Aurora San Diego logo
Aurora San Diego
San Diego, California

Inpatient Psychiatric Social Worker, LCSW (Full Time)

Social WorkerFull-Time

Listed compensation

$62k-$96k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

To provide quality case management, psychoeducation and therapeutic support to patients on our youth/adolescent and adult inpatient psychiatric units.

To serve actively and constructively as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team, working closely with the Nursing department and attending psychiatrists to support patients and their families to find success and stability amid their crises.

To ensure the safety and well-being of each patient while meeting their biopsychosocial and aftercare needs.

*Pay Range: $30/hr. to $46/hr.

Responsibilities

Develop and coordinate individualized discharge plans for each patient; utilizing treatment teams, patient interactions and attending psychiatrist directives to determine and address the patient’s aftercare needs

Administer biopsychosocial assessments to document patient’s history and identify preliminary issues for treatment focus by interviewing the patients and their family members, when applicable

  • Work with high acuity patients with chronic mental health, substance use disorder and other comorbid diagnoses
  • Lead process and psychoeducational groups for patients using various evidence based therapeutic modalities

Conduct family therapy and discharge planning sessions to prepare patients for their safe return to the community after psychiatric stabilization

Attend regular treatment team meetings to provide the social work perspective to the interdisciplinary team and create ongoing, individualized treatment plans for each patient

Report to community/state agencies any patient issues as required by law to appropriate authorities (e. g. CPS, APS, Tarasoff reporting)

Represent the facility in Counselor of Mental Health hearings for patient’s placed on 14-day intensive treatment 5250 legal holds

Familiarity with legal holds (5150, 5250, 5270), temporary and permanent conservatorships, wards of the state and dependents

  • Master’s Degree in Social Work
  • BLS (Basic Life Support ) Certification for Healthcare Providers - American Heart Association
  • Knowledge of acute youth, adolescent and adult mental health diagnoses
  • Active CA Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
  • Experience in an an acute psychiatric healthcare setting
  • 401K Retirement Plan
  • Health Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Pet Insurance
  • Healthcare Spending Account & Dependent Care Spending Account
  • Life Insurance (Supplemental Life, Term, and Universal plans are also available.)
  • PTO Plan
  • Holiday Premium Pay
  • PTO Cash Out option
  • Sick Pay
  • Short and Long-Term Disability (with additional buy-in opportunities)
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • ID Theft Protection
  • Employee Appreciation Events
  • Employee Discount Opportunities

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master’s Degree in Social Work and an active California Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) license. Experience in an acute psychiatric healthcare setting and BLS certification are required.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Biopsychosocial assessmentCrisis interventionMental health diagnosisSubstance use disorder treatmentLegal hold knowledgeInterdisciplinary collaborationDocumentationEvidence-based therapyPatient safety

Psychiatry — Social Worker Career Context

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$79k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $71k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 40 active Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) listings this role was benchmarked against, 53% are remote, 33% have no call, 48% require no weekends.

What does the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) market look like in California?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$62k–$96kLicensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) median $95k (middle half $84k–$106k)41 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$71k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) listings in California750 active7,216 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 53% remote · 33% no call · 48% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
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 Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Jobs

32 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

30 jobs · 22 employers
11
<$105k
7
$105k-120k
6
$120k-135k
4
$135k-150k
2
$150k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

25 jobs · 22 employers
401k / retirement match
96% this job
Sign-on bonus
52%
CME allowance
44%
Loan repayment
4%
Relocation assistance
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

LCSW III

Sutter Health · Sacramento, California, United States

$53.36-$74.7/hr
#2

LCSW Clinician

Crestwood Behavioral Health · San Jose, California

$65-$73.16/hr
#3

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Full Time, Day)

$58.21-$70.76/hr
#4

FFS Clinical Supervisor - LCSW

$62-$70/hr
+ 30 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 2,010 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Aurora San Diego logo

About Aurora San Diego

Mental Health Care
San Diego, California
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

401K Retirement Plan
Health Insurance
Vision Insurance
Dental Insurance
Pet Insurance
Healthcare Spending Account
Dependent Care Spending Account
Life Insurance

Living in San Diego

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.00M≈ 16.0× annual pay
Typical market rent
$3,004/mo≈ 58% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.9
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 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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