2020 Social Worker Resource Guide

The work of a social worker is constantly changing due to evolving societal, health, cultural, economic and familial issues. That’s a lot to keep up with.

To assist you on your journey as a social worker or a social work master's degree student, use this resource guide to get inspired, learn new skills, make work easier, and connect with other social workers.

Professional Development Resources for Social Workers

Joining organizations for social workers or attending events and conferences is a great way to keep up with social work news and connect with peers and mentors who may one day provide you with opportunities for growth. Here are some organizations to check out:

American Clinical Social Work Association (ACSWA) — The ACSWA online site features clinical social work news, marketplace and profession trends, directories, blogs and forums. Membership puts you in directories and gives you access to eBooks and journals.
American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) — This nonprofit is focused on professionals who work with mistreated children and their families. APSAC provides resources and articles, networking opportunities, a quarterly publication, training and more.
Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW) — This nonprofit is dedicated to social workers who work with cancer patients and their families. AOSW hosts an annual conference for oncology social workers and provides online learning tools.
Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA) — The CSWA advocates for licensed clinical social workers and provides members with up-to-date clinical information, free consultation on ethical and legal questions, and discounted comprehensive liability insurance.
International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) — The IFSW has social worker members from 126 countries and works to promote social work to achieve social development. IFSW sponsors social work events around the globe and advocates for social work policy.
National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) — The NABSW is made up of social workers of African ancestry and is committed to enhancing the quality of life for people of African ancestry. The NABSW hosts annual national and international conferences and has a career center.
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) — NASW was founded in 1955 and is the largest professional social worker organization in the world, with more than 120,000 members. NASW hosts events and conferences for members, creates and maintains professional social work standards, and advocates for social work policies.
National Rural Social Work Caucus — Geared toward rural social workers, every year there is a National Rural Social Work Conference hosted in the U.S. The conference increases the knowledge base for rural social work by sharing research and expertise with attendees.
School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA) — The SSWAA is an organization for school social workers. It publishes annual reports, offers webinars and a national conference, and works on legislation focused on social work in schools.
Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) — The SSWR has about 1,800 members from more than 16 countries and 200 universities and institutions creating social work research.
Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care (SSWLHC) — The SSWLHC is an organization for social workers dedicated to promoting universal availability of health care addressing psychosocial components of illness and health. Members are health care social workers and researchers. Membership includes free publications, national networking opportunities and a mentorship program. The SSWLHC hosts an annual national conference.

9 of the Best Social Worker Blogs

Find inspiration, learn from others’ stories, check out social worker news from around the world and discover tips and techniques from like-minded social workers. Visit these social work blogs to learn more about the lives of social workers and social work students.

1. Creative Play Therapist

Creative Play Therapist, run by two clinical social workers, shares ideas and resources for play therapy interventions.

2. Help Starts Here

Help Starts Here features blog posts created by social workers on topics related to their clients’ struggles. It’s a great site to find content to share with clients, post on social media sites or learn for yourself.

3. The New Social Worker

The New Social Worker provides tips and news for social workers, such as posts on ethical issues, self-care and career engagement, trends in social care like travel social work, and more.

4. Reddit/socialwork

More of a community than a blog, Reddit’s social work forum allows members to post questions, ask for advice, share news and converse on all things social work.

5. Social Life blog

Social Life blog, a blog of curated articles by “The Guardian”, features stories from people who work in social care.

6. Social Work Blog

Learn the latest developments in social work regarding advocacy, professional education and training in this blog hosted by NASW.

7. Social Work Career

The Social Work Career website focuses on helping current and aspiring social work professionals advance their careers, with education and training resources, expert interviews, tips for LMSW exams, and more.

8. Social Work Helper

Social Work Helper covers an array of topics related to social work, including news, politics, technology, culture, mental health and education.

9. Social Workers Speak

See how social work and related issues are portrayed in the media and movies at Social Workers Speak.

