What does a social worker do? An Australian answer

At a glance

• What they can do: therapy, practical support, and work with the systems around you, often in the same session.
• Where they work: hospitals, schools, community services, and private practice.
• Qualification: an AASW-accredited Bachelor of Social Work or qualifying Master of Social Work. An overseas qualification recognised by the AASW also counts.
• Medicare rebate: yes, if they are an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and you have a referral from your GP.
• NDIS funding: yes, if they are an AASW member.
• Professional regulation: a self-regulated profession. Standards are set by the Australian Association of Social Workers. Social workers are not registered through AHPRA.
• Where to find one: the AASW Find a Social Worker directory.

What does a social worker actually do?

A social worker looks at you and at the situation you live in. Both are treated as part of the same picture.

That looks different depending on where they work. A social worker in a hospital does different work from one in a school. A social worker in private practice does different work again. The profession is broad on purpose, and that breadth is part of why it gets misread.

The work is more clinical than most people expect. In an AASW survey of Accredited Mental Health Social Workers, 57 per cent of their clients presented with complex mental health needs (August 2022).

The Australian Association of Social Workers lists the work as including:

• Assessment, and therapy with individuals and families.
• Evidence-based treatment.
• Grief and bereavement counselling.
• Couple and family work.
• Culturally responsive practice.

Is a social worker just a case manager?

This is the misconception the profession meets most.

Many people picture a social worker as the person who helps with Centrelink forms and lines up services. Some social workers do exactly that. It is real, skilled work.

But it is not the whole profession. In private practice it is often not the work at all.

"Particularly in private practice, social workers tend to work more therapeutically. We have a bit of a different lens. We are trained to work holistically, from that systems lens."

Caitlin Hughes, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Cathartic Collaborations. She also joined us on the podcast to talk about why the old rules do not fit.

That is the difference. A social worker is trained to hold you and the systems around you in the same hour. The funding, the school, the workplace, the housing, the family. And how all of it is landing on you.

For a neurodivergent adult or family, that combination is often the point. Very little about being neurodivergent in Australia is only internal.

What is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker?

An Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, or AMHSW, is a social worker who holds a specific credential from the Australian Association of Social Workers.

It is not automatic and it is not quick. To hold it, a social worker needs:

• Current AASW membership, and post-qualifying experience gained after graduating from an AASW-accredited social work programme.
• At least two years of full-time-equivalent practice in a mental health setting, within the last five years. That is a minimum of 3,360 hours.
• At least two years of full-time-equivalent professional supervision in a mental health setting over the same period.
• Evidence of competence in Focused Psychological Strategies, case studies from their own practice, referee statements, and continuing professional development.

Source: AASW Accredited Mental Health Social Worker application criteria.

Can I get a Medicare rebate to see a social worker?

Yes, if they are an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker.

AMHSWs are one of the allied health professions that can deliver private mental health services under Medicare. Under Better Access, you need a referral and a mental health treatment plan from your GP.

A GP Chronic Condition Management Plan is a separate Medicare pathway. It covers up to five allied health services a year, and a mental health service from a social worker is one of them.

In the AASW survey, 93 per cent of Accredited Mental Health Social Workers said their clients receive Better Access rebates (August 2022).

A social worker who is not mental health accredited can still see you privately. There will just be no Medicare rebate attached.

Two things worth asking before you book. Are you an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker? And can you bill under Better Access or a Chronic Condition Management Plan?

Our fact sheet on getting health care as a neurodivergent adult covers what to do when the referral itself is the hard part.

Can I use NDIS funding to see a social worker?

Yes. AASW members can provide NDIS-funded therapy supports, where those supports are in your plan. That includes Accredited Mental Health Social Workers.

The NDIS funds therapy supports that help you build skills and independence, or keep the ones you have. That includes social and relationship skills, psychosocial functioning, and community living. Social work is named on the list of therapy supports the NDIS can fund. Providers must be registered with AHPRA, or accredited by the peak body for a self-regulated profession. AASW membership is what does that for social workers. (What are therapy supports, NDIA, current as at July 2026.)

"I have had GPs advise my clients that AMHSWs are not qualified to provide therapeutic support under Better Access. I have also had NDIA plan managers advise NDIS participants that social workers and AMHSWs are not qualified to provide therapeutic supports through their NDIS plans. This misinformation has caused distress for some of my clients and, at times, required considerable advocacy on my part to maintain continuity of care where other professionals have acted as gatekeepers without an accurate understanding of the social work profession."

Caitlin Hughes, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Cathartic Collaborations.

How is social work regulated in Australia?

Social work is a self-regulated profession in Australia. Social workers are not registered through AHPRA. The Australian Association of Social Workers sets the practice standards and the code of ethics. AASW membership is not compulsory in order to practise as a qualified social worker.

