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UW Health
Madison, Wisconsin

Social Worker - NICU - American Family Children's Hospital

Social WorkerIncludes callIncludes weekendsNo nightsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$66K - $99K

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

Ask the employer about the work setting and time off.

Posted 3mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Work Schedule

Full-time, 1.0 FTE, day shift. Monday – Friday between the hours of 8:00am – 4:30pm, no weekends required. Hours may vary based on the operational needs of the department.

Be part of something remarkable

Bring your passion for helping people to the #1 hospital in WI.

We Are Seeking a Social Worker To

  • Assess complex patient and family situations involving legal, ethical, and psychosocial factors in our Level IV Neonatal ICU (NICU)
  • Provide supportive interventions to enhance patient and family coping, adjustment, and navigation of the patient’s medical journey
  • Collaboratively develop patient and family goals, monitor progress, address barriers to goal achievement and evaluate outcomes of individualized care plans
  • Consider barriers including coping with chronic illness, mental health history/symptoms, cognitive development, adverse developmental events, resistance to treatment, health system impediments, lack of social support and vulnerability
  • Participate in discharge planning for patients requiring post-discharge services which may include transitions to post-acute care resources and community resources
  • May engage patient/family in the treatment and decision-making process with respect to patient rights, principles of confidentiality, respect for patient privacy, and right to self-determination

At UW Health, You Will Have

  • An excellent benefits package, including health and dental insurance, paid time off, retirement plans, two-week paid parental leave and adoption assistance.
  • Options for a variety of schedules and shifts that offer flexibility and allow for work-life balance
  • Access to great resources through the UW Health Employee Wellbeing Department that supports your emotional, financial, and physical well-being
  • Tuition benefits eligibility - UW Health invests in your professional growth by helping pay for coursework associated with career advancement
  • The opportunity to earn a referral bonus for referring friends, former colleagues or others to apply for open, posted positions

Qualifications

  • Master's Degree in Social Work Required

Work Experience

  • 2 years prior hospital based social work experience Preferred
  • 2 years prior hospital or community-based social work experience if supporting the HIV Clinic Preferred
  • 2 years prior hospital or clinic based pediatric experience if supporting American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH) Preferred

Licenses & Certifications

  • Certified Advanced Practice Social Worker (CAPSW) in the state of Wisconsin within 90 Days Required or
  • Certified Independent Social Worker (CISW) in the state of Wisconsin within 90 Days Required or
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Wisconsin within 90 Days Required

Our Commitment to Social Impact and Belonging

UW Health is committed to fostering a workplace that creates belonging for everyone and is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer.

Our respect for people shines through patient care interactions and our daily work practices as we work to embrace the knowledge, unique perspectives and qualities each employee and faculty member brings to work each day.

It is the policy of UW Health to provide equal opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

American Family Children’s Hospital

[https://www.uwhealth.org/files-directory/position-descriptions/zImages for Social Media - DO NOT REMOVE/AFCH Tour Music Version 12-2-2020 v1 1080p UWHealth. mp4] in Madison, Wisconsin—also a Magnet®-designated facility—provides specialized care in a healing environment designed especially for pediatric patients and their families.

American Family Children’s Hospital is a comprehensive pediatric medical and surgical center, with nationally recognized pediatric specialists in a wide range of fields.

It is also home to our Level One Pediatric Trauma Center [http://www.uwhealthkids.org/news-and-events/re-verified-level-i-pediatric-trauma-center/48763] and Level

IV NICU

[http://www.uwhealthkids.org/neonatology-nicu/neonatal-intensive-care-unit-nicu/43311], which cares for the tiniest patients throughout Wisconsin and beyond.

View Full Job Description

[https://uwhealth.marketpayjobs.com/ShowJob.aspx?id=4334&entityid=3&p=UWH]

UW Hospital and Clinics Benefits

[https://www.uwhealth.org/files/uwhealth/careers-assets/benefits/HR-110695-17-Benefits-Flier-for-UWHC-Employees.pdf]

Key Responsibilities

Assess complex psychosocial, legal, and ethical factors for patients and families in a Level IV NICU. Provide supportive interventions and collaborate on individualized care plans and discharge planning to community resources.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Psychosocial AssessmentCrisis InterventionCase ManagementPatient AdvocacyCare Plan DevelopmentClinical Social WorkPediatric CareEthical Decision Making

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Social Worker - NICU - American Family Children's Hospital at UW Health a 6.4 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Social Work — ranked against 6,101 active Social Work listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no night shifts.

Social Worker Career Context

Of the 50 active Social Work listings this role was benchmarked against, 48% are remote, 38% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

Social Work pay on WeekdayDoc is down 2.9% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Wisconsin is 94.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$83k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $88k in an average-cost state. 60.7% of Wisconsin clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Social Worker Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution35 jobs · 21 employers

6
<$80k
6
$80k-100k
12
$100k-120k
9
$120k-140k
2
$140k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs · 21 employers

401k / retirement match
97% this job
Sign-on bonus
33%
CME allowance
33%
Loan repayment
18%
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 Clinical Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$115k-$135k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Clinician (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 6.4
Better work-life than 60% of Social Work listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 6,101 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No nights
  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Madison

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$433k≈ 6.5× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,616/mo≈ 29% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.3
State income tax
Up to 7.7%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Madison, WI metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

UW Health logo

About UW Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Madison, WI
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Paid Time Off
Retirement Plan
Parental Leave
Adoption Assistance
Tuition Reimbursement
Referral Bonus