Top Books for Social Workers

Reading a book is a great way to glean insights and put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Books help social workers discover new experiences and view their world in a different light. These books have plenty to teach:

“The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma,” by Bessel A. van der Kolk — The author is a trauma expert who has spent three decades working with survivors. He explains how traumatic stress rewires the brain and how treatment and therapy can help.
“The Bully Society: School Shootings and the Crisis of Bullying in America’s Schools,” by Jessie Klein — Written by an author with two decades of experience as a school social worker and professor, this book addresses school shootings and how masculine culture is affecting bullying in American schools.
“Days in the Live of Social Workers: 58 Professionals Tell ‘Real Life’ Stories from Social Work Practice,” edited by Linda May Grobman — Now in its fourth edition, this book compiles stories from social workers in 58 settings.
“I Thought It Was Just Me: Women Reclaiming Power and Courage in a Culture of Shame,” by Brene Brown — The author conducted a six-year study on shame’s effects on women, including addiction, fear, perfectionism and blame.
“Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America,” by Barbara Ehrenreich — In 1998, the author became a minimum-wage worker to see how low-wage America lives. The book helps readers understand how people experience life while trying to work to survive.
“The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients,” by Irvin D. Yalom — This guidebook for therapy contains 85 categories for how to successfully navigate the therapeutic process.
“Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence — From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror,” by Judith Lewis Herman — The author uses research on domestic violence and political terror to show parallels between private and public traumas and how social context affects them.
“Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others,” by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky with Connie Burk — The author, a longtime trauma worker, talks about how developing a mindful presence and partaking in self-care improves the care workers provide others.
“The Road Not Taken: A History of Radical Social Work in the United States,” by Michael Reisch and Janice Andrews — This book covers social welfare policy in the 20th century and how individuals and marginalized groups have influenced it.
“Where to Start and What to Ask: An Assessment Handbook,” by Susan Lukas — This book helps new social workers and is a refresher for seasoned pros on how to successfully garner information from clients and form a thorough assessment.

Websites and Online Resources for Social Workers

When you have a question, want to learn about a social work topic or need some clarification, there are online resources and websites that can help. Bookmark these.

Code of Ethics — Brush up on the National Association of Social Work (NASW) Code of Ethics about client responsibility, privacy, confidentiality and more.
Encyclopedia of Social Work — Search for articles on topics encountered in social work study, as well as biographies of social work leaders and other content.
Explore Social Work — If you want to learn more about social work careers, the NASW has compiled job resources for social workers.
The Journal of Social Work — This journal seeks to advance social work theoretical understanding, inform social work practice and shape social work policy.
NASW Press — Find social workbooks, magazines, brochures, journals and reference works from the National Association of Social Work.
SocialWorkersToolbox — Access hundreds of activities and resources for social workers who work with kids and teens.
Social Work Journal — The official journal of the NASW features recent articles and studies related to social work.
Social Work Test Prep — Practice for a social work licensing exam on this site.
Social Work Today — This website has articles on social work topics including behavioral health, addictions, children and family, aging, health care, ethics, tech and social justice.
Tips & Tools for Job Seekers — Get interview tips, resume and cover letter advice and more in this job seeker site by the NASW.

Helpful Apps for Social Workers

Get help for your social work career right in your pocket with mobile apps:

AlcoholFX Mobile App — This app from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) explains to students ages 10-12 how alcohol can harm their brains.
ASWB Flashcards — Practice for ASWB exams with more than 1,100 flashcards on 10 topics.
Compass CoPilot — This app for social workers in the field provides access to case and client information, forms and documents. It also enables social workers to record interviews, take photos and note findings while in the field.
Evernote — Evernote is a note-taking app that also scans documents, saves website screenshots and enables PDF and document searching.
Google Translate — When you need to talk to a non-native speaker or are having a difficult time understanding, use Google Translate to cross language barriers.
Happify — Prioritize self-care with this app’s activities to improve emotional well-being.
KnowBullying — The SAMHSA app gives tips for starting meaningful conversations about bullying with kids. It teaches how to recognize bullying and prevent it.
Talk. They Hear You. — This SAMHSA app to prevent underage drinking gives users tools to talk with children and teens about the dangers of alcohol.
The Savvy Social Worker — Get the latest on new developments in social work practice, including best practices and evidence-based practices , in an e-news reader format.
Suicide Safe — The Suicide Safe app by SAMHSA teaches users how to use the SAFE-T approach when working with patients. It also provides treatment resources, crisis lines, fact sheets and educational opportunities.

Get the Social Work Support You Need

There are thousands of social work resources available to help you succeed in your social work career and better serve your clients. Refer to this guide for social worker resources that can help.