Clinical Updates Colloquium

Elder suicide occurs at a higher rate than those of other age cohorts, is more successful, and has the lowest rates of failed attempts. Clinical social workers must be aware of what factors lead to elder suicide. Elders are unlikely to call attention to themselves will be successful in their efforts.

Stephen Marson has spent over 40 years as a practicing social work gerontologist and studying the sociological theories for suicide intervention for elderly clients. Ultimately, Marson determined that Emile Durkheim’s theory of suicide was the perfect fit for understanding suicidal distress in older adults. Rather than focusing on psychological diagnoses, he uses Durkheim’s theory to identify fatalistic, anomic, egoistic, and altruistic environmental circumstances that create suicide potential.  Marson addresses these four dimensions and explores the gerontological research and social history that illustrate the evidence. He then presents various intervention strategies that will help practitioners to identify social factors that provide clues into the potentially suicidal patient and establish an intervention strategy to address suicide based on the social environment.

Over the last 100 years, the major criticism directed toward Durkheim’s theory of suicide is the absence of addressing concepts that are transferable to psychotherapy. It is an unjustifiable criticism because Durkheim’s theory focuses on environmental factors that catapult the person into suicidal ideation. Through the use of clinical analysis and artificial intelligence, Marson presents findings that links Durkheim’s macro concepts to psychotherapy.

Stephen M. Marson attended Ohio Dominican University (BA), The Ohio State University (MSW) and North Carolina State University (Ph.D. – Sociology) with a minor in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the founder and editor of The International Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics and the author of four books. For the last 30 years, he has been conducting research and publishing in the area of elder suicide. His book entitled Elder Suicide: Durkheim’s Vision garnered considerable attention and received numerous positive reviews. Although Durkheim’s seminal work is clearly defined as macro theory, Marson has demonstrated the connection between macro conceptualization to psychotherapy. He is a former faculty member in the Social Work Department and the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department. After 42 years, he retired from his professorship from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and was awarded Professor Emeritus status in 2019.

This keynote presentation explores the intersection of neuroscience and social work in promoting healthy aging, cognitive well-being, and meaningful community engagement among older adults. Dr. Suk-hee Kim will discuss how emerging insights from neuroscience can inform social work practice and education, enhancing interventions that support cognitive health, resilience, and emotional well-being in later life. Drawing on her extensive research and experience in gerontological social work, Dr. Kim highlights community-based, non-pharmacological approaches that address social isolation, cognitive decline, and disparities in health outcomes. She will provide examples of programs that integrate neuroscience-informed strategies to empower older adults, foster social connections, and strengthen age-friendly communities. The presentation also examines the role of social work education in preparing practitioners to translate neuroscience knowledge into practical interventions, curriculum development, and collaborative partnerships with healthcare providers, community organizations, and policymakers. Attendees will gain insight into how interdisciplinary approaches can bridge research and practice, improve quality of life, and create inclusive environments that support older adults across diverse settings. Through this keynote, Dr. Kim emphasizes the transformative potential of combining neuroscience, social work expertise, and community engagement to enhance healthy aging, demonstrating how social workers can serve as leaders in advancing evidence-informed, person-centered approaches that benefit individuals, families, and communities.

Dr. Suk-hee Kim is a full professor with tenure in the School of Social Work at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). She is nationally recognized for her contributions to gerontological social work and social work education, with a focus on healthy aging, cognitive health, and community-based interventions. Dr. Kim has led numerous initiatives addressing healthy aging programming, opioid addiction, and health disparities in cognitive health. She spearheaded the integration of gerontology into NKU’s social work curriculum and, in collaboration with colleagues, developed a gerontology micro-credential. As a founding member of NKU’s Age-Friendly University initiative, Dr. Kim played a significant role in helping NKU earn the Age-Friendly University designation in 2020, becoming the first institution in the region to join the international effort to expand accessibility and support services for learners of all ages. Her research focuses on non-pharmacological interventions for older adults with cognitive impairment and on healthy aging programs funded through university–community partnerships and national associations. She has received grants from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Health Resources and Services Administration to support her work on opioid addiction and rural community health. Dr. Kim has been honored with numerous awards for her scholarship and community engagement, including the Distinguished Recent Contributions to Social Work Education Award from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE, 2021), the Role and Status of Women in Community Impact Award through her Rising Hope for Aging Initiative (CSWE, 2020), and the Commission on Diversity and Social and Economic Justice Community Partnership Action Inaugural Award (CSWE, 2019). She was also honored with the CSWE Mentor Recognition in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

In 2023, Dr. Kim was elected to the CSWE Board of Directors, serving as the Graduate Faculty Representative at the national level. She also received the Boston University School of Social Work’s Outstanding Career in Social Work Alumni Award (2021) and selected NKU honors, including the Excellence in Outreach and Engagement Award (2023), Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Award (2021), Inclusive Excellence Faculty Leadership Award (2020), and VA Champions of Success Civilian Faculty Award (2021). Dr. Kim served as President (2023–2025) and served as Vice President (2021–2023) of the Korean American Social Work Educators Association (KASWEA) in the U.S. She has been instrumental in fostering international collaboration, notably co-leading the Korean American Social Work Educators Association (KASWEA)–Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) Joint Seminar and Forum in 2024 and 2025. In 2025, she received the Excellence in Service Award in recognition of her impactful servant leadership as President of the KASWEA. Dr. Kim was a doctoral fellow in the Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. She holds a joint Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky, an MSW from Boston University, and a BA in Social Welfare from Han-il University and Presbyterian Theological Seminary in South Korea. Her work continues to bridge academic and professional communities across South Korea and the United States, reflecting her deep commitment to advancing social work education and practice for older adults.