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Stanford Health Care
Palo Alto, California

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) - Emergency Department

Social WorkerIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$52.69-$69.82/hr

The week · per this posting · Wednesday – Friday

Ask the employer about call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 5mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

If you're ready to be part of our legacy of hope and innovation, we encourage you to take the first step and explore our current job openings. Your best is waiting to be discovered. Night - 10 Hour (United States of America) This is an Overnight Emergency Department position.

Schedule

o 10:00 pm - 8:30 am. o Wednesday through Friday, with rotating Saturdays. This is an onsite Stanford Health Care job.

A Brief Overview Social Work Clinician is the entry, developmental, and first working level of professional social work for employees who are recent graduates as well as those who have professional social work experience but are not yet licensed as Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) by the State of California.

Employees initially work under close clinical supervision and are expected to develop casework and treatment skills as training and experience are gained. As increasing knowledge and competency are demonstrated, supervision is correspondingly reduced.

The Social Work Job Family consists of three levels of professional non-supervisory social work in a health care institutional setting at LPCH and SHC: Social Work Clinician, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Advanced Clinical Social Worker.

This job family is limited to those positions that require a Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) from an accredited school of social work.

As a member of a multidisciplinary health care team, Medical Social Workers provide appropriate intervention services and/or discharge planning to patients and/or clients as well as their families receiving services within any department of the Stanford University Medical Center.

Work typically involves a variety of bio-psycho-social issues, assessment of the social needs as related to the patient's/client's health status, and the development of a plan of services, including advocacy, discharge planning, referrals and practical assistance necessary to accomplish desired objectives.

Provides consultation, orientation and training to health care staff on the effects of bio-psycho-social, cultural and economic issues on the management of patient/client health needs.

Locations Stanford Health Care (Palo Alto, CA; onsite) What you will do Collaborates with interdisciplinary health care teams to treat and plan for the social and medical needs of patients by consulting with other providers and making referrals. Devises, develops and implements treatment plans as necessary.

May make a diagnosis as part of a treatment plan. Conducts initial assessment of all new patients to evaluate social, emotional and physical needs by applying social work theories and techniques; interviews and evaluates patients and family members.

Identifies factors which may interfere with obtaining maximum benefits from treatment. Develops and implements patient management plans, including the coordination of referrals to specialty and social services, the recording of progress notes and the provision of continuity of care.

Helps clients cope with environmental and psychological issues of illness by explaining options and treatments as well as making appropriate referrals. Manages assigned caseload.

Prepares and maintains records and makes written and oral reports to document case activity concerning patient care, counseling and therapeutic activities in accordance with department, hospital, medical center and/or health system policies. Prepares reports and other documents concerning patients.

Participates in monitoring and evaluating the quality and appropriateness of patient care.

Provides supportive counseling, grief counseling, crisis intervention and other appropriate therapeutic services to assist patients and families in coping with presenting symptoms and problems such as, for example, coping with illness, accepting medical recommendations, and loss of function.

Provides education to patients and families around issues related to adaptation to the patient's diagnosis, illness, treatment and/or life situation. Education

Qualifications

Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) from an accredited college or university; OR be within forty-five (45) days of completion of the requirements for graduation with an MSW from an accredited college or university.

Candidates who meet this qualification and furnish a letter from the Dean of the School Work where they are a student in good standing attesting to this may receive a conditional offer of employment.

Such new hires must provide proof of possession of an MSW degree from an accredited college or university within forty-five (45) days of their date of hire, as a condition of continued employment.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Ability to apply theories, principles and practices of medical social work and of social services delivery systems in a hospital or medical center setting. Ability to gather data needed to assess needs of patients and families.

Ability to manage a caseload, recall case details; maintain confidentiality of information; determine the appropriate course of action in emergencies and other stressful situations. Ability to provide written case narratives and reports.

Knowledge of and ability to apply effective assessment, interviewing, and counseling techniques. Knowledge of and ability to apply social work theories, principles and techniques.

Knowledge of hospital and medical center resources to access and provide for patient care needs, and act on behalf of client needs to obtain necessary services.

Knowledge of needs, problems, attitudes, and behavior of hospital patients and their families These principles apply to ALL employees: SHC Commitment to Providing an Exceptional Patient & Family Experience Stanford Health Care sets a high standard for delivering value and an exceptional experience for our patients and families.

Candidates for employment and existing employees must adopt and execute C-I-CARE standards for all of patients, families and towards each other. C-I-CARE is the foundation of Stanford’s patient-experience and represents a framework for patient-centered interactions.

Simply put, we do what it takes to enable and empower patients and families to focus on health, healing and recovery. You will do this by executing against our three experience pillars, from the patient and family’s perspective: Know Me: Anticipate my needs and status to deliver effective care.

Show Me the Way: Guide and prompt my actions to arrive at better outcomes and better health. Coordinate for Me: Own the complexity of my care through coordination

Equal Opportunity Employer

Stanford Health Care (SHC) strongly values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in all of its policies and practices, including the area of employment.

Accordingly, SHC does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity and/or expression, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or disability, or the perception of any of the above.

People of all genders, members of all racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Qualified applicants with criminal convictions will be considered after an individualized assessment of the conviction and the job requirements.

Base Pay Scale: Generally starting at $52.69 - $69.82 per hour The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training. This pay scale is not a promise of a particular wage.

At Stanford Health Care, we seek to provide patients with the very best in diagnosis and treatment, with outstanding quality, compassion and coordination.

With an unmatched track record of scientific discovery, technological innovation and translational medicine, Stanford Medicine physicians are pioneering leading edge therapies today that will change the way health care is delivered tomorrow.

As part of our spirit of discovery, we also leverage our deep relationships with luminary Silicon Valley companies to develop new ways to deliver preeminent patient care. Learn about our awards and significant events.

Key Responsibilities

The Social Work Clinician provides intervention services, discharge planning, and supportive counseling to patients and their families within the emergency department. They collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to develop treatment plans and manage patient caseloads while ensuring continuity of care.

Requirements

Candidates must possess a Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) from an accredited institution or be within 45 days of graduation. The role requires the ability to apply social work theories and practices in a hospital setting and maintain effective communication with patients and medical staff.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Case managementPatient assessmentTreatment planningMultidisciplinary collaborationPatient educationDocumentationBio-psycho-social assessmentReferral coordination

Social Worker Career Context

Stanford Health Care holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 72/100, 38 active listings.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$127k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $115k 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%
Sign-on bonus
37%
CME allowance
26%
Loan repayment
11%
PSLF eligible
5%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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$70/hr
#2

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

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$123k-$141k
#3

Social Worker LCSW

$43.39-$67.37/hr
#4

Remote (LCSW) Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Virginia

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+ 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.

  • On-site
  • Includes weekends

Living in Palo Alto

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$3.26M
Typical market rent
$4,678/mo
Residents’ average commute
21 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
110.4
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 · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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