BOZEMAN — Montana has the second-highest gun-related suicide rate in the country, according to the state.
That’s why two Gallatin County organizations are hosting a Firearm Safety Planning Workshop for mental health professionals on Friday at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds.
“I think for some folks in the training, it will be the first time they are interacting with a gun ever,” said Bryan Lamb.
Lamb is a mental health professional and the founder of Congruence Mental Health in Bozeman.
“It’s my private practice, where I see clients in this office mainly,” said Lamb.
WATCH: Gallatin County organizations hosting Firearm Safety Planning Workshop for mental health professionals
Gallatin County organizations hosting Firearm Safety Planning Workshop for mental health professionals
Lamb says he grew up around guns but never received formal training, which is why he decided to get involved with the local non-profit Gallatin Community Gun Club, founded in 2025.
“I first got involved by taking classes and going to events,” said Lamb. “And found it to be a very welcoming environment… and also a lot of gun knowledge. I learned how much I don’t know.”
Lamb says working in mental health, he’s realized other professionals also have varying levels of knowledge when it comes to gun safety. That’s why he’s partnering with the Gallatin Community Gun Club to host the firearms safety workshop.
“As I learned more and more about guns lately… I was noticing how applicable the information was whenever we were then working with clients who were considering suicide, had thoughts of suicide and owned a gun, or had access to a gun,” said Lamb.
According to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, 63% of all suicides in the state involve firearms. In the U.S., one in five adults experience mental illness, according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness.
That’s why Gallatin Community Gun Club co-founder Garrett Grimm says they were immediately on board with the training.
“Mental health is a very important idea for us,” said Grimm. “We’re just trying to be a community group that can help people in times of need.”
As to what the training will entail, Grimm says it will be hands-on.
“We do actually go through the process of dismantling a firearm, teaching them how to load and unload a firearm; there’s no live ammunition,” said Grimm.
“Gives everyone the chance to feel one for the first time if they’ve never actually held a firearm,” he added.
So far, 15 of the 20 slots are filled for the workshop. Lamb hopes those who attend will make the link between mental health and gun safety.
“The more advanced knowledge I gain with guns, the more I know strategies that could be helpful to just help their environment be safer,” said Lamb.
Grimm says they are accepting last-minute sign-ups for the workshop.
For more information about accessing mental health services, visit this link.