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Pennant Group
Sacramento, California

Medical Social Worker (MSW) - Hospice

Social WorkerIncludes callFull-Time

Listed compensation

$35-$43/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 6mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

First Call Hospice & Palliative Care is committed to delivering life-changing service. We have a positive, passionate team that prioritizes connection and a family spirit.

Our team of professional are committed and dedicated to providing or patients and their families and friends with the highest quality of compassionate hospice services.

At First Call, our culture is nurtured by our core values: Celebration, Accountability, Passion for Learning, Love One Another, Intelligent Risk Taking, Customer Second, and Ownership. Your growth is important to us.

We set individual and team goals to ensure that we continue to grow together and serve our patients & their families at the highest standard. Join a dynamic company that believes in a team approach and focuses on doing what is best for our patients.

As a Medical Social Worker (MSW) with First Call, you will have the opportunity to advance your career while receiving strong compensation and excellent benefits.

JOB DESCRIPTION The medical social worker (MSW) contracted or employed through the organization is responsible for the implementation of standards of care for medical social work services and for adherence to all conditions in the Service or Employment Agreement.

Medical Social Worker (MSW) - Hospice First Call - Sacramento, CA Pay Range: $35.00 - $43.00 per hour Job Type: Full Time DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES Assess the psychosocial status of patients and families/caregivers related to the patient's terminal illness and environment and communicates findings to the registered nurse and other members of the interdisciplinary group Provide an assessment in the patient's identified residence and assistance when this is not safe and another plan is required Carry out social evaluations and plans intervention based on evaluation findings Counsel patient and family/caregivers as needed in relationship to stress, and other identified coping difficulties Maintains clinical records on all patients referred to social work Provide information and referral services for organization patients and families/caregivers regarding practical and environmental needs Provide information to patients and families/caregivers and community agencies Serve as liaison between patients and families/caregivers and community agencies Maintain collaborative relationships with organization personnel to support patient care Maintain and develop contracts with public and private agencies as resources for patient and personnel Participate in the development of the individualized plan of care and attends regularly scheduled interdisciplinary group meetings Assist physician and other team members in understanding significant social and emotional factors related to health problems and death/dying issues Actively participate in quality assessment performance improvement teams and activities JOB REQUIREMENTS A graduate of a master's program in social work Minimum of one (1) experience in health care, hospice experience preferred Understands hospice philosophy, and issues of death/dying Good verbal and written communication, and organization skills Possess and maintain current CPR Certification Must be a licensed driver with an automobile that is insured in accordance with state or organization requirements and is in good working order First Call Hospice is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other protected characteristics. The employer for this position is stated in the job posting.

The Pennant Group, Inc. is a holding company of independent operating subsidiaries that provide healthcare services through home health and hospice agencies and senior living communities located throughout the US.

Each of these businesses is operated by a separate, independent operating subsidiary that has its own management, employees and assets. More information about The Pennant Group, Inc. is available at pennantgroup.com.

First Call Hospice & Palliative Care is a Sacramento based provider that’s been around since 1997 servicing Sacramento, Placer, Yolo an El Dorado Counties. Our name “First Call” comes from being one of the first companies to provide hospice care outside of the large hospital systems in the area.

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to ensuring that all conditions and privileges of employment, including recruitment, hiring, evaluation, transfer, promotion, discipline, determination of compensation and/or benefits, and termination of employment, for all job classifications, are based on qualifications and work record. No employment decision is made, nor do we discriminate, on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex/pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, veteran status, or disability.

Key Responsibilities

The Medical Social Worker is responsible for implementing standards of care for medical social work services, which includes assessing the psychosocial status of patients and families related to terminal illness and environment. Duties also involve providing counseling, maintaining clinical records, offering referral services for practical needs, and participating in the individualized plan of care development.

Requirements

Candidates must be a graduate of a master's program in social work and possess a minimum of one year of experience in healthcare, with hospice experience being preferred. Applicants must also have good verbal and written communication skills, maintain current CPR certification, and possess a valid driver's license with adequate automobile insurance.

Qualifications

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

Certifications

CPR (preferred)

Key Skills

Psychosocial AssessmentInterdisciplinary Group CollaborationRecord KeepingDriving

Social Worker Career Context

In California, the Social Work weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$96k (944 salary observations; 1,766 listings), vs ~$81k nationally (6,661 salary observations; 20,737 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Social Work listings this role was benchmarked against, 34% are remote, 30% have no call, 66% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$81k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $73k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Social Worker Jobs

41 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution41 jobs · 37 employers

12
<$90k
10
$90k-110k
13
$110k-130k
5
$130k-150k
1
$161k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs

401k / retirement match
94% this job
Sign-on bonus
36%
CME allowance
30%
Loan repayment
18%
PSLF eligible
15%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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#2

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

LifeStance Health · Vancouver, Washington

$123k-$141k
#3

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

$123k-$141k
#4

Behavioral Health Provider (ASW/LCSW or AMFT/LMFT) - Napa

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+ 39 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 6,459 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call

Living in Sacramento

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$455k
Typical market rent
$2,056/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
106.7
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 · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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