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VCU Health
Richmond, Virginia

Clinical Social Worker - Orthopedics

Social WorkerIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$59k-$97k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, nights and shift pattern, benefits and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

The purpose of the Clinical Social Worker (MSW) position is to provide both direct patient care to patients and families and assist in the coordination of team delivered services.

This is an inpatient position on the Acute Care Surgical unit at VCU Health on the Main Campus Hospital. The clinical social worker works in a fast-paced surgical unit with patients who have a wide variety of surgical needs.

The social worker has a variety of clinical and case management responsibilities to include: complete psychosocial assessments; develop treatment plans that are congruent with the overall health care plan; provide psychosocial intervention; educate patients, their family members, staff and social work students; facilitate compliance with treatment; work with the community to provide needed services; and coordinate discharge planning activities.

Licensure, Certification, or Registration Requirements for Hire:

Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Virginia preferred

Licensure, Certification, or Registration Requirements for continued employment: N/A

Experience REQUIRED

CSW Level 2: minimum of one (1) year of clinical social work experience

Experience PREFERRED

Clinical social work experience in an acute care setting preferred

Education/training REQUIRED

Master of Social Work Degree from a Council on Social Work Education accredited program

Education/training PREFERRED: N/A

to work alternate unit assignments, including at other clinical locations.

Age Specific grouIndependent Action(s) Required

  • Initiate patient/family intervention based on self-assessment of service need(s).
  • Initiate community/facility referrals based on identified patient/family needs.
  • Initiate consultation with facility staff regarding psychosocial patient/family needs.
  • Contact the appropriate Social Services Department to report suspected abuse/neglect/exploitation cases.
  • Develop intervention plans and related interventions with patients/families/significant others.
  • Initiate education activities with and for facility staff.
  • Contribute to quality improvement activities through self-analysis of services and needs.
  • Participate in service area meetings, training, and patient care conferences.

Supervisory Responsibilities (If Applicable)

This position may supervise social work students on a voluntary basis.

Depending on unit assignment may supervise other Masters and Doctoral Degree students from other disciplines (e. g. Psychology).

Additional Position Requirements

Depending on the unit assignment, may be required to work alternate schedules, weekends and/or holidays, and take call. May be required ps served:

As appropriate based on unit assignment

Physical Requirements (includes use of assistance devices as appropriate):

Physical - Lifting less than 20 lbs.

Activities: Prolonged standing, Prolonged sitting, Frequent bending, Walking (distance), Reaching (overhead, extensive, repetitive)

Mental/Sensory: Strong recall, Reasoning, Problem solving, Hearing, Speak clearly, Write legibly, Reading, Logical thinking

Emotional: Fast pace environment, Steady pace, Able to handle multiple priorities, Frequent and intense customer interactions, Noisy environment, Able to adapt to frequent change

Compensation Grade Ranges

Clinical Social Worker 2: $58,697.60 - $87,942.40

Clinical Social Worker 3: $62,420.80 - $96,740.80

Actual Salary offers will be based on several key factors to include relevant work experience, credentials, and qualifications.

Days

EEO Employer/Disabled/Protected Veteran

Key Responsibilities

The clinical social worker provides direct patient care and coordinates team-delivered services within an acute surgical unit. Responsibilities include conducting psychosocial assessments, developing treatment plans, and facilitating discharge planning for patients and their families.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master of Social Work degree from an accredited program. A minimum of one year of clinical social work experience is required, and licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia is preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Psychosocial assessmentTreatment planningPatient advocacyCrisis interventionCommunity referralsInterdisciplinary collaborationPatient educationDocumentation

Orthopedic Surgery — Social Worker Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$78k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $77k in an average-cost state. 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Social Worker listings this role was benchmarked against, 58% are remote, 32% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

What does the Social Worker market look like in Virginia?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$59k–$97kSocial Worker median $78k (middle half $63k–$97k)10 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$77k in purchasing powerVirginia index 101.1 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Social Worker listings in Virginia238 active7,183 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 58% remote · 32% no call · 76% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedVirginia Social Worker listings: 10% state a sign-on bonus · 12% offer loan repayment238 active listings, Oct 2026
Social Worker pay trend+1.8% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Social Worker Jobs

41 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

41 jobs · 20 employers
10
<$85k
8
$85k-100k
4
$100k-115k
16
$115k-130k
3
$130k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

36 jobs · 20 employers
401k / retirement match
100%
Sign-on bonus
36%
CME allowance
22%
Loan repayment
14%
PSLF eligible
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

LifeStance Health · Vancouver, Washington

$123k-$141k
#2

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

LifeStance Health · West Linn, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
#4

LICSW - Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

$73k-$126k
+ 39 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.7this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Social Work listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,099 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Richmond

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$339k≈ 5.8× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,628/mo≈ 33% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
22 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.9
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Richmond, VA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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