Q&A: Building Trust Between Mental Health and Firearm Communities
A Conversation with Jared Avilez of the Johnson County Mental Health Center
As communities across the country explore new approaches to suicide prevention, few have built stronger partnerships between mental health organizations and firearm retailers than those in Johnson County, Kansas.
Jared Avilez, Community Prevention Coordinator with the Johnson County Mental Health Center, has helped lead that effort by bringing The Armory Project into his community. Through relationship building, technical assistance, and a shared commitment to protecting lives, Johnson County has grown from a handful of conversations with local firearm retailers into a statewide model that includes storage partners, legislative protections, and expanding partnerships.
We sat down with Jared to discuss what he’s learned, what surprised him, and what advice he has for other communities.
Q: What made The Armory Project stand out compared to other suicide prevention initiatives?
Jared Avilez: We were already doing suicide prevention outreach with firearm retailers before we ever heard about The Armory Project. Through one of our colleagues at the Kansas City VA, we learned about TAP and really loved the concept of voluntary temporary out-of-home firearm storage as another option for people going through a difficult time.
We researched several programs, but what really separated The Armory Project was the ongoing support.
The Community of Practice calls create a network where firearm retailers can learn from one another, ask questions, and know they’re not alone in this work. Suicide prevention can be emotionally challenging, and having that built-in support system makes a tremendous difference. It creates camaraderie instead of leaving partners to figure everything out on their own.
Q: How do conversations typically go when recruiting firearm retailers?
Jared: Honestly, they’re overwhelmingly positive.
Most firearm retailers already understand there’s a need. They’re already aware of the connection between suicide and firearms, so I don’t spend much time leading with statistics.
Instead, I focus on introducing another resource they can offer customers.
Many retailers have experienced situations where someone purchased a firearm and later died by suicide. Those experiences stay with them, and many genuinely want to help prevent future tragedies.
Of course, every shop is different. Some are hesitant at first, especially regarding out-of-home storage, but most are receptive because the conversation centers around helping people in a way that respects firearm ownership.
Q: What are the biggest concerns retailers have before becoming storage partners?
Jared: Liability is almost always the first question.
Retailers want to know whether they’ll be held responsible if someone stores a firearm, retrieves it later, and something tragic happens.
Fortunately, we were able to show examples from other states where programs had operated successfully and explain that there simply wasn’t evidence of retailers being sued over these situations.
We also connected shops directly with The Armory Project’s technical experts whenever more complex legal or operational questions came up.
One important thing retailers realize is that The Armory Project doesn’t create new regulations. Every FFL continues operating exactly as they always have. TAP simply provides an additional framework and resource that retailers can use at their own discretion.
Later, Kansas passed civil liability protections modeled after legislation in Louisiana and Arkansas, making those conversations even easier.
Q: As someone bridging the mental health and firearm communities, what challenges come with your role?
Jared: My job already involves difficult conversations about people’s lives.
What The Armory Project gave us was a simple, tangible resource that both communities could rally around.
When I tell people I work for the mental health center and spend time in gun shops talking about suicide prevention, some people assume those worlds don’t fit together.
But they absolutely do.
Both communities care about protecting lives.
That’s where the conversation starts—not politics, not stereotypes—but the shared value of keeping people safe while respecting their rights.
Q: What advice would you give retailers after they’ve experienced a difficult customer interaction?
Jared: Don’t keep it bottled up.
Talk with your staff. Talk with trusted friends. Join a Community of Practice call. Share your experience.
One retailer called us after a father returned the firearm his son had used to die by suicide. The father understandably blamed the retailer, and that weighed heavily on him.
Another retailer experienced a suicide on their shooting range.
Those situations stay with people.
Just like we safety check a firearm before stepping onto the range, we need to “safety check” our own minds too.
Having someone to debrief with is incredibly important.
And outside of work, don’t forget your hobbies. Spend time with family. Go outside. Create healthy distance between yourself and emotionally difficult situations.
