NASW also seeks to enhance the effective functioning and well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its work and through its advocacy. They practice in a wide variety of settings, including family services agencies, community mental health centers, child welfare, private practice, schools, hospitals, businesses, nursing homes, courts, prisons, and public and private agencies. Social workers address problems as varied as substance abuse, family conflicts, workplace tensions, health problems, disabilities, mental illness, inadequate housing, poverty, and violence. Social workers work directly with individuals and families, as well as in public policy, administration, research, community organizing, and advocacy. Professional social workers are the nation's largest group of mental health services providers.
Federal law recognizes social work as one of the four core mental health professions.
About half of NASW members are clinical social workers in direct services. NASW members pledge to uphold a strict code of ethics . To protect the public and ensure high quality social work services, NASW sets practice standards , enforces a code of ethics, and works to improve state regulation of social work. NASW offers voluntary professional social work credentials and publishes a roster of clinical practitioners, the NASW Register of Clinical Social Workers . NASW provides its members with services including continuing education , conferences and workshops, professional journals and publications , and specialty practice sections to meet diverse member interests.