Sanford Health logo
Sanford Health
Wausau, Wisconsin

Social Worker

Social WorkerIncludes callFull-Time

Listed compensation

$25.5-$36/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland.

Work Shift

8 Hours - Day Shifts (United States of America)

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Compensation

Salary Range: $25.50 - $36.00

Union Position

No

Department Details

Our Community Resources team offers a collaborative, team-based environment where social workers function both independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team, with strong support and shared problem-solving.

We prioritize open, effective communication and provide a supportive workplace with mentorship and resources to help you succeed. We are committed to work-life balance through manageable caseloads and team-based coverage, allowing you to make a meaningful impact while maintaining personal well-being.

Summary

Provides supportive services/counseling on healthcare and home care programs and services. Serves as a member of the interdisciplinary team in providing assistance with social, emotional and economical concerns of patients/clients/residents and families/caregivers, thus enabling them to achieve or maintain an optimal level of functioning by coordinating and planning programs.

Job Description

Provides crisis intervention and assists families in understanding the implications and complexities of medical situations. Coordinates healthcare programs among patients/clients/residents, families/caregivers and psychosocial and healthcare teams/communities. Demonstrates knowledge of human behavior and developmental stages.

Responds to suspected abuse, neglect or violence in accordance with the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics policies and procedures alongside the appropriate state laws.

Develops appropriate plan of care for patients/clients/residents and families/caregivers by obtaining resources from the social, health and human services agencies. Provides referrals, current information and/or education regarding programs and services available.

Demonstrates commitment to the organization by utilizing time effectively, participating in special projects/assignments and exhibiting flexibility when necessary. Demonstrates professionalism by participating in care conferences and transitional rounding, serving as an advocate.

Demonstrates efficacy in critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making. Possesses written and verbal communication skills while establishing a rapport with patients/clients/residents, families/caregivers and communities and healthcare teams/communities. Displays independent judgement. Actively participates with the healthcare teams.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related field from an accredited curriculum required.

Healthcare and/or mental health hospital experience preferred.

Depending on location, Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required within six weeks of employment. Depending on position, may be required to possess multi-state licensure privilege.

Must possess a license in good standing in state(s) of practice:

In Wisconsin

Wisconsin Social Work Certification or Social Work Training Certificate within two years of hire date, resulting in obtaining your WI State Social Work license

Sanford is an EEO/AA Employer M/F/Disability/Vet.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-877-949-5678 or send an email to talent@sanfordhealth.org.

Key Responsibilities

Provides supportive counseling and crisis intervention to patients and families while coordinating care across interdisciplinary teams. Develops and implements care plans by connecting clients with necessary social, health, and human services resources.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

Case managementInterdisciplinary collaborationPatient advocacyPsychosocial assessmentCare planningWritten communicationHealthcare coordinationDevelopmental stage knowledgeSocial work ethicsReferral managementDocumentation

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Social Worker at Sanford Health a 6.4 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Social Work — ranked against 6,488 active Social Work listings on WeekdayDoc.

Social Worker Career Context

Of the 50 active Social Work listings this role was benchmarked against, 54% are remote, 34% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

Social Work pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.8% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Wisconsin is 94.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$64k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $68k in an average-cost state. 60.7% of Wisconsin clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Social Worker Jobs

33 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution33 jobs · 18 employers

10
<$95k
5
$95k-110k
10
$110k-125k
6
$125k-140k
2
$141k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks32 jobs · 18 employers

401k / retirement match
97%
Sign-on bonus
50%
CME allowance
22%
Loan repayment
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

LifeStance Health · Vancouver, Washington

$123k-$141k
#2

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

LifeStance Health · West Linn, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$118k-$135k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
+ 31 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 6.4
Better work-life than 60% of Social Work listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 6,488 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
  • Includes call

Living in Wausau

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$231k
Typical market rent
$961/mo
Residents’ average commute
15 min
State income tax
Up to 7.7%
Sources & methodology

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

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

Sanford Health logo

About Sanford Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Sioux Falls, SD
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Work-life balance
No nights or weekends
Collaborative team environment