Your membership powers progress. Together, we create change.
Every day, social workers are renewing their commitment to driving real change.
See the growing collective power below. Every member strengthens our voice.
What your membership powers
This is the impact your membership makes possible. This is how you created change.
National progress on professional recognition. Social work is now formally recognised by Australia’s largest private health insurer, Medibank, and the Australian Regional Health Group, following successful advocacy for professional parity and access.
National Mental Health Workforce Sector Advisory Group. The AASW successfully secured a seat at the table to oversee implementation of the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy 2022-2032.
WorkCover WA. Achieving fee parity with psychologists, AASW has successfully advocated for AMHSWs to be recognised as providers under the new Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023, effective as of 1 July 2024.
Fairer pay and employment conditions. In NSW, we’re preparing formal evidence for the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) fee review — advocating for higher pay rates and recognition that reflects the work you do.
Family Law Reform. The AASW advised the Federal Attorney-General’s Department on a clearer definition of the best interests of children, particularly regarding harm of family violence in parenting disputes. We also advocated for improvements regarding qualifications necessary to prepare Family Reports and recommended that AASW membership be mandatory for all Family Report Writers.
Work Development Orders (NSW). Worked with NSW Department of Communities and Justice to include social workers as sponsors and mental health providers in the scheme which allows people to reduce a fine by up to $1,000 a month by doing unpaid work, course, counselling, mentoring or treatment programs.
Justice-led advocacy. From calling out care system failures to backing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples-led reforms, we’re making sure the values of the profession are represented, visibly and vocally.
A Sustained Commitment to Change
And while some outcomes are visible, the path to change is built on consistent, behind-the-scenes work crafting detailed submissions, developing policy resources, and engaging directly with ministers, departmental leaders, and key stakeholders to ensure social work is represented where decisions are made.
Real change takes all of us. Here’s why your peers are renewing.
Across Australia, social workers are choosing to stay connected, and push for the recognition our profession deserves. Hear why it matters to them – and why your renewal is part of something bigger.
Through my membership with AASW, I know I'm contributing to the growth of the profession. I feel like my membership matters even though I'm just one person. If everybody joins, we have such a powerful voice. That's important.
Being an AASW members matters to me because it puts me in contact with other social workers. We network. We share experiences. We learn from each other – it also gives me opportunities to be part of advocacy processes. So it's intrinsic to who I am as a social worker.
I joined AASW, and I choose to renew each year because I want to be part of something bigger.
I’m proud to be a member because it means being an agent of change with the ability and skills to make a difference.
You will be part of an organisation that will support you in your career for the whole of your career. It will support you to grow as a social worker, and maintain your professional identity in whatever role you are in. And you know that you'll be a member of a community of social workers – forever!
Renewing my membership with AASW reflects my commitment to the hope that social workers will eventually be recognised as very strong and equal members of the professional field. I know I'm contributing to the growth of the profession. I'm contributing to the power of advocacy.
Your membership powers progress. Together, we create change.
Every renewal adds weight to our advocacy. Every member strengthens our voice — in policy, in practice, and across the profession.
🗓️ Renew by 30 June to continue your support for the future of social work.
We’re here to support you in your social work practice
Your membership helps protect your practice with professional indemnity insurance, ethics and practice consultation, and access to legal support. It supports your professional growth with CPD, mentoring, advisory services, job opportunities through the Horizon Career Centre, and networking with peers across the profession.
For more information about what’s included in your membership, visit the member benefits page.