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Mercy Health
Defiance, Ohio

Licensed Independent Social Worker - Adult Behavioral Health Unit

Social WorkerFull-Time

Listed compensation

$69K–$107K

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Thank you for considering a career at Mercy Health!

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Work Shift

  • Days (United States of America)
  • Mercy Health

About Us

As a faith-based and patient-focused organization, Mercy Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of all people in mind, body and spirit through exceptional patient care. Success in this goal requires a culture of compassion, collaboration, excellence and respect.

Mercy Health seeks people that are committed to our values of compassion, human dignity, integrity, service and stewardship to create an environment where associates want to work and help communities thrive.

Licensed Independent Social Worker – Defiance, OH

Job Summary

The Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) provides advanced clinical social work services to patients, families, and groups across the continuum of care. This role is responsible for assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, psychotherapy, crisis intervention, and care coordination.

The LISW works independently and collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team to support the emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial needs of patients, while ensuring compliance with state licensure laws, ethical standards, and organizational policies.

Essential Functions

  • Conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments and develop individualized treatment plans.
  • Provide evidence-based individual, group, and family therapy.
  • Deliver crisis intervention, risk assessments, and safety planning as needed.
  • Diagnose and treat mental health disorders within scope of practice.
  • Coordinate referrals to community resources, support services, and higher levels of care when appropriate.
  • Document all patient encounters in accordance with professional, legal, and regulatory standards.

This document is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. Employees may be required to perform other job-related duties as required by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation.

Education

Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) (required)

Required Licensing & Certifications

Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) or Licensed as a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) as required in state of practice (required)

Experience

2 years in social or human services setting, including direct practice, assessment, and treatment planning. (required)

Skills & Abilities

Hard/Tech/Clinical Skills

  • Debriefing
  • Motivational interviewing
  • Patient Centered care
  • Care planning
  • Performing medical and safety screenings
  • Technology proficiency
  • Documentation
  • Basic data analytics

Soft/Interpersonal Skills

  • Working within an interdisciplinary team
  • De-escalation
  • Collaboration with community organizations
  • Virtual interaction

Training

  • None
  • Range
  • Minimum: $33.31
  • Maximum: $51.63
  • Mercy Health is an equal opportunity employer.

As a Mercy Health associate, you’re part of a Misson that matters. We support your well-being – personally and professionally. Our benefits are built to grow with you and meet your unique needs, every step of the way.

What We Offer

  • Competitive pay, incentives, referral bonuses and 403(b) with employer contributions (when eligible)
  • Medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage, HAS/FSA options, life insurance, mental health resources and discounts
  • Paid time off, parental and FMLA leave, short- and long-term disability, backup care for children and elders
  • Tuition assistance, professional development and continuing education support

Benefits may vary based on the market and employment status.

Department: Adult Behavioral Health Unit ECT Treatment - Mercy Medical Partners / Defince Clinic

It is our policy to abide by all Federal and State laws, as well as, the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a). Accordingly, all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, genetic information, or protected veteran status, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. If you’d like to view a copy of the affirmative action plan or policy statement for Mercy Health– Youngstown, Ohio or Bon Secours – Franklin, Virginia; Petersburg, Virginia; and Emporia, Virginia, which are Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, please email recruitment@mercy.com. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact The Talent Acquisition Team at recruitment@mercy.com.

Key Responsibilities

The Licensed Independent Social Worker provides advanced clinical social work services including assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and psychotherapy. They work within an interdisciplinary team to deliver crisis intervention and coordinate care for patients in the behavioral health unit.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master’s degree in Social Work and possess a valid LISW or LCSW license. A minimum of 2 years of experience in a social or human services setting is required.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Psychosocial assessmentRisk assessmentMedical screeningsInterdisciplinary collaboration

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Licensed Independent Social Worker - Adult Behavioral Health Unit at Mercy Health a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 25% in Social Work — ranked against 6,335 active Social Work listings on WeekdayDoc.

Social Worker Career Context

Of the 50 active Social Work listings this role was benchmarked against, 56% are remote, 16% have no call, 74% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Ohio is 92.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$42k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $45k in an average-cost state. 61.3% of Ohio clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Social Work by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score7.2 / 10 · top 25% in social workranked against 6,335 Social Work listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$33k–$51kSocial Work median $60k (middle half $58k–$63k)20 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$45k in purchasing powerOhio index 92.8 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Social Work listings in Ohio192 active6,330 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 56% remote · 16% no call · 74% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedOhio social worker listings (all specialties): 3% state a sign-on bonus · 9% offer loan repayment211 active listings, Nov 2026
New Social Work listings2,543 in the last 30 days1,349 the 30 days before (+89%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (6,335 Social Work listings), 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

33 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

33 jobs · 14 employers
9
<$80k
5
$80k-100k
0
$100k-120k
18
$120k-140k
1
$141k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

29 jobs · 14 employers
401k / retirement match
93% this job
Sign-on bonus
41%
CME allowance
34% this job
Loan repayment
10%

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
+ 31 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.1this job 7.2
Better work-life than 90% of Social Work listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 6,335 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
Mercy Health logo

About Mercy Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Cincinnati, Ohio
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Competitive pay, incentives, referral bonuses
403(b) with employer contributions
Medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage
HSA/FSA options
Life insurance
Mental health resources
Paid time off
Parental and FMLA leave

Living in Defiance

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$199k≈ 6.0× annual pay
Median resident rent
$853/mo≈ 31% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
18 min
State income tax
Up to 4%
Sources & methodology

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

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