Re-Imagining Social Work’s Role in Suicidology

Suicide continues to impact individuals and communities at alarming rates, with many vulnerable populations being at a disproportionately higher risk. As a profession, social work is well matched to address the comprehensive and intertwined risk factors that perpetuate acute and chronic risk for suicide. This conceptual article introduces a developing practice model that social workers may adopt to address suicidality for some vulnerable populations. Within this model, external processes beyond intrapsychic functioning are notable, and social workers can prioritize integrating additional systems into intervention planning. A case scenario illustrates an example of embracing an ecological systems approach that emphasizes various roles within social work practice. Introducing an applied approach to conceptualizing suicidality offers social work education and research an opportunity to advance its positionality in suicidology.