Gentiva Hospice logo
Gentiva Hospice
Palm Desert, CA, US

Social Worker MSW

Social WorkerFull-Time

Listed compensation

$45-$50/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 26m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Support Families. Guide Care. Shape End-of-Life Experiences.

If you’re driven by compassion and committed to guiding others through serious illness and loss, we invite you to join our team as a Hospice Social Worker (MSW).

We believe that holistic care includes emotional, social, and spiritual support. As a key member of the interdisciplinary team, you’ll help ensure patients and families receive the guidance and resources they need to navigate the hospice journey with dignity and peace of mind.

As a Hospice Social Worker (MSW), You Will:

  • Serve as the psychosocial support expert on the interdisciplinary care team
  • Provide assessments and care planning based on the emotional, psychological, environmental, and cultural needs of patients and families
  • Deliver counseling, crisis intervention, and practical resource support aligned with each patient’s individualized plan of care
  • Work closely with patients, families, physicians, nurses, chaplains, and other care team members to support the emotional and social well-being of the patient-family unit
  • Educate families on hospice services, advance care planning, grief, and coping strategies
  • Assist with long-term planning, community referrals, and resource navigation when needed
  • Monitor and document psychosocial changes in the patient or family situation and recommend plan of care updates as appropriate
  • Uphold ethical standards and professional judgment in end-of-life care

About You

Qualifications – What You’ll Bring

  • Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) from a CSWE-accredited program
  • Current licensure as required by the state of employment
  • Minimum of 1 year of experience as a Social Worker in a healthcare or hospice setting
  • Knowledge of the psychosocial dynamics of illness, grief, loss, and end-of-life care
  • Ability to provide empathetic support and maintain boundaries in emotionally intense situations
  • Strong communication skills, cultural sensitivity, and respect for diverse family systems

Preferred Qualifications (Not Required)

  • 3 to 5 years of experience as a Social Worker in hospice or healthcare
  • Experience supporting terminally ill patients and their families
  • Advanced grief counseling or palliative care training

Compensation may vary within the salary range provided based on several factors, including but not limited to a candidate's geographic location, experience, education, skills, licensure, certifications, internal equity, and department equity. Gentiva provides associates with a comprehensive Total Rewards package, of which base pay is just one component.

Salary Range: $45.00/hour - $50.00/hour

We Offer

Benefits for All Hospice Associates (Full-Time & Per Diem):

  • Competitive Pay
  • 401(k) with Company Match
  • Career Advancement Opportunities
  • National & Local Recognition Programs
  • Teammate Assistance Fund

Additional Full-Time Benefits

  • Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
  • Mileage Reimbursement or Fleet Vehicle Program
  • Generous Paid Time Off + 7 Paid Holidays
  • Wellness Programs (Telemedicine, Diabetes Management, Joint & Spine Concierge Care)
  • Education Support & Tuition Assistance
  • Free Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
  • Company-paid Life & Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Voluntary Benefits (Pet, Critical Illness, Accident, LTC)
  • Ready to Join a Team That Cares?
  • Apply today and bring your heart and your clinical expertise to a team that values whole-person care.
  • Legalese
  • This is a safety-sensitive position
  • Employee must meet minimum requirements to be eligible for benefits
  • Where applicable, employee must meet state specific requirements
  • We are proud to be an EEO employer
  • We maintain a drug-free workplace

Location: Gentiva Hospice

Our Company

At Gentiva, it is our privilege to offer compassionate care in the comfort of wherever our patients call home. We are a national leader in hospice care, palliative care, home health care, and advanced illness management, with nearly 600 locations and thousands of dedicated clinicians across 38 states.

Our place is by the side of those who need us – from helping people recover from illness, injury, or surgery in the comfort of their homes to guiding patients and their families through the physical, emotional, and spiritual effects of a serious illness or terminal diagnosis.

Our nationwide reach is powered by a family of trusted brands that include:

Hospice care: Gentiva Hospice, Emerald Coast Hospice Care, Heartland Hospice, Hospice Plus, New Century Hospice, Regency SouthernCare, SouthernCare Hospice Services, SouthernCare New Beacon

  • Palliative care: Empatia Palliative Care, Emerald Coast Palliative Care
  • Home health care: Heartland Home Health
  • Advanced illness management: Illumia Health

With corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, and providers delivering care across the U.S., we are proud to offer rewarding careers in a collaborative environment where inspiring achievements are recognized – and kindness is celebrated.

Key Responsibilities

The Hospice Social Worker serves as the psychosocial support expert on an interdisciplinary team to provide assessments, counseling, and crisis intervention for patients and families. They also educate families on hospice services, assist with long-term planning, and ensure the emotional and social well-being of the patient-family unit.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) from a CSWE-accredited program and possess current state licensure. A minimum of one year of experience in a healthcare or hospice setting is required, along with strong communication and cultural sensitivity skills.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Psychosocial assessmentInterdisciplinary collaborationPatient educationDocumentationCase management

Social Worker Career Context

In California, the Social Work weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$97k (763 salary observations; 2,113 listings), vs ~$81k nationally (5,217 salary observations; 22,649 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Social Work listings this role was benchmarked against, 56% are remote, 30% have no call, 66% require no weekends.

Social Work by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$94k–$104kSocial Work median $83k (middle half $62k–$104k)42 comparable listings, Nov 2026
California vs national$97k median in California$81k nationally (+19%)763 state / 5,217 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$89k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Social Work listings in California726 active6,546 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 56% remote · 30% no call · 66% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia social worker listings (all specialties): 8% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 5% offer loan repayment774 active listings, Nov 2026
New Social Work listings2,609 in the last 30 days1,361 the 30 days before (+92%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, 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

41 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

41 jobs · 27 employers
10
<$95k
5
$95k-110k
18
$110k-125k
7
$125k-140k
1
$141k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

38 jobs · 27 employers
401k / retirement match
100% this job
Sign-on bonus
37%
CME allowance
29% this job
Loan repayment
8%
Relocation assistance
8%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

LifeStance Health · Portland, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#2

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) w/bonus - 5413Contract

Vantage Search Group · Montgomery, Alabama

$83k-$135k
#3

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
#4

MCRT Licensed Team Lead LCSW LMFT LPCC - Mental Health 396

$103k-$128k
+ 39 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.1this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Social Work listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 6,463 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Gentiva Hospice logo

About Gentiva Hospice

Hospitals and Health Care
Atlanta, GA
5,001-10,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

401(k) with Company Match
Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
Mileage Reimbursement or Fleet Vehicle Program
Generous Paid Time Off + 7 Paid Holidays
Wellness Programs
Education Support & Tuition Assistance
Free Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
Company-paid Life & Long-Term Disability Insurance

Living in Palm Desert

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$606k
Typical market rent
$2,749/mo
Residents’ average commute
21 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
106.4
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 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.