MetroHealth To Provide Trauma Counseling For Individuals In Cuyahoga County Gun Court

Gun violence prevention is more than just enforcing gun laws. It’s also community and mental health support. That’s why MetroHealth will be providing trauma counseling for people on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Violence Intervention Docket, or more commonly known as gun court.

The court works with individuals caught carrying an illegal firearm while committing a non-violent crime. Director of Trauma Recovery Services Sarah Hendrickson says they are looking to understand why people feel unsafe in their environments.

“We want to address and understand what those reasons are and then help identify the resources and the services that assist, while addressing the impact trauma has on and in their life," Hendrickson said.

The program isn't about taking people's guns away but identifying the reasons why they feel the need to have one, she said. 

“Most people aren’t setting out to commit a crime. They’re setting out to protect themselves from the environments that they’re in and the potential harm that they see daily and/or have felt historically," Hendrickson said.

Over the next three years, MetroHealth hopes to provide support for more than 150 people.

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