NASW Practice Standards & Guidelines

NASW Practice Standards & Guidelines provide benchmarks that describe the services that social workers should provide; that employers should support and that consumers should expect.

Standards/guidelines reflect current and emerging best practice trends and are a critical component of the professional social worker's toolkit.They are useful for both new and experienced practitioners, and can be effective advocacy tools.

Each set of standards/guidelines was developed and reviewed by a panel of experts, informed by member feedback and approved by the NASW Board of Directors. 

Access our standards and guidelines below, or purchase hard copies from NASW Press.

NASW Practice Standards Under Review in 2025