Approved Social Worker. Approved Social Workers (ASW) have specialist training and experience in identifying disorders of mental health and are familiar with the problems experienced by users of mental health services and their families.They are employed by Local Authority Social Services and work in hospitals and in the community as part of the community mental health teams.They will organise social care support for people in contact with mental health services, such as helping with housing and getting welfare benefits.They work closely with health professionals and, under the current Mental Health Act, they work with two doctors to assess a person who may need admitting to hospital. Social workers can also act as care coordinators for people on care programmes.