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University of Washington
Seattle, Washington

Senior Social Worker - Emergency Department

Social WorkerPart-Time

Listed compensation

$43.41-$67.93/hr

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

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

Posted 34m ago · Verified live

Job Description

The UW Medical Center-Northwest Social Work Department has an outstanding opportunity for a Senior Social Worker within the Emergency Department.

Work Schedule

  • Part-Time / 20 hours per week
  • Evening Shift

Position Highlights

  • Partner with patients, their families and the health care team to address their medically related social and emotional needs and provide support and advocacy as these impact their medical condition, treatment, recovery and safe transition from one environment to another
  • Be responsible for providing a full range of social work services including psychosocial assessment, treatment planning, therapeutic interventions, discharge planning, crisis intervention and resource referral(s)
  • Partner with the patient/family and the health care team to coordinate care across the continuum, improves the patients’ care through effective utilization of resources by transitioning from the acute care episode to the post-acute setting

The Senior Social Worker demonstrates a commitment to the following standards of practice:

  • Collaboration: Works collaboratively with patients, families, interdisciplinary team members, consulting and referring physicians, other practitioners, caregivers and community resources and agencies.
  • Communication: Communicates timely, relevant and accurate information to all parties involved with a patient’s care.

Facilitation: Facilitates the progression of care by advancing the care plan to achieve desired outcomes.

  • Coordination: Integrates the work of the healthcare team by coordinating resources and services necessary to accomplish agreed-upon goals.
  • Advocacy: Advocates on behalf of patients and caregivers for service access or creation, and for the protection of the patient’s health, safety and rights.
  • Resource Management: Assures prudent utilization of all resources (fiscal, human, environmental, equipment and services) by evaluating the options available and balancing cost and quality to assure the optimal clinical and financial outcomes.
  • Accountability: Accepts responsibility and accountability for achievement of optimal outcomes within their scope of practice.
  • Professionalism: Acquires and maintains knowledge and competence related to the expectations of their position and practices within their scope.

Primary Job Responsibilities

  • Provide specialty consultation to other health care staff and health care teams regarding psychosocially focused aspects of client/patient care.
  • Provide psychosocial support to patients and families.
  • Complete clinical assessments as per department standards.
  • In collaboration with the multidisciplinary team, develop and implement safe and timely discharge plans.
  • Provide care coordination for patients with complicated social and medical histories.
  • Provide case management and counseling services in specialized programs.

Required Position Qualifications

A Master of Social Work Degree from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and one year of full-time social work experience in a health care setting or equivalent. Experience can include a practicum placement as part of a social work training program and/or employment experience.

Legal Requirement

Within 90 days of hire must hold one of the following credentials issued by the state of Washington:

  • Agency Affiliated Counselor
  • Licensed Social Work Associate -Advanced
  • Licensed Social Work Associate - Independent Clinical
  • Licensed Advance Social Worker
  • Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

About UW Medical Center-Northwest

UW Medical Center is an acute care hospital located in Seattle with two campuses: Montlake and Northwest. As the No. 1 hospital in Seattle and Washington State since 2012 (U.S. News & World Report) and nationally ranked in six specialties, UW Medical Center prides itself on compassionate patient care as well as its pioneering medical advances.

The UW Medical Center–Northwest campus offers emergency and inpatient and outpatient medical, surgical, and therapeutic care. It is located in north Seattle on a beautiful, easy-to-access 44-acre campus that includes the neighboring Northwest Outpatient Medical Center and Specialty Care Meridian Pavilion.

Teamwork. Community. Opportunity.

About UW Medicine – Where Your Impact GOES Further

UW Medicine is Washington’s only health system that includes a top-rated medical school and an internationally recognized research center. UW Medicine’s mission is to improve the health of the public by advancing medical knowledge, providing outstanding primary and specialty care to the people of the region, and preparing tomorrow’s physicians, scientists and other health professionals.

