Suicide Prevention/Intervention in Social Work Education: Training Issues

Suicide is a profound, pandemic, public health issue requiring a strategic national response, including the provision of appropriate training on suicide prevention to all mental health professionals. Social workers are now the leading providers of mental health services in the country. Despite this, little is known about the training of social workers in suicide prevention and intervention (SPI). The only national survey on SPI focused on 598 practicing social workers, most of whom indicated that their training had been inadequate (Feldman and Freedenthal, 2006). There has been no systematic review of graduate social work classroom or field curricula.

Three surveys were constructed to assess issues associated with graduate SPI training. Advanced MSW students (n=116) in an urban Northeast program were surveyed on SPI attitudes, knowledge, training and experiences in mid-2007; 2) associated field internship supervisors were similarly surveyed (n=117); and 3) a national survey of MSW deans/directors' views on SPI training issues and barriers is in progress (n=168).

Findings indicate students and field supervisors are professionally concerned about SPI. However, 82% of students reported four or fewer hours of SPI-related field or classroom training (n=95). Another 24% (n=28) received no SPI training at all. Some 91% of supervisors (n=106) agreed SPI was important for students to learn, but 28% (n=33) provided no SPI training in the internships. Results suggest that despite its importance, little training is being provided. A national study of deans/directors will assist in determining if these results are consistent with other programs and implications will be discussed.