WASHINGTON, D.C.– The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has convened a national task force to establish a comprehensive Standard of Care for Suicide Prevention tailored to the social work profession.
The initiative, which has progressed in recent months, will equip social workers across settings with a unified framework to assess and respond to suicide risk. The announcement recently coincided with 988 Day, a national day of action to raise awareness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the critical need for compassionate, coordinated care during a mental health crisis.
“Creating a national standard of care for suicide prevention is both a professional responsibility and a moral imperative,” said Dr. Yvonne Chase, president of NASW. “This work reflects the values of our profession and our commitment to ensuring that social workers—regardless of where they practice—have the knowledge and support to save lives.”
The NASW Task Force for Suicide Prevention Standard of Care includes practitioners, clinical experts, researchers, and individuals with lived experience. Their charge includes:
- Reviewing existing research and best practices in suicide prevention across disciplines
- Drafting core competencies for suicide risk assessment, safety planning, and intervention
- Recommending culturally responsive approaches for diverse and historically underserved populations
- Proposing updates to education, licensure, and continuing education requirements
- Guiding NASW’s 54 chapters to ensure nationwide implementation
“Social workers are often the first—and sometimes the only—mental health professionals that individuals come into contact with during a crisis,” said Dr. Anthony Estreet, CEO of NASW. “By developing a national standard, we are ensuring that every social worker, in every community, is trained and supported to intervene effectively.”
There is an urgent need for a consistent, profession-wide standard of care. In 2023, more than 49,300 Americans died by suicide, an average of one person every 11 minutes. In the same period, 1.5 million adults attempted suicide, and 12.8 million seriously thought about suicide. The task force’s recommendations will culminate in the first national Standard of Care for suicide prevention specifically designed for social workers, expected to be released in 2026.
Despite federal efforts like the 988 Lifeline, which increased access to crisis support, a standardized clinical response remains lacking. This initiative fills that gap by equipping social workers with standardized, evidence-informed tools for intervention.
NASW also recently joined more than 70 organizations in urging Congress to strengthen suicide prevention programs and increase public awareness of 988 among young people, including support for policies that publish the lifeline number on student IDs and driver’s licenses.
