Gun violence is an epidemic in America. On this second day of National Public Health Week — which has a daily theme of “Violence Prevention” — about 100 Americans will be killed with guns, and hundreds more will be injured.  That’s just today.

Beyond gun violence, 1 in 4 U.S. women experience intimate partner violence, 1 in 6 has been the victim of rape or attempted rape, and hundreds of thousands of children experience abuse and neglect. Yet violence is preventable with the right research, resources and policies.

In support of today’s NPHW theme, urge policymakers to pass commonsense measures to reduce gun violence and provide research funding on par with the nation’s gun violence epidemic. Learn about ways to help make your community safer for all, such as using trauma-informed services to identify victims of violence and calling on law enforcement officials to treat all people with dignity, respect and fairness.

Also remember (see below) that we have some free upcoming free Mental Health First Aid Certification Opportunites for AzPHA Members.

For more on Tuesday’s NPHW theme and ways to take action, read our Violence Prevention fact sheet and help spread the word on social media. And join APHA and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence for a gun violence prevention Twitter chat at 4 p.m. ET today. Use the hashtag #PublicHealth4GVP to join in.

Also today, as part of APHA’s NPHW celebrations, the Association will host a webinar at 3 p.m. ET with the Aetna Foundation and U.S. News & World Report on the recently released Healthiest Communities ranking. RSVP for the event now.

Join APHS tomorrow for the 9th annual #NPHWchat hosted by @NPHW (RSVP here), and on Thursday for NPHW Student Day activities. Don’t forget to check our calendar of local NPHW events to see what’s happening in your community.

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Free Mental Health First Aid Certification Opportunities for AzPHA Members

AzPHA is delighted to announce that we’re partnering with Crisis Response Network to provide our members a free opportunity to become certified in Mental Health First Aid.  We’ll have 3 separate opportunities in the next few months to take the 8-hour (one day) Mental Health First Aid course in which you’ll learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help.

When you take a course, you’ll learn how to apply the Mental Health First Aid action plan in a variety of situations, including when someone is experiencing:

  • Panic attacks

  • Suicidal thoughts or behaviors

  • Nonsuicidal self-injury

  • Acute psychosis (e.g., hallucinations or delusions)

  • Overdose or withdrawal from alcohol or drug use

  • Reaction to a traumatic event

Upon completion of the one-day course you’ll receive a three-year certification.  It’s a terrific opportunity to build your public health skill set while enhancing your professional credentials.

We’re offering the free Mental Health First Aid course on:

If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to Shelby Graves at [email protected].

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