Location & Practice Overview

The LCSW role is located at Keck Hospital of USC in Los Angeles, a 343-bed acute-care facility that functions as a tertiary academic medical center. Social Services supports inpatient care for patients with complex medical and surgical conditions across a broad range of specialties.

Facility Keck Hospital of USC
Hospital Type 343-bed academic acute-care hospital
Department Social Services
Care Model Inpatient interdisciplinary practice
Geographic Context Los Angeles, California

Responsibilities

  • Perform psychosocial assessments that address human behavior, treatment-impacting factors, and potential ethical or risk issues in a timely manner.
  • Provide supportive counseling to patients and families, facilitate family conferences, and guide decision-making around hospice, DNR status, and placement options.
  • Link patients and families to community agencies and services, assist with physician communication, and collaborate with case managers on discharge planning.
  • Identify high-risk situations, triage and balance new referrals against ongoing caseload demands, and seek support from colleagues or leadership when volume requires it.
  • Apply legal and ethical standards to all clinical work, including mandated reporting, Tarasoff obligations, conservatorship matters, and protection of patient rights.
  • Complete required documentation (Interdisciplinary Plan of Care, Education Form, Advance Health Care Directive follow-up, and Social Services Progress Notes) and deliver in-service education on psychosocial issues to hospital staff.

Additional assigned duties include clinical supervision of MSW graduate students and MSW staff, group facilitation, quality-improvement activities, and contribution to cancer-related support groups or educational programs.

Qualifications & Requirements

Applicants must possess California clinical licensure and documented experience in both general medical and cancer-care environments.

Degree
Master’s degree in Social Work from an accredited graduate school of social work
Licensure
Active Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) credential issued by the California DCA
Experience
At least two years in a medical setting plus one year of experience within a cancer setting
Required Credentials
BLS Healthcare Provider certification (American Heart Association); LA City Fire Life Safety Training card (or obtain within 30 days of hire and maintain by renewal)
Core Competencies
Effective English communication (verbal and written), strong analytical and problem-solving skills, ability to function independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team

Compensation & Benefits

The annual base salary range for this exempt position is $99,507–$164,559. Offer amounts consider the scope of the role, the candidate’s experience and education, internal equity, and relevant market conditions.

  • Annual base salary: $99,507–$164,559
  • Exempt classification

Schedule & Work Environment

Status Full-time, exempt, non-union
Shift Pattern 8-hour day shifts
Work Location On-site at the hospital
Environment Acute-care hospital Social Services department

Patient Population & Clinical Setting

The social worker engages with patients and families confronting serious medical and surgical illness inside a high-acuity academic hospital that also serves individuals on cancer-care pathways.

Setting Inpatient acute-care hospital
Acuity Level Complex and acutely ill medical-surgical patients
Population Characteristics Patients and families needing psychosocial support, including those receiving cancer-related care
Team Context Interdisciplinary collaboration with physicians, case managers, and other hospital staff

Clinical Focus & Key Services

The clinical core of the position centers on psychosocial evaluation and intervention for individuals and families navigating serious illness, treatment choices, and care transitions within a tertiary academic medical center.

Assessment Focus Psychosocial evaluation that identifies behavioral, relational, ethical, and risk factors affecting treatment
Intervention Services Supportive counseling and decision-support in individual, family, and group formats, including end-of-life and placement discussions
Transition Support Community resource linkage and discharge-related psychosocial coordination
Specialty-Related Services Cancer-specific psychosocial support, education, and group programming for patients, families, and staff

Role Highlights

Distinctive elements of this LCSW position include formal supervisory duties, structured staff education, and integration of oncology-related programming within a high-acuity academic hospital setting.

  • Assigned clinical supervision of graduate MSW students and of MSW employees who require supervision for clinical practice
  • Delivery of in-service education (including Lunch-and-Learn formats) on psychosocial dimensions of patient care to multidisciplinary staff
  • Participation in quality-improvement work through development, monitoring, and analysis of process and outcome indicators
  • Contribution to cancer-specific support groups and educational programs for patients, families, staff, and volunteers

About Keck Hospital of USC

Keck Hospital of USC is a 343-bed acute-care hospital that forms part of the University of Southern California academic medical enterprise. The facility treats complex medical and surgical conditions and maintains an extensive portfolio of clinical trials that provide patients access to therapies not widely available elsewhere. It operates as a tertiary referral center staffed by physicians across a wide range of specialties.

Parent Organization University of Southern California
Facility Size 343-bed acute-care hospital
Clinical Emphasis Complex medical and surgical care with active clinical trials
Institution Type Academic medical center / tertiary referral hospital
Location Los Angeles, California

Frequently Asked Questions

Is experience in a cancer setting required?
Yes. In addition to a minimum of two years of experience in a medical setting, candidates must have at least one year of experience within a cancer setting.
Does the position involve supervision of students or staff?
Yes. The LCSW provides clinical supervision for assigned graduate master-level social work students and for MSW employees who require supervision for their clinical activities.
What documentation is required?
Documentation must follow hospital policy and includes the Interdisciplinary Plan of Care, Education Form, Advance Health Care Directive follow-up form, and Social Services Progress Notes.
Must Fire Life Safety Training be completed before starting?
If a valid LA City Fire Life Safety Training card is not already held, it must be obtained within 30 days of hire and then maintained through timely renewal.
Are group services part of the role?
Yes. Responsibilities include group facilitation and program development, which may include cancer-specific support groups and educational programs for patients, families, staff, and volunteers.
How is caseload volume handled?
The social worker is expected to recognize high-risk situations, balance new referrals with continuing patient care, and request assistance from colleagues or the manager when the caseload requires additional support.

Social Worker, LCSW in Los Angeles, CA

This full-time LCSW position at Keck Hospital of USC in Los Angeles carries an annual base salary range of $99,507–$164,559 and is classified as exempt and non-union with 8-hour day shifts. The social worker conducts psychosocial assessments, provides supportive counseling and family conference facilitation, manages high-risk caseloads, and coordinates community referrals and discharge planning as part of an interdisciplinary team. Clinical services address patients and families facing complex medical and surgical conditions, including those on cancer-care pathways, and are delivered in individual, family, and group formats. Required credentials include a master’s degree in social work, California LCSW licensure, two years of medical social work experience, one year of experience within a cancer setting, BLS certification, with LA City Fire Life Safety Training required within 30 days of hire if not already current. The role also includes clinical supervision of MSW students and staff, staff education, and quality-improvement participation. Keck Hospital is a 343-bed academic acute-care facility that treats complex medical and surgical conditions and maintains an active portfolio of clinical trials.

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