Social Work Assessment at end of Life: Practice Guidelines for Suicide and the Terminally ill

A three-part model for the assessment & evaluation of a request for suicide from a terminally ill person is proposed in this article. The first part examines the presenting issues which surround the request. The second takes a close look at the meaning of the request for the individual &/or family within a cultural context. The last part considers the psychosocial issues that operate for both the individual & family, & how the social worker can help to clarify the needs of the patient & family.