Lutheran Social Services of the NAT logo
Lutheran Social Services of the NAT
Washington, District of Columbia

Licensed Child Welfare Social Worker

Social WorkerIncludes callFull-Time

Listed compensation

$85K - $86K

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 7mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Level: Experienced
  • Job Location: Home Office (Headquarters) - DC - Washington, DC 20036
  • Position Type: Full Time
  • Education Level: Master's of Social Work Required
  • Salary Range: $85,000.00 - $86,000.00 Salary
  • Travel Percentage: 10 - 20%Job
  • Shift: Day
  • Job Category: Nonprofit - Social Services

The Licensed Child Welfare Social Worker will provide case management for children, and their families that have been placed in foster care in the District of Columbia. Incumbent will provide assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families to facilitate timely permanency outcomes. Essential Functions

  • Meeting with children and families face to face to conduct safety assessments, determine service needs, and monitor progress toward case plan goals.
  • Work with children/youth, foster parents, and other professional partners to assess capabilities and concerns, and to determine what services are required to meet their needs.
  • Facilitate and supervise family visitation.
  • Serve as liaison/advocate between families and foster parents, health specialists, school staff, DC Family Court, and other service providers.
  • Maintain case records and prepare reports (ie: court reports, treatment plans, contact notes, and monthly reports).
  • Refer children and/or families to community resources for services such as educational support, employment training, financial literacy, legal aid, housing, and medical treatment, and assist families with getting services as well as provide thorough information about where to go and how to apply.
  • Work in a team environment to include attorneys, service providers, community partners, and government entities.
  • Develop and review case plans in consultation with families and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.
  • Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures.
  • Coordinate medical and behavioral health appointments.
  • Assist with placing children/youth in foster homes, institutions, or medical treatment centers if/and when needed.
  • Prepare children and families for successful permanency outcomes
  • Maintain comprehensive and timely documentation of all contact with children/youth, families of origin, foster parents, attorneys, and any other member of the team.
  • Participate in an after hours on-call rotation. Qualifications
  • DC LGSW or LMSW: Knowledge or understanding of child welfare systems and guidance
  • Master’s degree (MSW) from an accredited college or university; licensed to practice social work in DC & MD
  • Culturally competent: experience with different cultures, religions, and nationalities.
  • Experience in writing cohesive and coherent court reports, treatment plans, contact notes, and monthly reports.
  • Experience in family therapy and/or trauma informed therapy.
  • Must have reliable and accessible transportation
  • Valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance.
  • Required to pass to child protection clearances, federal and state criminal histories.
  • Required to pass background and drug screen, and TB test Preferred Skills
  • 2 plus years of experience in child welfare
  • 2 plus years of experience in the foster care system
  • Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel)
  • Experienced in data collection systems
  • Ability to manage time well.
  • Ability to work independently and in a group.

Key Responsibilities

The Licensed Child Welfare Social Worker will manage cases for children and families in DC foster care, providing assistance to improve social and psychological functioning to achieve timely permanency outcomes. Key duties include conducting safety assessments, monitoring case plans, facilitating visitations, serving as a liaison, and maintaining comprehensive case records and reports.

Requirements

Candidates must possess a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) and be licensed to practice social work in both DC and MD (DC LGSW or LMSW required). Essential qualifications include cultural competence, experience writing detailed court reports and treatment plans, and experience in family or trauma-informed therapy, along with reliable transportation.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Service Needs DeterminationCase Plan MonitoringFamily Visitation SupervisionAdvocacyRecord KeepingReport PreparationCommunity Resource ReferralTeamworkTreatment PlanningMedical CoordinationBehavioral Health CoordinationFoster Care Placement

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Licensed Child Welfare Social Worker at LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE NAT a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 35% of all Social Work social worker listings evaluated on our platform.

Social Worker Career Context

Of the 50 active Social Work listings this role was benchmarked against, 64% are remote, 42% have no call, 62% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for District of Columbia is 109.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$86k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $78k in an average-cost state. 64.3% of District of Columbia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Social Work by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$85k–$86kSocial Work median $73k (middle half $63k–$82k)290 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$78k in purchasing powerDistrict of Columbia index 109.9 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Social Work listings in District of Columbia24 active6,524 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 64% remote · 42% no call · 62% no weekends50 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 Social Worker Jobs

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Salary Distribution

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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

34 jobs · 11 employers
401k / retirement match
100%
Sign-on bonus
62%
CME allowance
18%

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 6.0
Better work-life than 50% of Social Work listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 6,518 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
  • Includes call
Lutheran Social Services of the NAT logo

About Lutheran Social Services of the NAT

Health and Human Services
Washington, District of Columbia
51-200 employees

Living in Washington

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$642k≈ 7.6× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,517/mo≈ 36% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
30 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.9
State income tax
Up to 10.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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