Clinical Social Worker - Inpatient Psych

UCSF Health; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

UCSF Health in San Francisco seeks an experienced inpatient social worker to join a multidisciplinary treatment team on an acute psychiatric unit. You will conduct psychosocial assessments, provide case management, lead individual and family therapy, and plan timely discharge—integrating patient goals with community resources.

The role requires a Master’s in Social Work and CA licensure eligibility, with a track record in crisis intervention and high-risk cases.

Qualifications

• 3 years of direct patient care in a mental health setting.
• Master’s degree in social work and licensure requirements for California.
• Ability to provide transitional, comprehensive mental health services including psychotherapy, crisis intervention, outreach, and case management.
• Ability to complete psychosocial/functional assessments, mental status examinations, treatment development, and discharge planning.
• Ability to assess suicide and violence risk.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent documentation and clinical skills.
• Ability to prioritize; work independently; meet deadlines.
• Willingness to orient to all UCSF Medical Center locations.
• Preliminary job offer and assignment may be extended pending background clearance.
• Experience with diverse populations preferred.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a caseload of adult patients on the acute psychiatric unit, providing psychosocial assessment, case management, individual and family meetings, treatment planning, and discharge planning; provide psychoeducation to patients and families.
• Communicate effectively with community partners (SFDPH, Conservatorship Office, and others).
• Maintain knowledge of community resources for discharge planning and referrals to facilities, outpatient programs, and services.
• Facilitate psychoeducation groups as needed.
• Provide clinical consultation to a multidisciplinary team and facilitate referrals and services.
• Provide individual psychotherapy, outreach, and case management as needed by patient care.
• Document patient care timely following LPPH, regulatory, and funding standards.
• Attend staff meetings and adapt to evolving clinical service standards and infection control expectations; apply CDC guidelines.
• Use LEAN processes, participate in huddles, and contribute to performance indicators around patient experience and growth.
• Facilitate patient advisory or focus groups for LPPH.

Skills

psychosocial assessment

case management

individual & family therapy

crisis intervention

discharge planning

communication skills

Education

MSW from an accredited school

California LCSW/LMFT eligibility

Job description

Job Description

Under the general supervision of the Director of Clinical Services and as part of a multidisciplinary treatment team, the inpatient social worker’s duties include psychosocial assessment, case management, individual and family therapy, and crisis intervention for patients hospitalized on an acute psychiatric unit. The social worker will provide timely discharge planning considering the patient’s goals, preferences, needs, and resources.

Department Description

UCSF Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital – Mount Zion offers inpatient, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs serving adults with urgent and moderate to severe behavioral and emotional concerns.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a caseload of adult patients on the acute psychiatric unit, providing psychosocial assessment, case management, individual and family meetings, treatment planning, and discharge planning; provide psychoeducation to patients and families.
• Communicate effectively and maintain positive relationships with community partners, including SFDPH, Conservatorship Office, and other agencies.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of community resources for discharge planning, including food, shelter, long‑term psychiatric facilities, residential care, outpatient programs, clinics, and providers.
• Facilitate psychoeducation groups as needed.
• Provide clinical consultation to a multidisciplinary treatment team; facilitate referrals and services; participate in ongoing assessment of treatment services; train or educate medical students, residents, and other post‑graduate trainees.
• Provide individual psychotherapy, outreach, and case management as indicated by programmatic and patient care needs.
• Document patient care in a timely manner, following LPPH, TJC, Medicare, and private funding regulations and standards.
• Attend staff meetings and other duties as assigned, maintain knowledge of clinical service standards and regulations, infection control issues, and national patient safety regulations; implement CDC hand‑washing guidelines.
• Utilize LEAN management systems, participate in huddles, and leader rounding to address key performance indicators such as patient experience, staff well‑being, strategic growth, and financial strength.
• Participate in facilitation of patient advisory or focus groups on behalf of LPPH.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of direct patient care experience in a mental health setting, group and crisis management skills.
• A Master’s degree from an accredited school of social work and possession of the requirements necessary for application for licensure as a clinical social worker in California; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated ability to provide transitional, comprehensive mental health services including psychotherapy, crisis intervention, outreach, and case management to a caseload of severely mentally ill adults who are high risk for psychiatric hospitalization.
• Demonstrated ability to complete psychosocial/functional assessments, mental status examinations, comprehensive treatment development, and discharge planning.
• Demonstrated ability to assess suicide and violence risk.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent documentation and clinical skills.
• Ability to prioritize; work independently; excellent follow‑up; work well under pressure and deadlines.
• Demonstrated excellent attendance and reliability.
• Demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with colleagues as a member of the treatment team.
• A preliminary job offer and assignment may be extended pending successful background clearance.
• Requires flexibility to orient and work at all UCSF Medical Center locations.

Preferred

• Experience with diverse populations in ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.
• Experience with severely mentally ill patients.

Licenses/Certifications

• Licensed with the Board of Behavioral Sciences in California (LCSW or LMFT).

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to health care, advanced biomedical research, graduate‑level education, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10‑campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Salary Information

The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy. Your placement within the salary range is dependent on a number of factors, including work experience and internal equity. For positions that are represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range will be guided by collective bargaining agreement rules. For more information on benefits and total compensation, visit https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html.