13, 2021
Research finds health professionals can offer context in process to restrict firearm access
Washington State law allows citizens to file an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO), a civil order to temporarily restrict an individual’s access to firearms due to concern that the individual poses an extreme risk of harming themselves, others, or both.
By law, health professionals cannot independently file on behalf of a petitioner. Still, their professional insight and knowledge of appropriate legal resources and strategies for harm reduction may prove critical for ensuring patient safety.
Recognizing the impact health professionals may have on ensuring harm reduction, a team of University of Washington researchers investigated the role of health professionals in the process of an ERPO filing.
The study analyzed ERPO court records in Washington counties, finding that out of 237 ERPO petitions filed in a three-year period, 24 involved a health professional. Their findings reveal that professional groups vary in their approaches to risk assessment of respondent behaviors and that strategies to harmonize the ERPO filing process should be developed.