Clinical Scorecard: Addressing the Shortcomings in the Application of Extreme Risk Protection Orders for Military Personnel and Veterans

At a Glance

Key Highlights

• Veteran suicide deaths involving firearms account for nearly three-quarters of cases.
• Service members and veterans are overrepresented in ERPO petitions compared to their population percentage.
• Common themes among respondents include PTSD, substance misuse, and housing instability.
• Challenges exist in serving ERPOs to respondents lacking stable housing.
• Clinician awareness of ERPOs and their petitioning process is limited.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

• Identify mental health concerns and risk factors among service members and veterans.

Management

• Implement ERPO-focused training for clinicians and behavioral health practitioners.

Monitoring & Follow-up

• Evaluate the effectiveness of ERPOs in reducing harm risk among service members and veterans.

Risks

• Continued behavioral health care and housing support are critical for reducing risk.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Service members and veterans at risk of self-harm or harm to others.

Ongoing support for mental health and housing is essential post-ERPO issuance.

Clinical Best Practices

• Integrate ERPO awareness into existing suicide prevention and violence-risk training.
• Expand training infrastructure to include lethal means counseling tailored to military populations.
• Facilitate collaboration between clinicians and legal systems to improve ERPO petitioning processes.

Related Resources & Content

• Barnard et al. Study