The Social Service Workers Association for Nursing Homes was founded in 1980 to provide support, education, and networking opportunities for social service workers in long-term care facilities. It began in Philadelphia and has since branched out to all adjacent counties, parts of New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley.

Nursing homes have been our primary area of focus, but our outreach has expanded to include rehabilitation facilities, continuing care communities and independent residences. SSWANH membership has also reached out to social service workers in private and public agencies, hospitals and educational institutions.

Our mission is to provide support to our members through sharing information, networking, and problem solving. Continuing education has always been a priority for SSWANH. Workshops and seminars are held throughout the year to provide training on new regulations, offer new information and concrete tools for creative interventions with our clients, and give insights into the many roles and responsibilities of the social work professional. A resource library is available for personal education, staff training, or support groups. A quarterly newsletter, "Ponderings", keeps social workers up to date with news about SSWANH and current social work issues. We also support education by providing a yearly tuition grant to a social work student through the Charlotte Yablonsky Memorial Fund, named for the founder of SSWANH.