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IntroductionSocial workers are among the largest group of professionals in the mental health workforce and play a key role in the assessment of mental health, addictions and suicide. Most social workers provide services to individuals with mental health concerns, yet there are gaps in research on social work education and training programmes. The objective of this scoping review is to examine literature on social work education and training in mental health, addictions and suicide.Methods and analysisUsing a scoping review framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley, we will search for literature through seven academic databases: PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, CINAHL Plus, Social Sciences Abstracts, Education Source, ERIC and Social Work Abstracts. Two independent reviewers will screen articles utilising a two-stage process. Titles and abstracts will be reviewed in the first stage and full texts will be reviewed in the second stage. Selected articles that meet inclusion criteria will be charted to extract key themes and they will be analysed using a qualitative thematic analysis approach.Ethics and disseminationThis review will fill a knowledge gap in social work education and training in mental health, addictions and suicide. Ethics approval is not required for this scoping review. Through dissemination in publications and relevant conferences, the results may guide future research and education in social work.

IntroductionSocial work is a key profession in the field of mental health worldwide and the profession has values that are aligned with a recovery paradigm. However, there are gaps in understanding how social workers are applying the recovery paradigm in practice. This study will scope and synthesise the literature related to recovery and social work practice in mental health and addictions. There will also be an exploration of best practices and gaps in recovery-oriented social work practice.Methods and analysisUsing a scoping review framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley, we will conduct our search in five academic databases: PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL Plus, Sociological Abstracts and Social Services Abstracts. Articles meeting inclusion criteria will be charted to extract relevant themes and analysed using a qualitative thematic analysis approach.Ethics and disseminationThis review will provide relevant information about best practices and gaps in recovery-oriented social work practice in mental health and addictions. The study will inform the development of mental health curricula in social work programmes and clinical settings. Results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal and at conferences focusing on mental health, addictions, and social work education. Ethics approval is not required for this scoping review.

Social work and substance use research often neglect to make epistemological perspectives explicit in their studies, inadvertently embedding numerous assumptions that remain invisible and uncontested. Consequently, the unchallenged dominance of post-positivist epistemologies in Western European countries becomes (re)produced in social work and substance use education, policies and practices, limiting space for alternative viewpoints. This narrative review examines some of the social work and substance use literature, highlighting the value of making epistemology more explicit and the importance of applying critical epistemologies to counter dominant paradigms. This article makes a unique contribution to substance use literature by examining substance use from post-positivist, social constructivist and critical paradigms and by promoting a critical social work lens. A critical paradigm is particularly useful for questioning prevailing assumptions of substance use as a medical problem requiring professional treatment and for generating greater attention to structural policies that promote a more equitable society. Social work’s commitment to human rights and social justice effectively positions the discipline to apply a critical paradigm to the field of substance use studies.

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