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Sean Joe, the Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor of Social Development at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, helped develop the first national standards of care for suicide prevention specifically for the social work profession.
Joe, a nationally recognized authority on suicidal behavior among Black Americans, served on a task force convened by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). The association adopted the “Standards of Care for Suicide Prevention” in June 2026.
The standards establish baseline expectations for suicide prevention knowledge and skills across social work specialties and practice settings. They call for suicide prevention training in bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in social work and provide a common framework for identifying risk, responding to crises and supporting individuals and communities affected by suicide. They also address intervention and postvention, which includes support following a suicide or suicide-related crisis.
Suicide remains a significant public health concern and is among the leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Clinical social workers are among the largest groups of mental health service providers in the United States, according to the NASW. They work in settings where they may encounter people at risk of suicide, making profession-specific guidance an important resource.
Joe is a past president of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) and a fellow of both SSWR and the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.