Location & Practice Overview

This full-time Social Worker (MSW) role is based at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee, a free-standing pediatric medical center serving children and families across East Tennessee and surrounding regions.

Facility Type 152-bed free-standing pediatric hospital
Practice Setting Inpatient and outpatient pediatric care environment
Department Care Coordination
Geographic Context Knoxville, TN – serving East Tennessee and adjacent areas
Care Model Family-centered pediatric medical care

Responsibilities

  • Assess patients’ and families’ biopsychosocial functioning, emotional support networks, and socioeconomic needs, then develop individualized, attainable goals with them.
  • Provide therapeutic intervention and counseling using modalities that support adaptation to medical circumstances and address secondary psychosocial effects.
  • Coordinate discharge planning that integrates medical and psychosocial plans of care and connects families with current community resources.
  • Document assessments, interventions, and care plans in accordance with hospital and departmental quality and statistical standards.
  • Collaborate with medical staff, the healthcare team, and social work colleagues while advocating for patient and family rights under HIPAA regulations.
  • Participate in orientation of new social work staff and may supervise students completing field placements.

The role centers on direct clinical social work support that helps patients and families manage stressors interfering with medical care, while maintaining professional accountability for hospital resources and adherence to the Social Work Code of Ethics.

Qualifications & Requirements

Candidates must hold a master’s degree in social work and meet Tennessee licensure requirements, with clinical experience preferred to support the pediatric hospital setting.

Education
Master’s degree in Social Work required
Licensure
Tennessee MSW licensure required within 1 year of hire; LCSW preferred
Experience
1 year post-Master’s clinical experience preferred
Core Knowledge
Extensive social work theory base and ability to use multiple therapeutic modalities
Professional Skills
Strong professional judgment, communication, organization, multitasking, attention to detail, and flexibility

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation for this full-time Social Worker (MSW) position is structured as an annual salary. Specific benefit details are not listed in the available posting and should be confirmed directly with the employer.

  • Compensation: $55,000–$75,000 per year
  • Full-time employment
  • Additional benefits not specified in the available posting

Schedule & Work Environment

Employment Type Full-time
Shift Days
Work Setting On-site at pediatric hospital
Physical Demands Medium lifting (20–50 lbs occasionally), frequent walking, standing, bending, and computer use

Patient Population & Clinical Setting

The position serves pediatric patients and their families within a children’s hospital environment, addressing psychosocial stressors that affect medical care and recovery.

Age Group Infants, children, and adolescents
Population Focus Pediatric patients and their families
Clinical Context Hospital-based care involving personal, environmental, and socioeconomic stressors
Encounter Type Inpatient and related outpatient support needs

Clinical Focus & Key Services

Clinical work centers on psychosocial support that enables pediatric patients and families to benefit fully from medical treatment, spanning assessment, care planning, counseling, and resource coordination.

Psychosocial Assessment Clinical evaluation of biopsychosocial functioning and family support systems
Therapeutic Support Psychoeducation and psychotherapy for adjustment to illness and behavioral concerns
Care Coordination Discharge planning and case management integrated with medical care plans
Resource Connection Information and referral to community resources supporting family needs

Role Highlights

This position offers a focused pediatric hospital social work practice within a Care Coordination department, combining direct clinical intervention with opportunities to support staff orientation and student field education.

  • Dedicated pediatric hospital setting serving children and families across a multi-county region
  • Integration of clinical assessment, counseling, and discharge planning within a single Care Coordination team
  • Opportunity to participate in new staff orientation and field placement supervision
  • Daytime full-time schedule supporting consistent collaboration with the medical team

About East Tennessee Children's Hospital

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is a private, independent, not-for-profit pediatric medical center in Knoxville that has served children since 1937. Certified by the state of Tennessee as a Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center, it operates a 152-bed facility with neonatal intensive care, pediatric intensive care, and medical-surgical beds, along with primary care offices, urgent care centers, rehabilitation services, and home health. The hospital maintains an open-door policy that no child is denied care based on race, religion, or ability to pay.

Organization Type Independent not-for-profit pediatric hospital
Founded 1937
Bed Capacity 152 licensed inpatient beds
Service Area East Tennessee and adjacent counties in Kentucky and Virginia
Certification Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tennessee licensure required at the time of hire?
MSW licensure in Tennessee is required within one year of hire. An LCSW is preferred but not mandatory at the start of employment.
Does this role involve supervision of students or new staff?
Yes. The position includes participation in orientation of new social work staff and may involve supervision of students completing field placements.
What reporting structure does this position follow?
The Social Worker reports to the Director of Care Coordination and has no supervisory responsibilities for other staff.
Are physical demands part of the day-to-day work?
Yes. The role requires medium lifting (20–50 lbs occasionally), frequent walking, standing, bending, and regular computer use. Emergency situations may involve higher lifting demands.
What types of counseling are included in the clinical work?
Counseling focuses on adaptation to medical circumstances and secondary psychosocial effects, using modalities that support treatment goals. Psychoeducation and psychotherapy may be provided when needed for illness adjustment or behavioral concerns.
Is prior pediatric experience required?
One year of post-Master’s clinical experience is preferred. Specific pediatric experience is not listed as a mandatory requirement in the posting.

Social Worker (MSW) in Knoxville, TN

This full-time Social Worker (MSW) position at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville provides clinical psychosocial support to pediatric patients and their families within a Care Coordination department. The role centers on assessing biopsychosocial functioning, developing individualized goals, delivering counseling for adaptation to illness, coordinating discharge plans, and connecting families with community resources. Candidates need a master’s degree in social work, with Tennessee MSW licensure required within one year of hire and LCSW preferred; one year of post-Master’s clinical experience is preferred. The schedule is full-time days in an on-site pediatric hospital setting that serves infants, children, and adolescents. Compensation ranges from $55,000 to $75,000 per year. The hospital is a 152-bed free-standing, independent not-for-profit Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center that has served East Tennessee since 1937. The position also includes participation in new staff orientation and potential supervision of social work students completing field placements, offering a structured environment for clinical practice focused on family-centered pediatric care.

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