Q: What can firearm owners do today if they’re not experiencing a mental health crisis to be prepared for an unexpected decline in the future?
Jared: Gun owners pride themselves on being prepared.
We prepare for home defense.
We prepare for emergencies.
But are we preparing for unexpected challenges with our own mental health?
I often describe responsible firearm ownership the same way we think about car insurance.
Nobody plans on getting into an accident.
But we still prepare.
Responsible storage is part of responsible firearm ownership.
Just like we train with our firearms and practice safe handling, we should also think ahead about what we’d do if life suddenly became overwhelming.
Q: What’s been the key to successfully recruiting storage partners?
Jared: Relationship building.
This is absolutely the long game.
One mistake people make is asking a retailer to become a storage partner during the very first conversation.
I never do that.
The first conversation is simply about introducing the program and asking for their thoughts.
Listen more than you talk.
You also may not be speaking with the actual decision-maker.
One retailer I visited quarterly for nearly two years kept saying they weren’t quite ready.
One day, the owner happened to overhear our conversation, invited me into his office, and after one discussion they became a storage partner.
Relationships matter.
Patience matters.
Keep showing up.
Q: How do in-home storage devices complement suicide prevention?
Jared: Responsible storage isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Some people use cable locks.
Others use quick-access storage designed for home defense while preventing unauthorized access by children or visitors.
Responsible storage also creates something incredibly important during a mental health crisis: time and distance.
Many suicide attempts occur during a short period of intense crisis.
Creating even a small barrier between someone and immediate access to a firearm can provide enough time for that moment to pass or for someone to seek help.
These devices don’t eliminate someone’s ability to defend themselves.
They simply add another layer of protection.
Q: What advice would you give communities interested in starting a program like this?
Jared: You don’t have to be a firearm expert.
You don’t have to be military.
You don’t have to know everything about firearm culture.
Your job is simply to have conversations about protecting life.
Walk into a gun shop with curiosity.
Learn from the retailer.
Most firearm retailers are far more willing to have these conversations than many people assume.
If both sides approach one another with respect and a willingness to learn, you’ll be surprised how much common ground already exists.
Q: Some new storage partners are eager to help but may not immediately store firearms. How do you manage expectations?
Jared: That’s actually a really important conversation.
Our very first storage partner waited nearly eight months before helping their first storage customer.
But they still made a difference every day.
They displayed educational materials.
They handed out 988 information.
They talked with customers.
Some retailers make more referrals than they perform storage transactions.
Success isn’t measured only by the number of firearms stored.
Sometimes success is simply having one conversation that changes the direction of someone’s day.
Q: How do you avoid placing unrealistic expectations on firearm retailers?
Jared: We never expect retailers to become mental health professionals.
They’re already doing far more than many people realize.
Retailers are constantly evaluating customers, asking questions, and making judgment calls about whether something feels right before completing a firearm sale.
The Armory Project doesn’t add a completely new responsibility.
It gives them another resource for those moments when something doesn’t feel right.
Rather than creating another task, it strengthens the work they’re already doing.
Q: Finally, what helps you personally recharge after doing emotionally demanding work?
Jared: I’m an outdoorsman.
I love hunting.
I love fishing.
I enjoy getting out on my kayak and simply disconnecting from my phone.
Being outside gives me peace.
I also make time to connect with people who matter to me—especially my brother, who’s a veteran.
Sometimes laughing with someone you care about is exactly what you need to step out of stress and reset.
Don’t isolate yourself.
Stay connected with your people.
A Shared Mission
Jared’s experience demonstrates that successful suicide prevention partnerships don’t begin with expertise. They begin with relationships.
Whether you’re a mental health professional, firearm retailer, or firearm owner, the common goal remains the same. Saving lives.
By meeting people where they are, respecting their values, and building trust over time, communities can create practical, voluntary solutions that strengthen both mental health and responsible firearm ownership.