Suicide Prevention Training for Social Work Students in Rural Practicum Placements: Current Opportunities and Areas for Growth

Students and practicum instructors in a primarily rural state were surveyed about suicide prevention practice and training opportunities provided to social work trainees during their practicum placements. A cross-sectional, electronic survey was administered to N = 86 students and N = 64 practicum instructors and descriptive statistics were analyzed. Most students (87.1%) and practicum instructors (86.6%) felt that students should have the opportunity to engage with suicidal clients while in practicum. Many students reported having had contact with a suicidal client while in practicum (70.6%) and had engaged in some sort of practice related to suicide prevention (82.6%). The most frequently reported practice behaviors were suicidal inquiry (62.8%), risk assessment (60.7%), disposition planning (51.0%), and safety planning (49.0%). Over half (52.9%) had not used any evidence-based tools for screening and follow-up and only one quarter (25.5%) had provided postvention services. Many students (72.9%) were concerned about iatrogenic risk. Although most practicum instructors felt comfortable addressing suicide prevention in supervision (74.4%), many (64.1%) also reported the desire for additional training. Although students appear to have opportunities to engage in suicide prevention in practicum, there are specific knowledge and practice gaps regarding evidence-based tools, postvention, and the "myth" of iatrogenic risk.