All across UW Medicine, our employees collaborate to perform the highest quality work with integrity and compassion and to create a respectful, welcoming environment where every patient, family, student and colleague is valued and honored. Nearly 29,000 healthcare professionals, researchers, and educators work in the UW Medicine family of organizations that includes: Harborview Medical Center, UW Medical Center - Montlake, UW Medical Center - Northwest, Valley Medical Center, UW Medicine Primary Care, UW Physicians, UW School of Medicine, and Airlift Northwest.

Become part of our team. Join our mission to make life healthier for everyone in our community.

Compensation, Benefits and Position Details

Pay Range Minimum

$43.41 hourly

Pay Range Maximum

$67.93 hourly

Other Compensation

Benefits

For information about benefits for this position, visit washington.edu

Shift: Evening Shift (United States of America)

  • Temporary or Regular?
  • This is a regular position

FTE (Full-Time Equivalent)

50.00%

Union/Bargaining Unit

SEIU 1199NW UWMC Northwest Professional

About UW Medicine – Where Your Impact GOES Further

UW Medicine is Washington’s only health system that includes a top-rated medical school and an internationally recognized research center. UW Medicine’s mission is to improve the health of the public by advancing medical knowledge, providing outstanding primary and specialty care to the people of the region, and preparing tomorrow’s physicians, scientists and other health professionals.

All across UW Medicine, our employees collaborate to perform the highest quality work with integrity and compassion and to create a respectful, welcoming environment where every patient, family, student and colleague is valued and honored. Nearly 29,000 healthcare professionals, researchers, and educators work in the UW Medicine family of organizations that includes: Harborview Medical Center, UW Medical Center - Montlake, UW Medical Center - Northwest, UW Medicine Primary Care, UW Physicians, UW School of Medicine, and Airlift Northwest.

Our Commitment

The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Social Worker provides psychosocial support, crisis intervention, and discharge planning for patients in the Emergency Department. They collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to coordinate care and ensure effective resource utilization for patients with complex medical and social needs.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master of Social Work degree from an accredited program and have at least one year of full-time social work experience in a healthcare setting. Additionally, the role requires obtaining specific Washington state social work credentials within 90 days of hire.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient advocacyInterdisciplinary collaborationClinical assessment

Social Worker Career Context

University of Washington holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 71/100, 94 active listings.

Of the 40 active Social Work listings this role was benchmarked against, 33% are remote, 28% have no call, 55% require no weekends.

Social Work by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$90k–$141kSocial Work median $73k (middle half $67k–$104k)14 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$108k in purchasing powerWashington index 107.0 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Social Work listings in Washington136 active6,552 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 33% remote · 28% no call · 55% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedWashington Social Worker listings: 14% state a sign-on bonus (median $10k) · 6% offer loan repayment153 active listings, Oct 2026
University of Washingtonsilver tier, 71/100Top Employers work-life index94 active listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, Top Employers work-life index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Location & Logistics

Washington has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$116k midpoint, that is roughly $5k–$8k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Social Worker Jobs

40 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

25 jobs
3
<$95k
2
$95k-120k
14
$120k-145k
6
$145k-170k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

25 jobs
401k / retirement match
92%
CME allowance
20%
Sign-on bonus
16%
Loan repayment
12%
PSLF eligible
8%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Part Time Remote Child and Family Therapist (LMFT/LCSW/LPCC) – Texas Licensed

Clarity Pediatrics · San Francisco, California

$62-$84/hr
#2

Fully Licensed Therapist (Anxiety & Depression) – Remote California – 1099 (LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, Psychologist)1099

Open Mind Health · San Diego, California

$70-$80/hr
#3

Licensed Therapist (LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, Psychologist) – Remote California – 1099

$70-$80/hr
#4

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) - NBMC (Per Diem, Day)

$64.03-$77.83/hr
+ 38 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 Seattle

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$869k
Typical market rent
$2,227/mo
Residents’ average commute
26 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.1
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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