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Cottage Health
Santa Barbara, California

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Social WorkerIncludes callFull-Time

Listed compensation

$54.99-$83.86/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 3mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital seeks a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for their Medical Social Work department responsible for performing bio-psycho-social assessments, care coordination and clinical interventions, program development & discharge planning.

Effectively intervenes with medically and psychosocially complex patients, while demonstrating the ability to understand complex dynamics related to the clinical situation.

Medical Social Worker ensures that the patient and family experience adhere to Cottage Health Patient First Philosophy and is consistent with the Mission and Vision of our health care organization.

Qualifications

All job qualifications listed indicate the minimum level necessary to perform this job proficiently.

Education

  • Minimum: Master's in Social Work (MSW) degree from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited School of Social Work.

Certifications, Licenses, Registrations

  • Minimum: Current California Clinical Social Work License (LCSW) required upon hire. California Children Services (CCS) paneling is required within six months of hire.
  • Preferred: California Children Services (CCS) paneling is required within six months of hire. Certified Social Worker in Health Care (C-SWHC).

Years of Related Work Experience

  • Minimum: 1-2 years of relevant clinical social work experience required.
  • Preferred: 3-4 years of related experience in a healthcare setting preferred.

Cottage Health is a leading acute care hospital system, located on the central coast of California, widely known for our superior patient care, innovation, medical research and education. Our health system operates primarily in Santa Barbara, CA, since 1888, and consists of three acute care hospitals, a Rehabilitation Hospital, multiple clinics and a multi-site Urgent Care system.

Our mission is to serve the central coast communities with excellence, integrity, and compassion. Every day we touch thousands of lives in many different ways, resolute in our mission to put patients first. We take pride in helping our patients get back to living their lives - in the places they love.

Cottage Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Cottage Health applicants are considered solely based on their qualifications, without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, transgender, gender expression and identity, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, military status or any other classification protected by law.

This policy applies to all aspects of the relationship between Cottage Health and an applicant or employee. Cottage Health is committed to upholding discrimination-free hiring practices.

We strive to cultivate an environment where exceptional people bring diverse perspectives and find belonging, support and connection to their work.

Any Cottage Health applicants who require assistance or reasonable accommodations during the application process may request the need for accommodation with the Recruiter.

*Pay for non-physician positions is determined based on related years of experience and internal equity. Eligible employees may also receive additional forms of compensation, including shift differentials, on-call pay, incentive pay, and bonus opportunities, where applicable. Manager and above positions may participate in Cottage Health’s annual management incentive program. Physician compensation is determined based upon specialty and may include bonus potential.

For more information on our comprehensive Total Rewards offerings, please visit cottagehealth.org.

If you're already a Cottage Health employee, please apply on this link only.

Key Responsibilities

Perform bio-psycho-social assessments, care coordination, and clinical interventions for medically and psychosocially complex patients. Manage program development and discharge planning while adhering to the Patient First Philosophy.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Case ManagementCrisis InterventionPatient Advocacy

Social Worker Career Context

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$144k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $130k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Jobs

26 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution22 jobs · 16 employers

5
<$105k
6
$105k-120k
5
$120k-135k
6
$135k-150k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks19 jobs · 16 employers

401k / retirement match
89% this job
Sign-on bonus
37%
CME allowance
26%
Loan repayment
11%
PSLF eligible
5%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Adelphi Staffing · White Plains, New York

$70/hr
#2

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

LifeStance Health · West Linn, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Social Worker LCSW

$43.39-$67.37/hr
#4

Remote (LCSW) Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Virginia

$66/hr
+ 24 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 2,010 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call

Living in Santa Barbara

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.91M
Typical market rent
$3,692/mo
Residents’ average commute
17 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.8
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Cottage Health logo

About Cottage Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Santa Barbara, California
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
Life Insurance
Disability
Retirement Plan
Paid Time Off