The Promise of Cost of Gun Violence Studies in California: Findings and Lessons from Santa Clara County’s 2022 Report
Tuesday, February 7th 2023, 10:00-11:30 am PST
Sponsored by Hope & Heal Fund, Prevention Institute, and Santa Clara County Health Department
Watch the webinar recording here.
This webinar will highlight the vital role that Cost of Gun Violence studies can play in quantifying the economic impact of gun violence and pointing toward prevention strategies. The intended audience is California community leaders, practitioners, and advocates for community safety, gun violence prevention, and racial equity. The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department leaders will share the process, content, initial outcomes, and lessons learned from their exemplary 2022 Cost of Gun Violence Report. This study provides an economic analysis of direct and indirect costs associated with firearm injury and death across healthcare, criminal justice, emergency response, mental health, and employers, as well as loss of wages and lost quality of life for victims. Leaders in state and national gun violence prevention advocacy will share insights on leveraging these studies to tell powerful stories and incentivize community-driven programs, policies, and budget proposals to prevent gun violence, reduce the suffering that disproportionately affects communities of color, and redirect investment toward upstream system change. A moderated Q&A and discussion will help participants reflect on opportunities to pursue data studies and community-driven solutions in their own locales.
Objectives
- Amplify gun violence cost studies and show how they can be used by community stakeholders to advance solutions to gun violence.
- Highlight the use of racial equity and systems changes lenses used in the Santa Clara County 2022 Cost of Gun Violence Report, to understand where and how resources are currently invested in addressing gun violence and exploring how investments can be redirected toward community-driven prevention strategies.
- Uplift the role of public health in gun violence prevention, including the public health approach that can be adopted by multiple sectors and stakeholders, and the specific roles of public health departments in governmental and system-level responses.
Presenters
- Rhonda McClinton-Brown, Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy, and Planning, County of Santa Clara Public Health Department
- Lisa Fujie Parks, Associate Program Director, Prevention Institute
- Refujio (Cuco) Rodriguez, Chief Equity and Program Officer, Hope & Heal Fund
Moderators
- Ruben Cantu, Associate Program Director, Prevention Institute
- Brian Malte, Executive Director, Hope & Heal Fund
Sponsors
- Hope & Heal Fund is the only state-based fund investing in a public health, racial equity, and community-based approach to preventing gun violence in California.
- Prevention Institute is a national nonprofit building prevention and health equity into key policies and actions at the federal, state, local, and organizational levels to ensure that the places where all people live, work, play, and learn foster health, safety, and well-being.
- County of Santa Clara Public Health Department works to prevent disease and injury, promote healthy lifestyles, create healthy environments, and advocate for policy and systems changes that advance department priorities.
