This course provides social workers and allied behavioral health professionals with a practical framework for delivering high-quality suicide prevention care across clinical and school settings. Drawing on the core components reflected in the forthcoming 2026 NASW Standards of Care for Suicide Prevention, participants will examine how to move from routine screening to clinical decision-making, collaborative safety planning, counseling about access to lethal means, clear documentation, and follow-up. The webinar will also address what changes when the person at risk is a child or adolescent. Participants will consider developmental issues, caregiver engagement, school-family-clinician communication, confidentiality, re-entry after a crisis, and the role of school systems in supporting safety and continuity of care.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this 3-hour course, participants will be able to:
- Integrate core social work values and ethics (such as the importance of human relationships, dignity, and self-determination) into suicide prevention, assessment, and intervention practices.
- Apply the six Specialized Practice Standards to identify and respond to suicide risk, including conducting initial screenings, formulating collaborative safety plans, and counseling on access to lethal means.
- Adapt suicide-related care for diverse populations by recognizing the unique developmental, cultural, and contextual risk and protective factors that shape the experiences of the individuals and communities they serve.