Resources for Social Workers for World Mental Health Day 2019 - Suicide Prevention
by Linda May Grobman, MSW, ACSW, LSW
October 6-12 is Mental Illness Awareness Week. In addition, October 10 is World Mental Health Day (WMHD). The theme for WMHD for 2019 is suicide prevention.
View a World Mental Health Day video from NASW and The New Social Worker.
Social workers are on the front lines of mental health services and suicide prevention. Social workers also encounter suicide, suicidality, and suicide loss, regardless of practice setting or population. Some state social work licensing boards require that licensed social workers obtain continuing education on suicide prevention.
On a macro level, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the 2nd leading cause of death for 15- to 34-year-olds, with an attempt made every 27 seconds. Worldwide, close to 800,000 people die by suicide each year, or one every 40 seconds.
The following World Health Organization (WHO) video provides information about the incidence of suicide and the need for prevention.
Here are some resources for social workers for World Mental Health Day (WMHD).
World Mental Health Day and Mental Illness Awareness Week Sites
- Mental Health America Mental Illness Awareness Week Campaign
- WHO World Mental Health Day 2019: Focus on Suicide Prevention
- World Federation for Mental Health World Mental Health Day 2019
Mental Health Sites
- Mental Health America
- Mental Health America Back-to-School Toolkit for 2019-2020
- Mental Health First Aid
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- National Council for Behavioral Health
Sites on Suicide/Suicide Prevention
- American Association of Suicidology
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- Crisis Text Line
- International Association for Suicide Prevention
- National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- SAMHSA-HRSA Suicide Prevention
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Social Work and Suicide Prevention
- Dispelling Myths About Suicide and Its Impact
- Encyclopedia of Social Work - Suicide (abstract)
- Let's Talk About Suicide: #LanguageMatters
- Malpractice and the Suicidal Client
- NASW Social Work Talks Podcast - interview on suicide prevention
- The New Social Worker - index of suicide-related articles
- Preventing Suicide in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth
- Social Work Podcast: From Suicidal to Inspired
- Social Work Podcast: Helping the Suicidal Person
- SOS Suicide Prevention Program for Middle School Students
- Suicidal Ideation: How To Document
- Suicide Prevention: 5 Key Clinical Strategies for Engaging At-Risk Individuals in Mental Health Treatment
- Suicide Risk in Schools: What Social Workers Need To Know
- Three Questions About the Whispered Word "Suicide"
Related Books by Social Workers
This short list, of course, is a small sampling of available resources. Please use this list as a starting point in your own search for more information.
Linda May Grobman, MSW, ACSW, LSW, is the founder, publisher, and editor of The New Social Worker magazine.