Full Schedule

Firearm related injuries are a serious pediatric and public health problem in the United States. Advocacy for a public health approach is critical but often does not involve pediatricians. In 2018, a dedicated Pediatric Gun Safety Advocacy Committee was created by the New York State – American Academy of Pediatrics (NYS-AAP). The purpose was to galvanize and organize pediatricians and trainees in advocating for evidence-based gun safety policies and practices that prevent firearm-related injuries in children. Committee advocacy activities were categorized into 3 tiers: 1) Clinical advocacy 2) Community advocacy 3) State legislative advocacy. Our workshop led by Dr. Nina Agrawal, Dr. Jeffrey Oestreicher, Dr. Jennifer Grad, and Mr. Daniel Pahl will present the AAP-NY Gun Safety Committee’s utilization of the three-tiered approach to advocacy. The workshop will be structured around each of the three tiers by presenting the committee’s advocacy activities as practical tools and engaging workshop participants in advocacy skill building in each domain.

The clinical advocacy component will focus on ways to integrate evidence-based gun safety practice and policy into medical education. Committee advocacy activities will be provided as examples, including specialty organization meetings, grand rounds, and trainee driven noon conferences. Participants will be engaged in gun safety counseling skill building (ex. safe storage) using video content and pediatric clinical learning scenarios. The community advocacy component will focus on key concepts in building partnerships with community organizations and educating communities on evidence-based gun safety policies. Participants will learn how to identify local collaborators and engage stakeholders, particularly youth. Participants will brainstorm types of organizations in their communities to engage in partnerships and creative ways to engage their communities around gun safety. The legislative advocacy component will focus on evidence-based gun safety policies that prevent injuries in children, with attention to safe storage laws and extreme risk protection orders. Participants will learn through active engagement how to identify legislative opportunities, build relationships with elected officials, and advance state-based legislation.

This workshop is designed to introduce and disseminate a 3-tiered model for gun safety advocacy for use by pediatricians and trainees dedicated to child health and well-being.