Firearm Injury Prevention Toolkit for Illinois Pediatric Clinicians
Firearm Injury Prevention & Safe Storage Resource Hub
Firearms are the leading cause of death among children in Illinois, and you as pediatricians are among the most trusted voices families have. Every visit is an opportunity to have a conversation about safe storage. This hub is designed to support that work by putting all the resources into one place so you can quickly access the materials you need.
Whether you are preparing to give anticipatory guidance on safe storage at a well-child visit, responding to a safety concern, supporting a family in crisis, or promoting firearm safety efforts in your communities — what you need is linked here.
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Firearm Safety is Suicide Prevention
More than 90% of suicide attempts involving a firearm are fatal, and over 80% of child firearm suicides involve a gun belonging to a family member. Storing firearms locked and unloaded, with ammunition stored separately, puts critical time and space between a young person in crisis and lethal means. Throughout this page, you'll find suicide prevention woven in - if you need more - visit ICAAP's Youth Suicide Prevention page.
Illinois Firearm Legislation & the Firearm Restraining Order (FRO)
Illinois is home to a number of laws that are aimed to protect children and families from firearm violence, injury and death. These pieces of legislation and information about them are outlined an linked below:
ICAAP | Clinician Toolkit
The toolkit explains what a FRO is, who can petition and where, what emergency and six-month orders look like, how to support families who can't obtain a FRO, and how to build firearm violence prevention into your clinical workflow, plus downloadable posters, fact sheets, and social media content.
Illinois General Assembly | Legislation
Legislation supporting public awareness around safe firearm storage in Illinois homes; this is the policy backbone for many of the storage campaigns and materials featured in this hub.
ICAAP | Clinician Handout
A one-page companion to the full toolkit covering what you as clinicians can and cannot do under Illinois FRO law. Keep it ready in your clinical area for fast reference when firearm access concerns arise during an appointment.
Illinois General Assembly | Legislation
An amendment to the Illinois School Code addressing firearm safety information shared throughout schools, connecting safe storage messaging to the places where children spend their days.
Illinois General Assembly | Legislation
The full text of the Illinois law establishing the Firearm Restraining Order — the legal foundation for temporarily removing firearms from individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others.
Illinois Courts | Official Forms
The official petition forms for requesting a FRO in Illinois. Share this page with families considering a FRO so they can see exactly what the process requires. You can help them complete the forms or connect them with a social worker or case manager for ongoing support.
Illinois General Assembly | Legislation
Legislation directing statewide public education and awareness efforts around the FRO, so that more Illinois families know this protective tool exists.
Illinois State Police, Office of Firearms Safety | Reporting Instructions
Official instructions for Clear and Present Danger reporting in Illinois. Understand how reports are made and reviewed when an individual is believed to pose an immediate threat to themselves or others.
Illinois General Assembly | Legislation
Illinois' landmark firearm safety legislation strengthening protections across the state. Review the full Public Act for details on its provisions.
Clinical Guidance & Screening Tools
You and your team are often the first, and sometimes only, point of contact for families during times of emotional distress. The resources linked here help you to screen for risk, recognize warning signs, and counsel families on firearm safety with clarity, compassion, and confidence.
ICAAP | Clinician Handout
Key data, warning signs, and screening recommendations to help you identify and reduce suicide risk among youth, especially in homes with firearms. With up to 80% of adolescents seeing a health care provider in the year before a suicide, you are uniquely positioned to intervene. Keep this fact sheet accessible in your clinical space to support timely conversations.
ICAAP | Clinician Handout
Ready-to-use talking points for counseling families on how to ask about firearms in the homes where their children play. Normalizing this question, just like asking about car seats, pools, or allergies, is one of the simplest ways to extend safe storage beyond your patients' own homes.
American Academy of Pediatrics | Policy Statement
The AAP's official policy statement on firearm injury prevention, including recommendations on anticipatory guidance, lethal means counseling, and harm reduction approaches grounded in the best available evidence.
American Academy of Pediatrics | Webpage
The AAP's national hub for gun violence prevention including advocacy updates, clinical guidance, and resources to support pediatricians in addressing firearm injury as the public health crisis it is.
American Academy of Pediatrics | Video Tutorials
Short video tutorials demonstrating how to talk with families about secure firearm storage during visits. A practical way to build confidence and consistency in these conversations across your whole care team.
Outreach Materials for Patients & Families
Download, print, post, and share widely! These ready-to-use posters, handouts, and social media campaigns help you reach families and well beyond the clinic walls — all with consistent, approachable messaging on secure storage, suicide prevention, and starting safety conversations.
