NASW Practice Standards Under Review in 2024

August 2024

Prepared by Mirean Coleman, LICSW, CT

Currently six standards are being revised and include the following:

• NASW Standards for Social Work Practice in Child Welfare. This set of standards is being revised to meet current practice trends and to reflect values of the profession which have changed within recent years. Basic tools for social work practice includes updates in child welfare including prevention, parenting programs, family support program, foster care, kinship care, adoption, and residential group homes. Coming in 2026.
• NASW Standards for Clinical Social Work in Social Work Practice. These standards guide clinical social workers in all clinical settings, maintain or improve the quality of services, establish professional expectations, and provide a framework for providing services. Coming in 2024.
• NASW Standards for School Social Work Services. This set of standards is being revised to meet the changing needs of school social workers, students and families they serve, and local education agencies. The revised standards will reflect current trends in practice that include bullying, violence, COVID-19 and other issues. Coming in 2024.
• NASW Standards for Social Work Services in Long-Term Care Facilities. The standards are being revised to reflect changing practice and policies. They will serve as a basic tool for social work practice in long-term care facilities where there have been significant changes in the delivery of services over the past decade. Coming in 2025.
• NASW Standards for Social Work Practice in Palliative and End of Life Care. This set of standards is being revised to improve social workers’ skills in working effectively with clients, families, health care providers, and the community when delivering palliative and end of life services. Coming in 2025.
• NASW Guidelines for Social Work Safety in the Workplace. These guidelines are a helpful resource to communities, private and public agencies, local, state, and federal policymakers invested in creating a safer work environment for social workers. Coming in 2025.

Explore the full list of standards and guidelines