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  • Social Work with Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families Credentials
  • Certified Hospice and Palliative Social Worker (CHP-SW) and Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Social Worker (ACHP-SW)
  • Clinical Social Worker in Gerontology (CSW-G)
  • Advanced Social Worker in Gerontology (ASW-G)
  • Social Worker in Gerontology (SW-G)
  • Certified Advanced Children, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-ACYFSW)
  • Certified Children, Youth, and Family Social Worker
    (C-CYFSW)
  • Certified Social Worker in Health Care (C-SWHC)
  • Certified Clinical Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs Social Worker
    (C-CATODSW)
  • Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager
    (C-ASWCM)
  • Certified Social Work Case Manager
    (C-SWCM)
  • Certified School Social Work Specialist
    (C-SSWS)

Social Work with Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families Credentials

Many social workers provide services to Service Members, Veterans, and their families in the United States and abroad. Social workers provide these services in numerous settings. The United States Department of Defense (DoD), where military social work was established over 50 years ago, includes civilian social workers assigned to military components and over 500 active military personnel who are practicing social workers. Additionally, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the first social work program in the Veterans Bureau in 1926, and is now the largest employer of Master’s level social workers in the nation. The VA is also affiliated with over 180 Graduate Schools of Social Work, and operates the largest and most comprehensive clinical training program for social work students, training 900 students per year. Social workers also work in different direct practice and advocacy organizations, whether their mission is to specifically assist Service Members, Veterans, and their families with direct services, or advocate with and on behalf of this population. In addition, many social workers are TRICARE providers, the health care program for uniformed Service Members, their families, and survivors of deceased Service Members. 

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), with the support of Military, Veteran, and civilian social workers, has created three specialty credentials to recognize social workers who are experts in this field of practice. Credential holders will have met national standards of knowledge, skill, and experience as a social worker in the practice of working with Service Members, Veterans and Their Families.

These are the premier national credentials in social work practice with Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families and include:

• Military Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families—Social Worker (MVF-SW)
• A bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited college or university
• A current and unrestricted license to practice social work (unless applicant resides in a state that does not license at the BSW level)
• Documentation of at least two (2) years of supervised social work experience with Service Members, Veterans, and their families
• Evidence of a minimum of twenty (20) hours of continuing education, ten (10) of which must be directly relevant to assessment and intervention with Service Members, Veterans, and their families. 
• Affirm commitment to the following:
• The NASW Code of Ethics
• NASW Standards for Social Work Practice with Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families
• NASW Standards for Continuing Professional Education

• Military Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families—Advanced Social Worker (MVF-ASW)
• A master’s degree in social work from an accredited college or university or a doctorate degree in social work
• A current and unrestricted license to practice social work
• Documentation of at least two (2) years of supervised social work experience with Service Members, Veterans, and their families
• Evidence of a minimum of twenty (20) hours of continuing education, ten (10) of which must be directly relevant to assessment and intervention with Service Members, Veterans, and their families. 
• Affirm commitment to the following:
• The NASW Code of Ethics
• NASW Standards for Social Work Practice with Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families
• NASW Standards for Continuing Professional Education

• Military Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families—Clinical Social Worker (MVF-CSW)
• A master’s degree in social work from an accredited college or university or a doctorate degree in social work
• A current and unrestricted license to practice social work
• Documentation of at least two (2) years of supervised social work experience with Service Members, Veterans, and their families
• Evidence of a minimum of thirty (30) hours of continuing education, twenty (20) of which must be directly relevant to assessment and intervention with Service Members, Veterans, and their families. 
• Affirm commitment to the following:
• The NASW Code of Ethics
• NASW Standards for Social Work Practice with Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families
• NASW Standards for Continuing Professional Education