Pierce’s Pledge is deeply committed to providing accessible resources to professionals and communities to help increase safety for children and families and prevent gun violence.
TOOLKIT: Reducing Risks Associated with Firearms Access: A Toolkit for Legal Decision-making in Child Custody and Visitation Cases
Our toolkit is a comprehensive resource developed by Pierce’s Pledge, which is free and available via PDF. It provides information for judges, attorneys, mental health practitioners, mediations, court staff, and others working with families involved with child custody matters. By focusing on the approach spelled out in the Toolkit - PACE: providing information, assessing dangerousness, crafting safer parenting plans, and ensuring follow up and implementation - key stakeholders can make a difference and help save lives. Examples of retainer language, how to discuss and reduce firearms violence risks, and ways to craft more protective parenting/custody and visitation plans are also provided, among other resources.
Toolkit Presentations and Training:
The Pierce’s Pledge team regularly presents at conferences, training programs, and other events. To request a training or presentation for your organization or community, contact us at programs@piercespledge.org
One Page Summary Handouts from our Toolkit:
Our team created these helpful one-page handouts summarizing some of the important points and themes discussed in our Toolkit. These would be perfect as a printout for a meeting, conference or to have in your own practice for personal reference. Please fill out the form above, and we will email you a copy of our Toolkit, as well as our one-page downloadable PDF handouts.
Voluntary and Off-Site Firearm Storage Toolkit
The Pierce’s Pledge Model
Firearms are one of the leading causes of death for children and teens in the United States, and many of these deaths occur in or near the home. These tragedies are preventable. When cities provide voluntary, off-site storage options, families have a safe, trusted way to store firearms during moments of crisis or transition such as child-custody disputes or mental-health challenges. Research shows that when firearms are removed from the home, even temporarily, the risk of suicide and violence during high-stress periods is dramatically reduced. In San Francisco, this model began as a partnership between Pierce’s Pledge, city leaders, and the SFPD. Communities nationwide are adopting this model to prevent tragedy before it happens. This option is voluntary, free, temporary, and builds trust between communities and law enforcement.