Founded in 1955 the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest organization of professional social workers in the world, with over 145,000 members in 56 chapters. The Iowa Chapter of NASW is the major professional social work organization in the state. NASW is committed to the mission of advancing professional social work practice and the profession; and to promoting human rights, social and economic justice, and unimpeded access to services for everyone. The more than 1,100 Iowa members work in a broad range of settings including hospitals and other health care settings, community agencies, government, academia, business, nursing homes, schools, and private practice.