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The Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work (GWSCSW) was established in 1975 to promote and advance specialization of clinical practice within the social work profession. It is an organization of graduate clinical social workers who practice in a variety of settings including mental health clinics, family agencies, psychiatric hospitals, medical facilities and private practice in the Metropolitan Washington area.
GWSCSW was instrumental in creating licensure for Clinical Social Workers in the District of Columbia.
GWSCSW lobbies actively in the District, Maryland, and Virginia to continue to protect licensure, as well as providing leadership, clarification and support on legislative and insurance (and managed care) issues that affect your practice in clinical social work.
GWSCSW has developed standards for the profession and has produced enriching educational programs, a referral panel, a mentorship program, an informative newsletter, and much more. Members share rewarding collegiality.
GWSCSW is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt corporation with a Board of Directors composed of committee chairpersons and member elected officers.
GWSCSW is an affiliate member of the Clinical Social Work Association (CSWF), a network of clinical social workers and societies across the country. The Society actively works with the Association to represent and support the interests of clinical social workers at the state and national level.
If you share our commitment to protecting and promoting the ethical and professional recognition of clinical social workers, we encourage you to join us at the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work.
GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Our Society’s mission is to promote the highest
standards of clinical social work practice, and the highest educational and
training standards as well; to advance and disseminate clinical social work
knowledge; to educate the public about clinical social work; to pursue
political/legislative goals protecting the professional interests of clinical
social workers; and to work with other health care professionals on issues of
common concern such as treatment of mental and emotional disorders.
Implementation of these objectives is achieved through:
- Continuing education courses on a variety of clinical topics
- Annual educational conference
- Quarterly dinner meetings, with clinical presentations
- Continuing Education credits for all events at no extra cost;
- Quarterly Newsletter with State and Federal legislative news, trends in managed care, notices of educational offerings, alerts about requirements for licensing and certification, and more;
- Membership e-list for the latest information on legislative, insurance, patient privacy, and other clinical, professional, and legislative information;
- Annual Membership Directory for professional networking;
- Referral Panel;
- Study groups, peer supervision groups, and mentoring opportunities;
- Lobbyists advocating in state assembly hearings on matters of interest to clinical social workers, and keeping members informed grassroots support is needed.
GWSCSW is an affiliate of the Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA), the voice of clinical social work at the national level. In addition to legislative reports and alerts, CSWA provides an invaluable service with its helpline for consultation in professional ethics, standards of practice, managed care, and the law (800/270-9739). Society members who become individual members of the Association receive legislative reports and alerts directly; they can order reduced-rate subscriptions for the highly respected Clinical Social Work Journal, as well as malpractice, comprehensive life, and disability insurance.