Behavioral Health Social Worker

Department: 02040 WFBMG University Group Practice: WFBMC Main - Behavioral Health

Status: Full time

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Hours Per Week

40

Schedule Details/Additional Information

First Shift

Pay Range

$33.05 - $49.60

Join our Behavioral Health team and play a vital role in delivering high‑quality psychiatric and crisis services across our Emergency Department, medical floors and extends into ambulatory settings.

This position provides comprehensive assessments, care coordination, and support for patients across the lifespan who are experiencing psychiatric, substance use, domestic violence, or abuse-related crises.

You will work within a fast‑paced, multidisciplinary environment and may travel to other Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist sites to support Behavioral Health needs.

Key Responsibilities

Complete comprehensive psychosocial assessments, including mental status, psychiatric and substance use history, suicide risk, family dynamics, and support systems.

Evaluate behavioral health treatment needs using DSM-5 criteria and knowledge of the Illinois Mental Health Code.

• Develop and update individualized treatment and discharge plans.
• Provide individual, family, and group interventions, education, and support.
• Coordinate discharge and aftercare services with internal teams and community resources.
• Advocate for patients and families throughout treatment, including court proceedings when needed.
• Collaborate with physicians and multidisciplinary teams to support effective, coordinated care.
• Maintain timely and accurate clinical documentation.
• Participate in program development, quality initiatives, staff education, and continuing professional development.
• Travel to other Advocate locations as needed.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social Work.
• 1–3 years of clinical mental health experience.
• Prior mental health and emergency room experience required.
• Current Illinois Social Worker (LSW) license required; LCSW must be obtained within one year of employment.
• Dual-diagnosis experience and family therapy training preferred.
• Strong assessment, critical-thinking, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment.

What You’ll Bring

A strong understanding of mental illness, developmental needs, behavioral health treatment, and discharge planning, along with compassionate therapeutic communication and a commitment to patient- and family-centered care.

Our Commitment to You

Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including:

Compensation

Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training

• Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job
• Incentive pay for select positions
• Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
• Benefits and more

Paid Time Off Programs

• Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
• Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs

Educational Assistance Program

Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e. g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview.

About Advocate Health

Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health.

Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise.

It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs.

Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs.

Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.