Credentials

Note: The NASW credentialing department is currently experiencing a large backlog and it is taking longer than usual to process applications. Rest assured; your application will be processed as soon as possible. You will receive an email from us once your application has been approved. We apologize for the delay in communication and processing.

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Being a credentialed social worker makes all the difference. Social workers who want recognition for their professional achievements and who want to unlock new career paths come to NASW for their credentials. The NASW Credentialing Center administers NASW Professional Social Work Credentials (membership required) and NASW Advanced Practice Specialty Credentials (available to all qualified social workers).

NASW is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious organization granting social work credentials. We have been offering credentials to social workers for more than 50 years and Advanced Practice Specialty Credentials since 2000. NASW’s Social work credentials are indicative of the profession’s expansion into multiple specialty practice areas, including gerontology, hospice and palliative care, administration, healthcare, case management, youth and family, addictions, and more.

What Is a Social Work Credential?

Definitions of social work practice within state or territorial jurisdictions may vary significantly depending on the resources in a given part of the country. A professional credential does not replace licensure; rather it speaks to meeting minimal requirements of proficiency like education, licensure, and experience for the social work practitioner.

Obtaining a credential is the next progression in a social worker’s professional career. Beyond the educational degree and professional license, credentials, (in the form of professional certifications) are a voluntary pursuit. Voluntary credentials denote professional commitment and achievement and represent a “license plus” feature of certifying knowledge and experience that meets or exceeds excellence in social work at the national level. Professional social workers agree to a critical review process that includes evaluation of the candidate’s educational preparation, practice experience, and peer review of observable skills and abilities.

Why Obtain a Social Work Credential?

• Holders of NASW Professional Social Work Credentials and Advanced Practice Specialty Credentials become part of the most widely recognized social work organization in the nation.
• Credentialed social workers are recognized as having in-depth knowledge, proven work experience, leadership capacity, competence, and dedication to the social work profession.
• Credential holders agree to a critical review process that strives to measure adherence to The NASW Code of Ethics, NASW Standards for Continuing Education, and national practice standards consistent with the area of specialized social work practice.
• Some employers seek out highly credentialed professionals to fill key leadership positions within their organizations/agencies and/or factor voluntary credentials in their salary scales.

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Environmental Scan of Social Work Credentialing Needs

Request for Information

Summary and Background

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) was founded in 1955 and is the largest membership organization of Professional Social Workers in the world. NASW’s mission includes, amongst other critical goals, promoting the quality and effectiveness of Social Work Practice in the United States; to achieve this goal, NASW implemented its credentialing program over 50 years ago.

Certification can be one of the most powerful initiatives of an organization or industry. It can be a key strategy for helping individuals better position themselves in a competitive marketplace, ensure customers have access to qualified service providers, and can create standards of performance for a particular role. The pursuit of a certification program by NASW fit the strategic direction set forth by the NASW’s Delegate Assembly and Board of Directors by promoting excellence in social work practice and by providing growth opportunities for social work leaders and young professionals.

NASW has offered credentials and specialty certifications for many years, however, these programs have failed to gain any traction with employers and the workforce. Data evidence suggests that this may be due to the lack of a rigorous verification of competencies and skills (lack of examination component) and lack of prestige associated with these credentials. For instance, in a recent survey, 31% of holders of the most< popular NASW certification, the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW), indicated that they do not actively display their certification in their office or in professional communications, and only 21.8% indicated that they obtained their current or a prior job because they were ACSW holders.

Project Purpose and Description

The body governing the NASW credentialing program is the NASW Board appointed Credentialing Committee. The committee is setting out to perform an environmental scan to:

• Identify existing social work credentials (Nationally and State recognized), their structure, and market penetration (number of credential holders).
• Identify large national employers of Social Workers and find out if they incentivize their workforce to purse NASW’s or other credentialing opportunities.
• Ascertain, at State level, if the State Social Work licensing boards adopted NASW’s or any credential in conjunction with vetting professionals for certain job functions.
• Gather data on awareness amongst social work professionals of NASW credentials and on role that a NASW credential may have had in enhancing one’s career.
• Determine interest of social workers in new areas not currently covered by any NASW credential (telehealth, Anti-racist or anti-oppressive practice, DEI, etc.)

Expected Researcher Activities

The Credentialing Committee is seeking an individual or group to lead the environmental scan and data collection efforts. The specific activities would include:

• Engage with the credentialing committee to finalize the study methodology that addresses the study objectives and to define the instrument(s) to be deployed with the consultation and advice of the committee.
• Work together with the committee in identifying the appropriate partners to contact in the pursuit of the study’s objectives.
• Engage social work stakeholders and regularly update the committee on the study progress.
• Identify the appropriate budget for the project.
• Create interim and final reports as needed.
• Review existing workforce data and studies and use it in the final report as appropriate.

Guidelines

• Letters of intent should be sent as a single PDF file no more than 5 pages long and should include:
  • Contact information
  • Company description / including any prospective subcontractors
  • Names and short bios of the individuals that will work on the project
  • Summary of relevant experience related to the proposal
  • Any other relevant information
• The committee plans to interview and evaluate interested parties on capacity, methodology, budget, and timetable.
• Preference will be given to organizations that can leverage supplemental funding.
• Applications as well as inquiries can be submitted to Raffaele Vitelli, NASW’s Vice President of Professional Education and Product Development, at rvitelli.nasw@socialworkers.org.

The NASW Credentialing Committee: