Social Work: Web Resources

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

• Oversees the following agencies, among others:
  • Administration for Children & Families (ACF)  is responsible for some 60 programs which provide services and assistance to children and families and administers the state-federal welfare program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).
  • Administration on Aging (AOA) supports a nationwide aging network, providing services to the elderly as well as policy leadership on aging issues.
  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) supports research designed to improve the outcomes and quality of health care, reduce its costs, address patient safety and medical errors, and broaden access to effective services.
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which provide health care to America's aged and indigent populations. CMS also administers the new Children's Health Insurance Program through approved state plans that cover more than 2.2 million children.
  • Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) helps provide health resources for medically underserved populations. HRSA supports a nationwide network of community and migrant health centers and primary care programs for the homeless and residents of public housing.
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) works to improve the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services.
• PovertyNet 
  • Sponsored by the WorldBank, PovertyNet offers comprehensive coverage, including measurements, trends, and strategies to reduce poverty. Special sections address the intersection of poverty with culture and health. Includes the Poverty Monitoring database and an online library.
• Urban Institute
  • The Urban Institute is a nonprofit policy research organization in Washington, D.C. This page provides access to a number of online health-related press releases, periodicals, and publications.

Professional Associations/Organizations:

• National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
  • The largest organization of social workers, the NASW promotes professional development, creates professional standards, and advances social policies. The website has links to a plethora of resources.
• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
  • The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) is the professional association for the field of marriage and family therapy. We represent the professional interests of more than 50,000 marriage and family therapists throughout the United States, Canada and abroad. 
• American Council for School Social Work
  • ACSSW advocates for the practice of school social work and supports school social workers in their service to students, schools, and families to overcome social, systemic, economic and mental health barriers to student learning.
• Association of Gerontology Education in Social Work
  • AGESW provides leadership in the areas of gerontological social work education, research, and policy, and fosters cooperation, collegiality, and an exchange of ideas among social work educators, researchers, and students committed to or interested in gerontology. 
• Clinical Social Work Association
  • The Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA) is a national individual membership organization dedicated to providing essential services, products, professional support, and national identity for Clinical Social Workers.
• Council on Social Work Education
  •  The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the national association representing social work education in the United States. Its members include over 800 accredited baccalaureate and master’s degree social work programs, as well as individual social work educators, practitioners, and agencies dedicated to advancing quality social work education.
• School Social Work Association of America 
  • The School Social Work Association of America empowers school social workers and promotes the profession of school social work to enhance the social and emotional growth and academic outcomes of all students.
• Society for Social Work and Research 
  • The Society for Social Work and Research was founded in 1994 as a free-standing organization dedicated to the advancement of social work research. SSWR works collaboratively with a number of other organizations that are committed to improving support for research among social workers.