Signet Health logo
Signet Health
Washington, District of Columbia

Unit Social Worker

Social WorkerFull-Time

Listed compensation

$77k-$95k

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 23h ago · Verified live

Job Description

The Unit Social Worker is responsible for providing direct clinical social work services to patients and their families as a part of the multidisciplinary team with most emphasis on completing Psychosocial Assessments, conducting groups, facilitating marital and/or family therapies, assisting in program development and developing, implementing, and reviewing Treatment Plans.

Major Duties and Essential Functions

Maintains contact with nursing homes, medical-surgical units and other facilities and agencies to promote the program and to provide education regarding services available for their patients.

Provides ongoing communications with referral sources concerning the status of patients referred into the program.

  • Participates in agency-wide training programs and in-services.
  • Provides quality and timely clinical documentation, per Joint Commission and other regulatory agencies’ requirements.
  • Proficiency in interpersonal communication and interdisciplinary teamwork.
  • Experience and skill in treating patients with various types and presentations of psychiatric/behavioral health disorders.
  • Proficiency in conducting psychosocial assessments.
  • Proficiency in developing interdisciplinary treatment plans.
  • Must be flexible to adjust to the needs of a fast-paced environment.
  • Demonstrate effective problem-solving skills.
  • Display proficient oral/written communication skills.
  • Strong preference given to candidates with LICSW, LPC or be eligible for endorsement and LGSWs with experience.
  • Signet Health Offers a Wide range of Benefits for its Employees:
  • Health Insurance - variety of plans
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • AD & D Insurance
  • Hospital Indemnity Insurance
  • Critical Illness Insurance
  • HSA
  • FSA
  • Employee Assistance (EAP)
  • Disability Insurance
  • Generous PTO plus Holidays
  • Requirements/Qualifications

Qualifications

  • 2 years’ experience in an adult Inpatient psychiatric unit and/or substance use facility and experience facilitating patients' access to community resources and conducting therapeutic groups.
  • This position adheres to all rules and regulations set forth by all applicable licensing and regulatory bodies, Signet Health policies and procedures, as well as MWHC (Medstar Washington Hospital Center) policies.
  • Must have an active DC LGPC, LPC, LICSW, or LGSW
  • Required to maintain an active annual CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention) certification.
  • Required to maintain an active biannual Basic Life Support Certification (BLS/CPR).

Salary Range: $77,482-$94,700

Salary based on Experience

EOE

Hospital/Program Description

For more than a half a century, MedStar Washington Hospital Center has set the highest standard for health care—and reached and surpassed it year after year.

MedStar Washington Hospital Center is a not-for-profit, 926-bed academic medical center in the center of the nation’s capital—and every day, hundreds of people in the region depend on us for their care. In 2013 alone, the hospital opened its door for nearly 500,000 inpatient and outpatient visits by residents from throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

We are the busiest and largest hospital in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area—and serve as referral center and the central hub for the region’s most advanced acute medical care.

But we are much more. Our primary and secondary health services help our community’s residents get and stay healthy, and help to improve patients’ quality of life by managing chronic illness.

Our inpatient services, education and research programs, outpatient care and community outreach initiatives are all aimed at meeting today’s health care needs—and at leading the way to meet the future health needs of the nation.

Key Responsibilities

The Unit Social Worker provides direct clinical services, including psychosocial assessments, group therapy, and family counseling within a multidisciplinary team. They are also responsible for developing treatment plans and maintaining documentation in compliance with regulatory standards.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Treatment planningFamily therapyMarital therapyCrisis interventionPsychiatric carePatient advocacySubstance use treatmentRegulatory compliance

Social Worker Career Context

Of the 50 active Social Work listings this role was benchmarked against, 62% are remote, 36% have no call, 74% require no weekends.

Social Work pay on WeekdayDoc is down 6.7% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for District of Columbia is 109.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$86k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $78k in an average-cost state. 64.3% of District of Columbia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Social Worker Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution35 jobs · 15 employers

12
<$95k
6
$95k-110k
11
$110k-125k
4
$125k-140k
2
$140k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks34 jobs · 15 employers

401k / retirement match
97%
Sign-on bonus
56%
CME allowance
18%
Loan repayment
12%
PSLF eligible
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Therapist

New Dawn Treatment Centers · Wasilla, Alaska

$125k-$150k
#2

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

LifeStance Health · Corvallis, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Licensed Mental Health Clinician (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Social Work listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 6,205 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Washington

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$642k≈ 8.3× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,517/mo≈ 39% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
30 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.9
State income tax
Up to 10.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Signet Health logo

About Signet Health

Hospitals and Health Care
North Richland Hills, Texas
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
AD&D Insurance
Hospital Indemnity Insurance
Critical Illness Insurance
HSA