Occupation · SOC 21-1022
Healthcare Social Workers
Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family caregivers. Provide patients with information and counseling, and make referrals for other services. May also provide case and care management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.
Median wage
$68,090
$45,030–$100,870
Projected growth
+7.7%
Faster than average
Annual openings
1,480
per year
Employed (US)
185,940
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
480 mapped
Core skills
Social PerceptivenessSpeakingService OrientationReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingCoordinationActive ListeningWritingComplex Problem SolvingActive LearningJudgment and Decision MakingPersuasionMonitoringTime ManagementSystems EvaluationNegotiationManagement of Personnel ResourcesLearning StrategiesInstructingOperations AnalysisSystems AnalysisScienceMathematicsManagement of Material ResourcesTechnology DesignQuality Control AnalysisProgrammingOperations MonitoringOperation and ControlManagement of Financial ResourcesTroubleshootingRepairingInstallationEquipment SelectionEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
PsychologyTherapy and CounselingSociology and AnthropologyEnglish LanguageCustomer and Personal ServiceEducation and TrainingPhilosophy and TheologyAdministrativeLaw and GovernmentMedicine and DentistryAdministration and ManagementPublic Safety and SecurityComputers and ElectronicsCommunications and MediaPersonnel and Human ResourcesTransportationBiologyForeign LanguageHistory and ArcheologyTelecommunicationsEconomics and AccountingMathematicsSales and MarketingGeographyChemistryProduction and ProcessingFine ArtsPhysicsMechanicalFood ProductionEngineering and TechnologyBuilding and ConstructionDesign
Technology & tools
Adobe PageMakerAutomated clinical information systemsCalendar softwareCommand Systems ComServeCorel WordPerfect Office SuiteDatabase softwareEmail softwareGoogle MeetHealthcare common procedure coding system HCPCSInformation presentation softwareIntrado SchoolMessengerJames Frazier Associates DataStartMEDITECH softwareMedical procedure coding softwareMedical records softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft PublisherMicrosoft TeamsMicrosoft WordPatient electronic medical record EMR softwareRelational database softwareSocial Solutions ETOSocial Work Software ClientTouchSpreadsheet softwareWeb browser softwareWeb page design and editing softwareWord processing softwareZoom
Representative tasks
Assisting and Caring for OthersEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsGetting InformationCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesDocumenting/Recording InformationCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicWorking with ComputersUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersDeveloping and Building TeamsProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersThinking CreativelyCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersTraining and Teaching OthersMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsScheduling Work and ActivitiesCoaching and Developing OthersDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsPerforming Administrative ActivitiesProcessing InformationGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesAnalyzing Data or InformationStaffing Organizational UnitsMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesSelling or Influencing OthersOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationPerforming General Physical ActivitiesInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsHandling and Moving ObjectsControlling Machines and ProcessesRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Client intake records and demographic data — collect and organize under clinical supervisor direction during initial hospital or community health agency onboarding.Community resource directories and referral databases — identify and apply to connect patients with financial assistance, housing, or legal aid services under close oversight.Active listening skills and structured interview protocols — apply to gather patient psychosocial histories in supervised individual sessions within inpatient or outpatient settings.Treatment plan templates and measurable goal frameworks — follow under supervision to document baseline client progress in electronic medical records systems.End-of-life care terminology and palliative care options — recognize and communicate foundational information to patients and families under licensed clinician guidance.Multidisciplinary team meetings and case conferences — participate as an observer and contributor of social history data in acute care or rehabilitation environments.Calendar and scheduling software and electronic mail platforms — use to coordinate client appointments and interdepartmental communications in a healthcare agency setting.Environmental and social barriers to care — identify through structured patient record review and supervised client interviews in clinical placement settings.Crisis recognition indicators and de-escalation protocols — follow under direct supervision to support clients experiencing acute psychosocial distress in emergency department settings.Cultural competency frameworks and professional ethics codes — apply when engaging with diverse patient populations under mentored supervision in community health contexts.
