Upcoming CEU Event
Submit Your Proposal Today!
Have an idea, strategy, or practice insight to share with Arkansas’s social work community? The Social Work Action Coalition is accepting session proposals for its 2027 Annual Conference, March 3–5 at Embassy Suites in Little Rock.
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We welcome proposals on micro, mezzo, and macro social work practice. Sessions should offer attendees practical knowledge, tools, or skills they can apply in their work. Social workers, educators, advocates, and other professionals are encouraged to submit.
Proposal deadline: November 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
About Us
Mission:
The Social Work Action Coalition (SWAC) strengthens and mobilizes social workers across Arkansas through high-quality professional education, leadership development, advocacy, and collaboration so that the profession is protected, social workers are equipped to lead, and communities across our state are stronger and more just.
Vision:
The Social Work Action Coalition (SWAC) envisions an engaged, unified community of Arkansas social workers and social work allies empowered to lead change.
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Through high-quality education, ethical leadership, effective advocacy, and strong professional networks, we work to protect the integrity of the social work profession and advance social justice across Arkansas.
Core Values:
Ethical Action and Accountability: We believe meaningful change requires showing up, doing the work, and following through with integrity. We lead with transparency, professional responsibility, and ethical courage, and we hold ourselves accountable to the profession, the public, and the communities we serve.
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Leadership at Every Level: We believe all social workers are leaders in agencies, communities, classrooms, and policy spaces, and we intentionally develop leadership capacity across the profession.
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Justice, Dignity, and Equity: We are committed to advancing social justice, protecting vulnerable populations, and promoting systems that honor human dignity and equity.
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Building and Advancing the Social Work Community: We believe the social work profession is strongest when social workers are connected, supported, and continually growing. We are committed to building an inclusive, statewide professional community that fosters belonging, collaboration, mentorship, and excellence in practice, leadership, and advocacy.
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Effective Advocacy: We engage in responsible, ethical, and nonpartisan advocacy to address policies and systems that affect communities and the profession.
Who we are:
Social Work Action Coalition (SWAC) is a statewide organization founded by Arkansas social workers. We believe deeply in the responsibility of our profession to support people in difficult moments and to help shape the systems and policies that affect their lives. We are practitioners, leaders, supervisors, educators, and advocates who live and work in the communities we serve.
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SWAC was intentionally built as something new. After years of working together in leadership, advocacy, and professional education spaces, our founding board made the decision to create a new organization that could be fully aligned with our values, our vision, and our commitment to ethical, transparent, and impact-driven work. Rather than stepping away from this work, we chose to build something that could carry it forward with clarity and purpose.
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While SWAC itself is new, the people leading it are not new to this work. This founding board brings years of experience advocating at the Capitol, organizing statewide professional education, developing leaders, and showing up consistently for the profession and for Arkansas communities. We did not start from zero — we started with experience, relationships, and a deep understanding of what this profession needs.
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SWAC exists because Arkansas social workers deserve a strong, independent voice. We believe in accessible, high-quality professional education. We believe in intentionally developing leaders. We believe in thoughtful, ethical advocacy. And we believe in building a professional community that is connected, courageous, and prepared to meet the challenges ahead.
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We are grounded in the core values of social work and committed to ethical leadership, professional excellence, and meaningful impact. But more than anything, we are committed to action. This is a working coalition of social workers who are building something new and building it to last.
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This is Arkansas social workers shaping the future of the profession in Arkansas.
Goals:
Strengthen Professional Education and Development
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Provide high-quality, relevant, and practical training that strengthens both practice and leadership skills.
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Expand continuing education opportunities that are responsive to emerging issues, interventions, and workforce needs in Arkansas.
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Promote lifelong learning and professional excellence to elevate standards across the profession statewide.
Advance Effective and Ethical Advocacy
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Inform and influence public policy through education, research, and nonpartisan advocacy that impacts social workers, vulnerable populations, and the communities we serve.
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Equip social workers with the skills, tools, and confidence to advocate at the local, state, and national levels.
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Collaborate with partners across Arkansas to advance systemic change, protect the profession, and promote equitable outcomes.
Build and Sustain Strong Professional Networks
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Foster a connected, statewide community of social workers grounded in shared values and collaboration.
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Create meaningful avenues for peer support, mentorship, and cross-sector partnerships.
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Strengthen connections between students, early-career professionals, and experienced leaders to build a strong and sustainable professional pipeline.
Empower Social Workers to Lead Change
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Strengthen social work leadership across Arkansas by expanding and advancing the Social Work Leadership Academy.
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Provide structured, high-impact leadership development that equips participants to lead organizations, systems, and communities.
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Cultivate both emerging and established leaders who can guide agencies, influence policy, and drive ethical, systemic change.
