The world is changing—and social work must evolve to meet its most urgent demands. From poverty and inequality to mental health crises and climate change, today’s social workers face more than individual cases. They face system-wide challenges that require bold, coordinated action. That’s why the Grand Challenges of Social Work were created.
This national initiative, launched by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW), identifies the biggest problems facing society and calls on the profession to help solve them. These aren’t just social work problems—they’re public problems, and they demand innovative, interdisciplinary solutions.
The challenges of social work today are not limited to one setting or one population. Whether you’re working in child welfare, housing, healthcare, or justice reform, the grand challenges for social work shape the goals we strive toward.
In this post, we’ll explore:
Let’s take a closer look at where these challenges came from, and why they matter more than ever.
| Grand Challenge | Primary Focus |
|---|---|
| Ensure Healthy Development for All Youth | Prevention, mental health, education |
| Close the Health Gap | Health equity, chronic illness, access |
| Stop Family Violence | Prevention, intervention, trauma support |
| Advance Long and Productive Lives | Aging, elder care, financial stability |
| Eradicate Social Isolation | Loneliness, digital equity, community ties |
| End Homelessness | Housing-first models, systems change |
| Create Social Responses to a Changing Environment | Climate justice, disaster response |
| Harness Technology for Social Good | Telehealth, digital inclusion, innovation |
| Promote Smart Decarceration | Justice reform, reentry, diversion |
| Reduce Extreme Economic Inequality | Policy, wage equity, wealth gaps |
| Build Financial Capability for All | Financial literacy, inclusion, security |
| Achieve Equal Opportunity and Justice | Anti-racism, systemic reform, equity |
The Grand Challenges of Social Work are a national effort to focus the profession’s attention on society’s most pressing problems. Developed by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, the initiative identifies 12 interrelated goals that guide innovation in social welfare, human services, and community-based care.
These challenges aren’t just policy ambitions—they reflect real struggles facing millions of people every day: economic hardship, racial and social injustices, family violence, behavioral health problems, and more.
Each challenge is designed to advance social progress by mobilizing practitioners, researchers, and communities. For example, the goal to reduce extreme economic inequality calls on social workers to address wage gaps, improve access to quality affordable financial services, and promote basic income security for vulnerable families.
Similarly, the challenge to ensure healthy development for all youth includes narrowing the health gap, expanding access to early intervention, and supporting families through trauma and severe mental illness.
Other goals highlight the need to:
By working across systems—from schools and clinics to courts and nonprofits—social workers are uniquely positioned to lead change. These challenges align with the core mission of the field: to enhance well-being, promote justice, and strengthen the fabric of society.
Each of the 12 social work grand challenges represents a national priority—problems that affect millions and demand collective, interdisciplinary action. Below is an overview of each challenge, how it connects to the profession’s goals, and how professional social workers can lead solutions.
Support young people through early intervention, trauma-informed care, and equitable education access.
Address inadequate access to basic health care, with a focus on underserved communities.
Protect individuals—especially children and survivors of gender-based violence—by improving services and practice innovation.
Promote lifelong engagement, lifelong income generation, and dignity in aging for all.
Eradicate social isolation by strengthening local communities and promoting intergenerational connection.
Develop policies and programs that promote affordable housing and support urban development strategies.
Prepare for climate disruption and a changing global environment with social strategies rooted in equity and inclusion.
Use digital tools to improve human well-being, expand access to services, and close tech gaps through harnessing technology.
Advance criminal justice reform through alternatives to incarceration and trauma-informed support.
Expose unfair practices and address social isolation through wage equity, labor protections, and inclusive policies.
Support financial literacy, budgeting, and affordable housing access to promote just society outcomes.
Combat unfair practices and addressing racial injustice by advancing inclusive, anti-oppressive systems across sectors.
By uniting through the grand challenge network, professional social workers can reshape outcomes in health, housing, education, and equity. These efforts not only address social work grand challenges, but also support a more just society for future generations.
The Grand Challenges of Social Work were designed to be ambitious—but not theoretical. In today’s world, their urgency is even greater. From escalating behavioral problems in youth to deepening inequities in social and human services, these challenges remain highly relevant.
Many of the problems facing marginalized groups are rooted in systemic neglect. But the solutions don’t have to be speculative. Across the country, proven interventions and evidence based programs are already making a difference. These models provide a roadmap for creating measurable progress, especially when they’re supported by policy and funded with equity in mind.
For example, initiatives that combine housing with public safety supports have reduced recidivism and improved family stability. Likewise, community-based mental health programs are addressing both crisis prevention and professional growth among social workers.
At the heart of every grand challenge is a commitment to social justice. Whether that means advocating for tax benefits that support low-income families or expanding access to care for behavioral problems, social work’s mission remains constant: empower communities, transform systems, and serve with purpose.
As noted by the Oxford University Press, sustained progress in social welfare requires not just good intentions, but rigorous, adaptable practice rooted in research.
The Grand Challenges of Social Work are ambitious—but they are not out of reach. Every social worker, whether in direct practice or policy work, plays a vital role in advancing progress.
In clinical settings, practitioners can apply evidence-based programs to treat behavioral problems, trauma, and mental health concerns. Building trust with clients—especially from marginalized groups—is foundational. Practitioners should also regularly engage in professional growth by staying current with research and emerging proven interventions.
Community social workers strengthen social and human services by building partnerships with nonprofits, schools, and public safety networks. They are uniquely positioned to lead measurable progress efforts by collecting feedback, mapping local needs, and designing responsive programs.
For instance, addressing housing instability or lack of access to care often requires direct collaboration with local communities, service providers, and advocacy groups.
Those working at the macro level shape policies that influence funding, program design, and legal protections. Advocating for tax benefits, better employment practices, and equitable distribution of social welfare resources is key to systemic reform.
Whether advocating for affordable housing or expanding access to mental health care, macro practitioners keep social justice at the center of the conversation.
Every level of social work matters. Whether you’re building one-on-one relationships or designing community-wide solutions, you are helping bring the grand challenges to life in real, measurable ways.
The Grand Challenges of Social Work are more than a list—they are a blueprint for the future of the profession. They call on us to be more than helpers. They call on us to be builders, advocates, and leaders for social justice.
From addressing behavioral problems to reducing economic inequality, these challenges reflect what society needs most. They are rooted in decades of research, shaped by frontline experience, and grounded in the lived realities of those we serve—especially marginalized groups.
Whether you work in a clinic, a school, a courtroom, or a city hall, your role matters. Every small shift in how we practice, organize, or advocate contributes to larger social progress. Through proven interventions, collaboration, and courageous policy work, professional social workers are equipped to tackle these problems with integrity and impact.
The road ahead is complex—but it’s also full of opportunity. As a profession, we’re not just responding to crises. We’re creating the conditions for a better, more equitable world.
The challenge is grand. So is our potential.