ICAAP | Clinic Poster
A discreet, plain-language poster explaining what a FRO is, who can file one, and where to go in Illinois, with a QR code for more information. Ideal for private, quiet spaces such as bathrooms and individual exam rooms, where patients and caregivers can take in the information without feeling exposed. A small act of placement with potentially life-saving outcomes.
ICAAP | Patient Handout
A patient-facing flyer that empowers parents to ask about firearm access in the homes where their children spend time, with practical language for starting the conversation with other parents, relatives, and caregivers.
ICAAP | Clinic Poster
A patient-facing poster that helps parents and caregivers recognize the warning signs of youth suicide and start the conversation. Display in high-traffic areas like waiting rooms, hallways, near check-in, or anywhere it can catch a caregiver's eye and open the door to a life-saving conversation.
ICAAP | Clinic Poster
An in-clinic poster prompting parents to add one more question to their playdate checklist: “Is there an unlocked gun in the home?” Pairs naturally with the Playdates & Gun Safety physician talking points in Section 2.
Illinois General Assembly | Legislation
The full text of the Illinois law establishing the Firearm Restraining Order — the legal foundation for temporarily removing firearms from individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others.
National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) | Toolkit Website
A firearm industry-led safety initiative promoting secure storage among gun owners. A useful resource for meeting firearm-owning families where they are, with messaging from a source many gun owners already know and trust.
ICAAP | Social Media Campaign
Shareable graphics and copy that make secure firearm storage part of everyday parenting conversations right alongside car seats and bike helmets. An easy, powerful way to extend your voice beyond the clinic.
Project ChildSafe / NSSF / American Foundation for Suicide Prevention | Parent Guide
A collaborative guide helping parents understand youth mental health and the critical link between firearm access and suicide risk, including how secure storage protects young people during vulnerable moments.
ICAAP | Clinic Poster
An in-clinic poster encouraging families to talk with their child's doctor about ways to safely store firearms including storage tips, proper locks, and safe disposal. A visible reminder that your clinic is a safe place for these conversations.
Project ChildSafe / NSSF / American Foundation for Suicide Prevention | Parent Tip Sheet
A concise companion tip sheet for parents covering warning signs, conversation starters, and secure storage practices that reduce suicide risk in the home.
ICAAP | Patient Handout
A take-home companion to the in-clinic storage poster, giving families clear, actionable secure storage guidance they can keep and act on at home.
Project ChildSafe | Interactive Module
An interactive module that walks gun owners through a self-check of their current storage practices. A practical, judgment-free way for families to assess and improve how firearms are secured at home.
ICAAP | Patient Handout (Digital & Print)
Simple, clear guidance for families on how to securely store firearms and reduce risk in the home: locked and unloaded, with ammunition stored separately, in locations hidden from children. Available in digital and print versions for you to share at every well-child visit.
Project ChildSafe | Flyer
A quick-read flyer with ten practical steps for safer firearm ownership at home, from secure storage to safe handling and disposal.
ICAAP | Patient Handout (Digital & Print)
Simple, clear guidance for families on how to securely store firearms and reduce risk in the home: locked and unloaded, with ammunition stored separately, in locations hidden from children. Available in digital and print versions for you to share at every well-child visit.
End Family Fire | Interactive Assessment
A short interactive assessment that recommends secure storage options tailored to each family's household, budget, and needs. Share with families who want help choosing the storage solution that's right for them.
Illinois Data & State Resources
Ground your conversations, presentations, and advocacy in Illinois-specific data and state-led initiatives. These resources from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) put the scope of firearm injury, and the state's response, at your fingertips.
Illinois Department of Public Health | Data Dashboard
An interactive dashboard tracking firearm injury rates across Illinois. Use it to understand the burden of firearm injury in your community and to bring local data into your advocacy, grand rounds, and quality improvement work.
Illinois Department of Public Health | Education Campaign
Those in crisis need time to think things over, seek help, and get better. The Pause to Heal campaign empowers individuals and families to take a moment of pause and consider the role of firearms in their home during difficult times. This is a message that pairs naturally with lethal means counseling.
Illinois Department of Public Health | Webpage
A plain-language overview of secure storage options, from cable locks and trigger locks to lock boxes and full-size safes, to help families choose the right solution for their home.
Partner Organizations Working to Prevent Firearm Injury
You don't have to do this work alone. These Illinois and national organizations offer programs, coalitions, and community partnerships that complement what happens in your exam room, and many welcome clinician voices in their advocacy.
Be SMART | Webpage
The Illinois page of the Be SMART framework, which gives parents and caregivers five simple actions for secure gun storage: Secure all guns, Model responsible behavior, Ask about unsecured guns in other homes, Recognize the role of guns in suicide, and Tell your peers.