Psychology and occupational therapy are different. Both are regulated through AHPRA. Speech pathology is self-regulated through its own professional body, as social work is.

A qualified social worker will have completed an AASW-accredited social work degree, or hold an overseas qualification recognised as equivalent. They may or may not be a current AASW member.

Accredited Mental Health Social Workers are different again. They must hold AASW membership and meet the extra accreditation requirements to keep the credential.

Things you can ask: What social work qualification do you hold? Are you a current AASW member? And, if you want Medicare-rebated support, are you an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker?

When might a social worker be the right fit for you?

There is no ranking here. Different practitioners are trained for different things.

"This isn't about positioning one profession as better than another. It's about helping people understand what each profession brings, so they can make an informed choice about what feels like the best fit for them, their family, and their circumstances."

Caitlin Hughes, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Cathartic Collaborations.

Many social workers are trained in frameworks shaped by the social model of disability. That model looks beyond the individual. It asks how environments, systems and social barriers shape a person's experience. That can sit closely with neuroaffirming practice, though every practitioner differs. You can read more of what we publish on neuroaffirming practice.

A social worker may suit you when:

• The systems around you are part of what you are carrying. You want someone who can work on those and with you in the same hour.
• You want therapy, and you also want someone who already understands funding and services.
• You are going through a transition where the practical and the emotional are tangled together.
• Work is part of it, and you are weighing up questions like whether to tell your employer you are neurodivergent.
• You want a practitioner whose training starts from context, not from the individual alone.

How do I find a social worker?

The AASW runs a public Find a Social Worker directory. You can filter it for Accredited Mental Health Social Workers.

If you are outside a capital city, the odds are better than you might think. In the AASW survey, 47 per cent of Accredited Mental Health Social Workers worked outside metropolitan areas. That was 31 per cent in regional areas and 16 per cent in rural or remote Australia (August 2022).

Are you a practitioner rather than someone looking for one? We have a page about working with families and adults who use Understanding Zoe.

Before the first appointment

The first session is short and your history is long. Most people try to summarise years from memory, and the things that matter get left out.

It helps to arrive with it written down. What has been happening, what you have already tried, what is working, and the questions you want answered. A page of notes does the job. Understanding Zoe will build the same thing from what you have already recorded, as an appointment prep document you can export and hand over.

Common questions

Can I see a social worker instead of a psychologist under Medicare?

Yes. Accredited Mental Health Social Workers are eligible providers under the same Better Access initiative as psychologists.

You need a referral and a mental health treatment plan from your GP. The scheme sets the number of rebated sessions. Each practitioner sets their own fee, so there may be a gap to pay. The rebate can also differ by profession and by the item billed.

Do I need a GP referral to see a social worker?

No. You can see a social worker privately without a referral.

If you want a Medicare rebate, the social worker must be an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker. Under Better Access, you need a mental health treatment plan from your GP. Under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, you need an eligible referral from your GP.

What does AMHSW stand for?

Accredited Mental Health Social Worker. It is a credential from the Australian Association of Social Workers, not a separate degree. It needs at least two years of mental health practice, and two years of supervision, after an AASW-accredited degree. It is what makes Medicare rebates possible.

Is a social worker the same as a support coordinator?

No. Support coordination is a funded role under the NDIS that helps you use your plan. Social work is a profession with its own degree and standards. Some social workers do work as support coordinators. Some support coordinators are not social workers at all.

How do I check that someone is a qualified social worker?

Ask whether they hold an AASW-accredited social work degree, or an overseas qualification the AASW recognises. You can also ask whether they are a current AASW member. If you want a Medicare rebate, check they hold the Accredited Mental Health Social Worker credential. The Find a Social Worker directory only lists members who chose to be listed. It is not a complete register.

Can a social worker help with NDIS paperwork and therapy at the same time?

Often, yes, and it is one of the reasons people choose one. Social work training covers both the therapeutic work and the systems around it. What each practitioner offers still varies. Ask them directly what is and is not part of their service.

References

• Australian Association of Social Workers, Information for GPs. What social workers and AMHSWs do.
• Australian Association of Social Workers, AMHSW application criteria. The credential requirements quoted above.
• Australian Association of Social Workers, Mental health social work: enabling better access. AASW survey, August 2022. Source of the 57, 93 and 47 per cent figures.
• Australian Government Department of Health, Better Access initiative.
• Services Australia, Mental health care and Medicare.
• Services Australia, GP Chronic Condition Management Plan.
• Medicare Benefits Schedule, note AN.15.4. Names social workers as eligible providers of a mental health service under a chronic condition management plan.
• National Disability Insurance Agency, What are therapy supports.
• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. The national scheme social work sits outside.
• Australian Association of Social Workers, Code of ethics.
• Australian Association of Social Workers, Practice standards.