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Scripps Health
San Diego, California

Complex Social Worker - La Jolla

Social WorkerFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 29m ago · Verified live

Job Description

This is a full time position at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.

Join the Scripps Health team to work with dedicated caregivers and deliver patient-centered care, while building a rewarding career with one of the nation's most respected healthcare organizations.

Why Join Scripps Health?

Award-Winning Workplace

  • At Scripps Health, your ambition is empowered and your abilities are appreciated:
  • Nearly a quarter of our employees have been with Scripps Health for over 10 years.
  • Scripps is a Great Place to Work Certified company for 2025.
  • Scripps Health has been consistently ranked as a top employer for women, millennials, diversity, and as an overall workplace by various national publications.
  • Beckers Healthcare ranked Scripps Health on its 2024 list of 150 top places to work in health care.

We have transitional and professional development programs to create a learning environment that enables you to thrive in your specific field as well as in your overall career.

Our specialties have been nationally recognized for quality in areas such as cardiovascular care, oncology, orthopedics, geriatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and gastroenterology.

Our diverse team is dedicated to serving the community with the highest quality of care. The primary focus is assessment and discharge planning, complex case/care coordination and provision of individual and group psychoeducational counseling.

New employees will experience a friendly and supportive environment where a positive attitude and teamwork are valued. Our leadership is hands-on and very engaged with our staff and patients.

Required

Master's degree in Social Work, OR Master's in Marriage & Family Therapy (MSW or MFT).

1-3 recent (within the last 3 years) of experience in a healthcare setting removing psychological barriers to improve client health

Content knowledge of LPS processes including involuntary detainment and the mental health conservatorship processes is required.

  • Licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Science as an LCSW OR LMFT
  • BLS (American Heart Assoc.)
  • Discharge experience

Preferred

  • Bilingual and proficient in electronic health record.
  • Trauma and Mental Health experience
  • 3-5 years experience in healthcare setting
  • Discharge planning experience with knowledge of local resources to ensure safe discharges
  • Completion of Supervision Training for ASW

Key Responsibilities

Assess patients, plan discharges, coordinate complex cases and care, and provide individual and group psychoeducational counseling. Help address psychological barriers to improve patient health and support safe discharges.

Requirements

Requires a master's degree in Social Work or Marriage and Family Therapy, a California LCSW or LMFT license, BLS certification from the American Heart Association, and recent healthcare experience addressing psychological barriers to health. Knowledge of LPS processes, including involuntary detainment and mental health conservatorship, is required; discharge experience is also required.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Case CoordinationElectronic Health RecordsBilingual Communication

Social Worker Career Context

In California, the Social Work weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$97k (763 salary observations; 2,113 listings), vs ~$81k nationally (5,217 salary observations; 22,649 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Social Work listings this role was benchmarked against, 40% are remote, 36% have no call, 56% require no weekends.

Social Work by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedSocial Work median $87k (middle half $76k–$112k)39 comparable listings, Nov 2026
California vs national$97k median in California$81k nationally (+19%)763 state / 5,217 national salary observations
Cost of livingCalifornia index 110.7US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Social Work listings in California726 active6,546 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 40% remote · 36% no call · 56% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia social worker listings (all specialties): 8% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 5% offer loan repayment774 active listings, Nov 2026
New Social Work listings2,608 in the last 30 days1,361 the 30 days before (+92%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Social Worker Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

50 jobs · 41 employers
14
<$90k
10
$90k-110k
15
$110k-130k
10
$130k-150k
1
$155k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

41 jobs
401k / retirement match
95%
CME allowance
37%
Sign-on bonus
34%
Loan repayment
10%
PSLF eligible
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

LCSW III

Sutter Health · Sacramento, California, United States

$53.36-$74.7/hr
#2

FFS Clinical Supervisor - LCSW

Northeast Family Services · New York, New York

$62-$70/hr
#3

Medical Social Worker - Population Health (Full Time, Day)

$55.87-$67.96/hr
#4

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

$123k-$141k
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.1this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Social Work listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 6,463 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in San Diego

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.00M
Typical market rent
$3,004/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.9
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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