Citation

Heller NR. Br. J. Soc. Work 2015; 45(6): 1788-1803.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/bjsw/bcu007

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The management of risk in the work with people with suicidal thoughts and behaviours is fraught with difficulties. Across the globe, deaths by suicide have been increasing and social workers are often on the front lines of suicide prevention. In response to heightened risk and vulnerability, many agency and national policies reflect a risk-dominated paradigm of practice. At the same time, the recovery movement has been influential in the move toward 'least restrictive policies for interventions'. The juxtaposition of these two influences-risk-dominated paradigms and the recovery focus-creates tensions, challenges and opportunities for social workers and agencies. The author reviews the literature on suicide risk, examines the dilemma for social work practitioners and explores these converging paradigms along with the promising developments about the role of hope as a mediating concept in the work with suicidal clients. Implications for social work practice are highlighted. © 2014 The Author.

Language: en

Keywords

mental health; suicide; hope; social work; recovery; Risk paradigm