Preparing Social Work Students to Recognize and Respond to Risks of Firearm Violence

Firearm violence in the United States is increasing and is a major cause of death for many demographic groups, especially Black Americans. Policy attempts to reduce deaths and injuries face difficult hurdles, including legislatures and courts that place primacy on the Second Amendment to the Constitution. Thus, clinicians across disciplines are encouraged to engage in prevention practice across diverse contexts. Evidence suggests that few social workers have been prepared to recognize and respond to the risks of gun violence amongst their clients beyond a few specific practice contexts. This article lays out a framework for the education of social work students on essential aspects of firearm violence: the nature of violence, misunderstandings of the connections to mental illness, recognizing risks, engaging with clients on mitigating those risks, and understanding key policy debates that affect practicing social workers. This article seeks to spark conversations about the need to educate social work students on this topic, including curricular developments related to the Council on Social Work 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards.