Associate Social Worker

Social WorkerFull-Time

Listed compensation

$75k-$90k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1 day ago · Verified live

Job Description

Reporting to the Behavioral Health Director, the Associate Social Worker (ASW) will work in collaboration with medical providers, behavioral health providers, care team members, and referral partners in the community to provide counseling services related to medications for addiction treatment of substance use disorders in a growing behavioral health department.

ASW will be providing diagnostic assessments, coordination of care/services, development of treatment plans, consultation, crisis interventions, case management, and evaluations of professional services to patients and their families in order to aid them in coping with social, emotional and economic difficulties related to medical problems or predispositions to illness and other mental health disorders.

The following statements for this position reflect only some specific responsibilities and are not considered all duties required to the position:

Conduct initial biopsychosocial intake, treatment plans and ongoing clinical treatment for patients as well as provides evidenced based interventions.

Actively collaborate with other clinical and non-clinical staff to ensure care is proactive and coordinated among care providers and care settings. This collaboration can include attendance in team huddles, care conferences, training, and communication.

Relay information and communicate positively, effectively, and professionally with others; provide leadership; be assertive and consistent in enforcing policies & procedures; work calmly and respond courteously when under pressure; collaborate and accept direction.

Complete assessments and evaluations that are culturally sensitive and appropriate to youth, adults, and family strengths and needs.

Independently develop effective treatment plans and provide biopsychosocial assessment with clear and measurable interventions strategies.

Documentation of progress note and treatment plan to be concise and in a timely manner as required by clinics guidelines. Follow state and federal guidelines for providing care to patients.

Consultation with PCP's to enhance understanding of the patient, provide decision support for primary care treatment planning and assist in the implementation.

Provide consultation to and coordinate care of patients with primary care staff and is customer service focused. Identify, triage, and advocate for patients needing specialty for higher level of care and further intensive mental health treatment services.

  • Provide crisis intervention, as needed to the community health center staff.
  • Maintains confidential records as required by HIPPA guidelines.
  • Participates in Behavioral Health meetings and makes appropriate recommendations.
  • Seeks guidance, remains knowledgeable of, complies with all applicable federal and state laws, and well as STP polices that apply to assign duties.
  • Meet minimum productivity goals set forth by STP and maintains a level of professionalism.
  • Adhere to HIPAA regulations and other relevant laws to protect patient privacy and confidentiality in all communications.
  • Perform other duties as assigned by the executive leadership and administration.

Requirements

Registered in California as Associate Social Worker

  • Entry level position with a minimum of 1-year experience preferably in medical social worker or mental health social worker.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, detailed oriented and be able to work independently.
  • Must have a valid NPI and current CPR/BCLS certification for infants and adults
  • Language Requirements
  • Spanish speaking required.

Key Responsibilities

The Associate Social Worker will provide diagnostic assessments, treatment planning, and clinical interventions for patients with substance use disorders and mental health needs. They will collaborate with medical and behavioral health teams to coordinate care and ensure proactive service delivery.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Clinical documentationSubstance use disorder counselingCare coordinationPatient advocacyHIPAA complianceCultural sensitivityInterdisciplinary collaborationDiagnostic assessmentMedication assisted treatment support

Social Worker Career Context

In California, the Social Work weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$97k (751 salary observations; 2,076 listings), vs ~$81k nationally (5,253 salary observations; 23,756 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Social Work listings this role was benchmarked against, 62% are remote, 28% have no call, 62% require no weekends.

Social Work by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$75k–$90kSocial Work median $89k (middle half $80k–$114k)38 comparable listings, Nov 2026
California vs national$97k median in California$81k nationally (+20%)751 state / 5,253 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$75k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Social Work listings in California715 active6,437 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 62% remote · 28% no call · 62% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia social worker listings (all specialties): 8% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 5% offer loan repayment760 active listings, Nov 2026
New Social Work listings2,506 in the last 30 days1,457 the 30 days before (+72%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Social Work pay trend+1.9% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Social Worker Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

39 jobs · 23 employers
9
<$95k
3
$95k-110k
21
$110k-125k
5
$125k-140k
1
$141k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

33 jobs · 23 employers
401k / retirement match
97%
Sign-on bonus
39%
CME allowance
30%
Loan repayment
15%
PSLF eligible
12% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

LifeStance Health · Portland, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#2

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

LifeStance Health · Costa Mesa, California

$117k-$134k
#3

LICSW/Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

$73k-$126k
#4

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW - LPCC - LMFT

$74k-$126k
+ 37 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 6,335 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Serve the People Community Health Center logo

About Serve the People Community Health Center

Health and Human Services
Santa Ana, California
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Bilingual Spanish required
PSLF eligible (community health center)

Living in Santa Ana

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$873k≈ 11.6× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,820/mo≈ 45% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
113.6
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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