The ISTISSS (Institute of Studies on Social Services), created in 1960, is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization.

The role of ISTISSS is one of study, research, documentation, the organisation of conferences, new book presentations, leisure activities and social tourism, the testing of services and the dissemination of the results of social and health schemes, with the overall aim of creating and monitoring an established social services framework.

The ISTISSS for more then 40 years has been a constant point of reference for all workers in the health and social services field with its publications.

The ISTISSS, with its knowledge and study of current transformation processes, is the point of reference for the drawing up of programs in response to and for the prevention of social problems, in relation to the needs of a modern democratic society. It provides consultancy and proposals for the formulation of national, regional and local measures for socially oriented organisations.
It also cooperates with municipal, provincial and regional authorities, state bodies and any public, private, Italian or foreign institution or organisation working towards the goals described above, sometimes on the basis of specific formal agreements.

The ISTISSS, since 1960, publishes a quarterly Review “La Rivista di Servizio Sociale” (The Review of Social Work), the “Quaderni della Rivista di Servizio Sociale” (the Review of Social Work’s Copy-Books) , “La Collana di Servizio Sociale” (The Social Work Collection), and a series of studies and research work.

The ISTISSS library has about ten thousand books and many specialist periodicals, both past and present. The collection is made up of 6.000 volumes and numerous periodicals that the Institute donated to the Rome Provincial Administration (the Provincial Social Services Library), plus the 4.000 volumes and a many more periodicals on the Institute’s own premises.
Taken as a whole, the library is a highly important collection of specialist social service publications, containing historical volumes, series of current publications by major publishers, specialist periodicals, social, health and educational conference reports, particularly significant or award-winning doctoral theses and historical and current material of particular scientific interest in the areas in question.

The ISTISSS carries out  training, meetings, publishing trade about social work, applied social sciences, social planning. The Institute, thanks also to its international connections, helps with the setting up of training programs and permanent training schemes for workers in all areas of social services. In particular, the Institute encourages international exchanges and comparative European schemes and takes part in the research and training activities of international projects within the framework of the EU, the FSE and other European Institutions.