REASONS TO JOIN

Student Membership

• Full or part-time students enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate social work program are eligible for membership.
• Programs must be accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or approved for candidacy.
• Students receive full benefits at a 60-75% discount.

National & State Chapter Membership

• At no additional cost you receive membership in your NASW state chapter. 
• As a member of a chapter you are connected to local continuing education events, relevant information through the chapter newsletter and a network of colleagues.

Job Opportunities

• Gain access to social work job opportunities through NASW JobLink at www.socialworkers.org. 
• As a member you receive relevant job e-mail alerts and can apply for jobs directly online.

Insurance Protection

• Students: The NASW Insurance Trust offers specially-designed student social work malpractice insurance for social work students in their field placements. Nominal rates of either $23, $35 or $ 41 per year for  $1,000,000/ $1,000,000, $1,000,000/$3,000,000, or $2,000,000/ $4,000,000 are available only to NASW student category members
• New Practitioners: The NASW Insurance Trust also offers a discounted social work professional liability insurance product for eligible new social work graduates who are practicing social work for the first time.  The discount is good for the first two years of the malpractice insurance policy.
• Students and professionals must be NASW members to enjoy special group-negotiated favorable insurance rates.

Professional Development and Publications

• Members-only Web site containing up to date news on issues affecting the social work profession.
• Students receive the NASW News and journal of Social Work online for news and research on the profession with the speed and ease of internet access.  Students also receive access to three years of archived NASW journals online.

Specialty Practice Sections

• NASW Specialty Practice Sections link you to the key information, resources and expertise you need to stay at the forefront of your practice sections.
• Practice Sections:

•Aging
•Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs
•Child Welfare
•Health
•Mental Health
•Poverty and Social Justice
•Private Practice
•School Social Work
•Government Relations

• NASW is instrumental in assuring that the social work perspective is incorporated into pending legislation before Congress and in state legislatures.
• NASW’s Political Action for Candidate Election Committee (known as PACE) works to elect officials that best represent social workers.

Member Benefit Programs

• NASW affinity credit cards
• Scholarship and loan information
• Financial services
• Member discounts on Gateway computers, training, and accessories; hotels; car rentals; and more.

NASW Foundation

• The NASW Foundation is a charitable organization created to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through the advancement of social work practice.
• The Foundation offers scholarships and fellowships to NASW members for graduate study. These include:

  •The Jane B. Aron Doctoral Fellowship
  •The Eileen Blackey Doctoral Fellowship
  •The Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial MSW Scholarships
  •The Verne LaMarr Lyons Memorial MSW Scholarship

• The Foundation also conducts and supports research in a variety of policy and practice specialties and, through its recognition and awards programs, honors outstanding social workers and those who have helped the social work profession.

NASW Legal Defense Fund

• LDF provides financial assistance and support for legal cases and issues of concern to NASW members and the social work profession.
• LDF supports educational projects and programs to improve the legal status and knowledge of the social work profession.
• LDF has joined with HIPAAprof to provide a powerful online HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) training tailored for social workers. NASW members receive reduced rates.

NASW Code of Ethics

• By joining NASW, members agree to abide by the NASW Code of Ethics and the NASW Procedure for Professional Review.
• The Code identifies core values on which social work’s mission is based, summarizes ethical principles that reflect the profession’s core values, establishes a set of specific ethical standards that guide social work practice, and provides the basis on which the public can hold a practitioner accountable

NASW Values Student Members…Transitional Membership

• NASW values student members.
• Students are the future of the profession and the Association.
• NASW recognizes the fact that students are not financially able to afford membership at the regular rate.
• Regular membership subsidizes student members at reduced rates.

Transitional Membership – BSW

• After graduation, NASW continues to help subsidize dues for young members.
• Students automatically enter into a two-year transitional period after graduation.
• To qualify, students must maintain continuous membership.
• During the two-year transition period, students pay a reduced rate of $86 each year (almost 25% discount).

Transitional Membership – MSW

• MSW student members who maintain continuous membership enter a three-year transitional period.
• MSW student members receive a reduced rate of $86 in the first and second years.
• In the third year, after graduation, MSW students receive a reduced rate of $130. 

As a student member you will have the opportunity to become established in the workforce and in your professional Association.

JOIN TODAY!