RAMP, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago | Website
Firearm safety strategies and tools for pediatric providers from Lurie Children's Resources for Advancing Mental Health in Pediatrics (RAMP) program, supporting clinicians in navigating firearm safety conversations as part of everyday care.
Illinois State Police | Website
The state office dedicated to firearms safety in Illinois: a central source for official information on firearm regulations, safety programs, and reporting.
Illinois State Police, Office of Firearms Safety | Brochure
An accessible overview of Illinois' Clear and Present Danger reporting process including what it is, how it works, and what happens after a report is made.
Coalition
A statewide coalition of grassroots organizations working together to prevent gun violence across Illinois.
Coalition
The largest gun violence prevention coalition in Illinois, uniting organizations and advocates around shared policy and prevention goals.
Coalition
A non-partisan coalition of health care advocates dedicated to creating a safer world for all children, free from gun violence. This is a natural home for clinicians who want to engage in advocacy.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities | Program
A violence prevention collaborative convened by Lurie Children's that connects research, practice, and community partnerships to keep Chicago's young people safe.
Nonprofit
A Chicago-based nonprofit working to reduce gun violence through street outreach, life coaching, education, and economic opportunity in the communities most affected.
Community Violence Intervention Organization
A community violence intervention organization applying nonviolence principles to interrupt cycles of violence and support healing in Chicago neighborhoods.
Philanthropy
A philanthropic funder supporting gun violence prevention efforts across Chicago and beyond. This can be useful context for clinicians and organizations seeking partners in this work.
Supporting Patients & Families After a Shooting
When a shooting touches your patients' lives, whether in their community, school, or in the news, families look to you for guidance. These resources help parents, teens, educators, and care teams talk about what happened, recognize trauma responses, and support healing. They are organized by audience so you can find the right resource quickly, when you need it most.
For Parents & Caregivers
Everytown Support Fund | Parent Resource
An overview of how children of different ages respond to trauma, helping parents recognize what's normal, what's concerning, and when to seek additional support.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) | Parent Handout
What healing looks like for infants, toddlers, and young children after a crisis — and how caregivers can support recovery through routine, reassurance, and connection.
Everytown Survivor Network | Survivor Resource
Support for survivors of gun violence navigating grief after trauma, from the Everytown Survivor Network.
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress | Fact Sheet
Evidence-informed strategies for adults managing their own stress responses after a mass shooting — because supporting children starts with caring for the caregivers.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | Parent Resource
Practical, age-appropriate tips for parents on how to talk with children who have been exposed to violence.
American Psychological Association | Resource
Guidance from the APA on processing distress after a shooting, useful for both caregivers and older patients.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) | Parent Tip Sheet
A concise tip sheet guiding parents through honest, reassuring conversations with children after a shooting.
Nemours KidsHealth | Article
A parent-friendly article on discussing gun violence with children in honest, age-appropriate ways.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) | Parent Handout
Guidance for starting and sustaining conversations with children about mass violence, with age-appropriate language and reassurance strategies.
TODAY | Article
An accessible age-by-age guide for parents on tailoring conversations about shootings to a child's developmental stage.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) | Parent Handout
Concrete guidelines for parents supporting youth in the immediate aftermath of a shooting — common reactions, what to say, and how to restore a sense of safety.
HealthyChildren.org (AAP) | Article
AAP-backed guidance for parents on helping children process tragedies in the news, including limiting media exposure and answering hard questions.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) | Parent Handout
Companion guidance for parents helping young people cope after a mass violence event.
Strengthening Chicago's Youth (SCY), Lurie Children's | Parent Toolkit
An Illinois-specific compilation of gun safety and violence prevention resources for parents and caregivers.
For Teens
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) | Teen Handout
A resource written directly for teens, validating common reactions after mass violence and offering concrete coping strategies. Share directly with adolescent patients.
Verywell Mind | Patient Resource
An accessible overview of post-traumatic stress after a shooting, symptoms, what to expect, and when to seek help.
For Schools & Educators
Everytown Support Fund | School Staff Resource
Guidance for school staff on discussing mass violence with students with honesty and care.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) | Educator Handout
Guidelines for teachers on talking with students, managing classroom reactions, and supporting recovery after mass violence.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | School & Family Resource
A framework for schools and families navigating the immediate and longer-term aftermath of a school shooting.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) | Resource Directory
NCTSN's full directory of school shooting resources for families, schools, and professionals — a deep well when you need more than what's listed here.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) | Educator Handout
Practical tips for educators supporting students after a community trauma, including classroom strategies and signs a student may need more help.
For Clinicians & Care Teams
EMS for Children Innovation & Improvement Center | Provider Education
Provider education on pediatric multisystem trauma, supporting clinical readiness for the care of injured children.