developing
Individual and group counseling sessions — facilitate with reduced oversight to help clients manage dependencies, illness adjustment, and recovery in outpatient behavioral health settings.Referral networks spanning financial, legal, housing, and employment services — navigate and activate independently to connect patients with appropriate community resources following discharge planning.Patient progress notes and measurable outcome metrics — monitor, evaluate, and record routinely within electronic health record systems to document client advancement toward care plan goals.Collaborative care assessments — conduct alongside physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals to evaluate patients' physical and psychosocial conditions in hospital interdisciplinary teams.Medical software and database query tools — use to retrieve, analyze, and update client records and track service utilization patterns across a caseload in a managed care environment.Social work consultation data and clinical experience — synthesize to coordinate individualized rehabilitation plans and follow through on service efficacy in post-acute care settings.Advocacy correspondence and appeals documentation — compose using office suite and word processing tools to resolve client access-to-care crises with insurance providers or public agencies.Psychoeducation materials on end-of-life symptoms and advance directives — adapt and deliver to patients and families in hospice or palliative care settings with moderate supervision.Emerging research on evidence-based interventions — incorporate into practice adjustments for familiar clinical scenarios encountered in community mental health or chronic disease management programs.Caseload scheduling and service coordination — manage proactively using scheduling software and mobile messaging tools to ensure continuity of care across multiple client contacts.
proficient
Complex multi-system client crises — resolve autonomously by advocating across healthcare, legal, and social service systems to secure timely interventions in high-acuity hospital or community settings.Comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments — conduct independently across the full scope of patient populations, integrating medical records review, clinical interviews, and collateral data in multidisciplinary care environments.Non-routine end-of-life care decisions — guide patients and families through, providing nuanced education on symptom management, hospice eligibility, and ethical options within palliative care programs.Individualized care and rehabilitation plans — design, coordinate, and continuously evaluate using consultation data and advanced clinical judgment to maximize service efficacy across complex caseloads.Systemic environmental impediments — analyze through in-depth record review and patient interviews and develop targeted intervention strategies to remove barriers in underserved or structurally disadvantaged populations.Cross-disciplinary collaboration — lead within medical teams to ensure integrated patient-centered care planning that addresses social determinants of health in acute, sub-acute, and outpatient settings.Persuasive communication and negotiation — deploy with insurers, administrators, and community organizations to secure resources and resolve coverage disputes on behalf of high-need patients.Data presentation and outcome reporting — produce using spreadsheet and presentation software to communicate program effectiveness and client outcomes to clinical leadership and external stakeholders.Advanced therapeutic modalities for individual and group sessions — apply autonomously to address co-occurring mental health, substance use, and chronic illness challenges in behavioral health settings.Active learning strategies and professional literature — synthesize continuously to refine clinical approaches for non-routine cases encountered across diverse healthcare social work specializations.
advanced
Departmental clinical practice standards and competency frameworks — develop and institutionalize to elevate the quality and consistency of healthcare social work services across an organization or health system.Strategic resource referral networks and community partnership agreements — establish and sustain at an organizational scale to expand patient access to housing, employment, legal, and financial services.Workforce development and clinical supervision programs — design and lead for emerging and developing social workers, using structured learning strategies and reflective practice models in training institutions or health systems.Organizational crisis response protocols — architect and oversee, directing interdisciplinary teams to resolve large-scale patient advocacy challenges and systemic access failures across service lines.Personnel resource management and caseload allocation — execute at the department level, applying judgment and decision-making frameworks to optimize team capacity and client outcome equity.Health equity and social determinants of health policy — champion within executive leadership forums, translating frontline clinical intelligence into institutional and legislative advocacy initiatives.Program evaluation infrastructure — construct using medical software, database systems, and analytics tools to measure, report, and continuously improve population-level client outcomes across the care continuum.End-of-life care ethics committees and palliative care policy — lead and advise, integrating philosophy, theology, and clinical expertise to shape institutional guidelines and professional standards.Interdisciplinary education and training curricula — create and deliver using presentation and video conferencing platforms to advance social work knowledge across healthcare professional teams and academic partners.Organizational culture of empathy, cooperation, and stress resilience — model and cultivate through visible leadership, mentorship, and systemic well-being initiatives that sustain the healthcare social work workforce.
Also known as
53 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
AIDS Social WorkerBereavement CounselorCase ManagerCase WorkerCaseworkerCertified Health Care Social WorkerCertified Social Worker in Health Care (C-SWHC)Client AdvocateClinical Social WorkerDisability AdvocateDisability CoordinatorDisability SpecialistDischarge PlannerElder CounselorFamily AdvocateFamily Support SpecialistFamily Support WorkerGeriatric Social WorkerGroup Social WorkerHealth Care Social WorkerHealthcare AdvocateHealthcare Social WorkerHome Health Care Social WorkerHospice Home Care Social WorkerHospice Medical Social WorkerHospice Social WorkerHospital Social WorkerLicensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)Licensed Social WorkerLICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker)LISW (Licensed Independent Social Worker)LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker)LMSW (Licensed Medical Social Worker)Long Term Care Social WorkerMedicaid Eligibility AdvisorMedical Case ManagerMedical Case WorkerMedical Social ConsultantMedical Social WorkerNeonatal Social Worker