St. Joseph Medical Center logo
St. Joseph Medical Center
University Place, Washington

Hospice Social Worker MSW

Social Worker 8.0 Work-LifeNo callNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$37.06-$59.46/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 16m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Where You’ll Work

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has a rich history of providing exceptional healthcare, dating back to 1891.

Building upon a legacy of compassionate care and innovation, our organization has evolved over the years through strategic partnerships and integrations to expand our reach and services across the Puget Sound area.

Today, as Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, we remain deeply committed to healing the whole person – body, mind, and spirit – in the communities we serve. This commitment is strengthened by the diverse expertise and shared values brought together through our growth.

Our dedicated providers offer a full spectrum of health care services, from routine wellness to complex disease management, all grounded in rigorous research and education.

Our comprehensive network of 10 hospitals and nearly 300 care sites strategically located across the greater Puget Sound region reflects our ongoing commitment to accessibility and comprehensive care.

We are proud of our pioneering medical advances and numerous awards and accreditations that reflect our dedication to excellence.

When you join Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, you become part of a team that delivers top-quality, professional healthcare in modern, well-equipped facilities, and contributes to a legacy of service built on collaboration and shared purpose.

Job Summary and Responsibilities

As a Hospice Care Social Worker, you will provide comprehensive psychosocial support, counseling, and resource navigation to hospice patients and their families. Every day you will conduct assessments, develop care plans, offer emotional/grief support, and connect families to resources.

You will also advocate for patient needs and address various challenges for holistic end-of-life care. To be successful, you will demonstrate exceptional empathy, active listening, and a deep understanding of end-of-life care and grief. Your compassionate collaboration with the hospice team will be crucial.

Performs assessment, evaluation and referrals, focusing on the psychosocial needs of the patient and family; facilitates family conferences as appropriate. Identifies and communicates social, emotional and patient/family stressors to members of the care team as it relates to patient’s problems and plan of care.

Plans and coordinates interventions, provides counseling services based on specific department standards, identifies and facilitates safe discharge planning along the continuum, communicates plan to interdisciplinary patient care team and evaluates effectiveness of interventions for identified patients and families.

  • Job Requirements
  • Required
  • Masters Other Social Work, upon hire and
  • Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker: WA, upon hire or
  • Licensed Advanced Social Worker: WA, upon hire or
  • Social Worker Associate Ind Clin: WA, upon hire or
  • Agency Affiliated Counselor: WA, upon hire

Preferred

Two years recent related work experience that would demonstrates attainment of the requisite job knowledge skills/abilities

Key Responsibilities

The Hospice Social Worker provides comprehensive psychosocial support, counseling, and resource navigation to patients and their families. They conduct assessments, develop care plans, and facilitate safe discharge planning while collaborating with an interdisciplinary care team.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in Social Work and possess a valid Washington state license such as LICSW, LASW, or equivalent. Two years of recent related work experience is preferred.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Care planningPatient assessmentInterdisciplinary collaborationPatient advocacy

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Hospice Social Worker MSW at St. Joseph Medical Center a 8.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as excellent. This places the position in the top 5% in Social Work — ranked against 6,480 active Social Work listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties, no weekend requirements.

Social Worker Career Context

In Washington, the Social Work weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$101k (143 salary observations; 372 listings), vs ~$81k nationally (4,412 salary observations; 19,550 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 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, 70% are remote, 28% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Washington is 107.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$100k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $94k in an average-cost state. 59.8% of Washington clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

Washington has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$100k midpoint, that is roughly $4k–$7k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Social Worker Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution39 jobs · 15 employers

14
<$95k
4
$95k-110k
13
$110k-125k
6
$125k-140k
2
$141k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks36 jobs · 15 employers

401k / retirement match
100%
Sign-on bonus
69%
CME allowance
22%
Loan repayment
8%

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)

$118k-$135k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 8.0
Among the best 10% of Social Work listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 6,480 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No call
  • No weekends

Living in University Place

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$622k
Typical market rent
$2,001/mo
Residents’ average commute
28 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.1
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 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.