Firearm Violence Prevention Content in MSW Programs: Current Status and Future Directions

Background: Firearm violence deaths in the United States have been rising in recent years. In response, experts both within and outside of social work have called for an increase in clinician engagement in regular screening for firearm access and counseling regarding safety measures for those who present risks of harm to self or others, including within a new Grand Challenges in Social Work (Logan-Greene & Guterman, 2024). To date, no data exists about how many US MSW programs prepare students to engage with clients on firearm safety. This study fills that gap.

Methods: Program contacts were compiled from the CSWE’s Accredited MSW Programs (N=312). Recruitment emails were sent in July 2023 and January 2024, inviting participants to complete a brief survey in order to receive a $25 Amazon gift card. Invitations to schools in Puerto Rico were sent in Spanish, and all respondents could complete the survey in either language. Questions assessed program descriptions, and a series of 17 topics were presented with participants reporting whether the topics were covered in either required or elective courses, then reporting whether they felt a need for more related content. Participants also were given open-ended questions about barriers and future directions and invited to share course descriptions/syllabi.

Results: 54 people (17.3%) began the survey, with 45 (14.4%) providing complete answers. The sample was a good representation of accredited MSW programs in the US based on geographic setting, size, and other factors. Participants reported good content on aspects related to suicide prevention; 100% reported content around suicide assessment and safety planning in the context of suicide in either required courses and/or electives. However, far fewer reported content related to firearms: 86.7% did not discuss safe storage in any course, 75.6% did not cover firearm safety counseling, and 75.6%/73.3% did not discuss state/federal laws on firearms, respectively. Many programs reported a need for more firearm-related content; for example, 82.2% wanted more content regarding discussing firearm access with parents, 84.4% wanted more regarding safe storage, and 81.2% wanted more content on both state and federal policies. No syllabi/course descriptions were shared.

Discussion: Results suggested promising improvement in suicide prevention content in MSW programs, however significant gaps were found related to firearm violence prevention. Open ended questions revealed participants’ perspectives on barriers: many reported a lack of time to add such content, and others noted that the politically-charged nature of firearms made the topic challenging. Others noted that no instructors had this knowledge to share in classrooms. However, they largely reported a desire to address firearm violence and noted ways that content could be developed, such as through a CSWE curriculum guide or trainings for faculty. While these findings shed light on this topic, the low response rate and lack of provided evidence means that these results may not be reflective of all Schools of Social Work in the US. Further research is needed, including the development and testing of tools that could be used in MSW programming, and doing similar assessments with BSW and DSW programs.