NASW Chapters: Your Local Agents of Change

At NASW, we’re dedicated to advocating for social workers, their clients, and the communities they serve. Much of this impact happens through our 54 chapters which work directly with lawmakers and community leaders to advance change at the state and local level.

Each state and territory has its own political climate, unique laws, cultural ideals, and priorities. Chapters respond to these unique contexts with tailored strategies and nuanced approaches—whether that means testifying at hearings, mobilizing grassroots action, or building coalitions with allied organizations. Their advocacy reflects the realities of local needs while staying firmly grounded in NASW’s national priorities and the values and ethics of social work.

These efforts have produced meaningful victories: strengthening professional standards, expanding access to care, protecting vulnerable populations, and defending the integrity of the profession. State-level wins create immediate tangible benefits for residents, while also laying the groundwork for broader policy change at the national level.

How Chapters Drive Advocacy Where It Matters

NASW chapters work hard to ensure the voice of local social workers is represented in their communities. Their advocacy includes:

• Tracking and responding to state legislation to ensure they reflect the values and needs of the profession.
• Building strong relationships with policymakers and state agencies to influence policy.
• Mobilizing members through testimony, advocacy days, petitions, and grassroots campaigns.
• Partnering with local organizations, advocacy groups, and professional associations to amplify impact.
• Addressing state-specific challenges, from expanding school-based mental health services to ending harmful practices such as conversion therapy.

Together, chapter action and national advocacy form a coordinated strategy to advance social work priorities at every level of government. This unified approach ensures that social workers—and the people and communities they serve—are represented wherever policy decisions are made.

Wisconsin: A Landmark Victory Against Conversion Therapy

On July 8, 2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in Tony Evers v. Howard Marklein, upholding the ban on conversion therapy and affirming that professional boards—not legislators—have the authority to set ethical standards.

This victory followed more than seven years of persistent advocacy by NASW Wisconsin, and safeguards LGBTQIA2S+ youth from a practice deemed harmful by every major medical and mental health association. By reaffirming that licensing boards have the authority to determine ethical standards, the Court safeguarded professions like social work from political interference and ensured that client well-being remains the guiding principle in setting practice rules.

As NASW Wisconsin Chapter Executive Director Marc Herstand said, “After seven and a half years of trying to ban the harmful, discredited, and unethical practice of conversion therapy and having the rule repeatedly blocked by the Joint Committee on the Review of Administrative Rules, I am thrilled by this ruling. Professions have the right to establish their own conduct code, and no social worker should ever engage in the practice of conversion therapy.”

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Washington: Ensuring Social Work Representation in State Decision-Making

In 2025, NASW Washington State secured a key victory by successfully advocating for the passage of House Bill 1234, ensuring stronger social work representation on the Washington Department of Health’s (DOH) Mental Health Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Social Work Advisory Committee.

Historically, one of the committee’s designated seats—reserved for a Licensed Advanced Social Worker (LASW)—remained vacant because so few LASWs practice in the state as compared to LICSWs (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers). To ensure consistent and comprehensive representation, NASW WA successfully advocated for legislation allowing the position to be filled by either a Licensed Advanced Social Worker (LASW) or a LICSW. "Our Chapter's Legislative Action Committee, chaired by Nichelle Curtis-McQueen, wanted to make certain that social workers had input into DOH decisions, including guidance around continuing education and other items important to the social work profession," said Jeremy Arp, NASW WA Executive Director. “This was the last bill that our longtime lobbyist, Bob Cooper of Evergreen Public Affairs, helped shepherd through the process before his passing early in the session.”

The bill passed both chambers of the Legislature and was signed into law by Governor Bob Ferguson early in 2025. Thanks to the chapter’s advocacy, Washington’s advisory committee now has a stronger, more reliable social work presence—helping shape policies that directly affect mental health practice, professional standards, and community well-being.

Ohio: Protecting Social Workers from Criminalization

In 2023, NASW Ohio, together with the Abortion Fund of Ohio and represented by the ACLU of Ohio and Democracy Forward, successfully challenged a local ordinance in Lebanon, Ohio that dangerously criminalized anyone “aiding or abetting” abortion—even those providing transportation, counseling, or therapeutic support.

This sweeping ordinance posed an unprecedented threat: social workers and community advocates could have faced criminal penalties merely for supporting clients navigating reproductive decisions. Thanks to this coordinated legal effort, Lebanon agreed to remove the most punitive provisions. The revised ordinance no longer penalizes people offering assistance—such as transportation, money, or "abortion doula" services—even if the care took place outside city limits.

As NASW Ohio Executive Director Danielle Smith put it:

“We are proud to have defeated Lebanon’s attempt to criminalize social workers for simply doing their jobs. Prior to our successful litigation, social workers across Ohio were at risk of being sent to jail not only for helping people access essential health care but even just providing therapeutic space for clients to talk about abortion.” 

This victory wasn’t just legal, it reaffirmed the ethical foundations of social work by ensuring the profession can continue to protect client dignity, autonomy, and self-determination without fear of persecution.

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The Social Work Interstate Compact: A Nationwide Chapter-Led Milestone

Efforts to pass Social Work Interstate Licensing Compact Legislation are driven and led by NASW chapters who are working to pave the way for social workers to practice across state lines. Built as a legally binding agreement between participating states, the Compact allows licensed social workers at all levels to deliver services across borders without obtaining multiple licenses. This groundbreaking policy solution addresses workforce shortages, improves access to care, and strengthens the profession’s ability to respond to urgent needs across state boundaries.

NASW Chapters have been the driving force championing and advancing the Compact’s adoption in their states. On April 12, 2024, Kansas became the seventh state to pass Social Work Interstate Licensing Compact Legislation, which was the threshold (seven states) that had to be met for establishment of a Compact Commission that will govern the compact and ensure coordination between the participating states. As of August 2025, 30 states have passed the enabling legislation, including the recent additions of Maryland, New Jersey, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Delaware.

Looking ahead:

• Additional chapters are working to advocate and push for their states to pass legislation and join the Compact.
• The implementation process for the compact will take another 12-18 months before full multistate licensure becomes operational. This means that social workers in member states who have passed the compact legislation cannot begin applying for multistate licenses until initial compact implementation is complete.

Thanks to chapter-driven advocacy in their respective states, the Compact is rapidly gaining momentum. The compact will not only modernize licensure more generally but expand access to care and strengthen the profession’s ability to respond when needed.

Local Advocacy, National Impact

These examples offer a glimpse of the vital work NASW chapters do every day. Whether it’s protecting LGBTQIA2S+ youth, modernizing licensure, or expanding access to mental health services, chapter-led advocacy is at the heart of NASW’s mission.

By working in statehouses, courtrooms, and communities, NASW chapters ensure that social workers have the tools, protections, and policies needed to serve effectively — and that the values of the profession are reflected in the laws that shape our society.

Together, at both the state and national level, we are building a stronger future for social work. Join NASW to connect with your local chapter and help enact change in your communities and across the nation.