What does a hospital social worker do?
The job of a hospital social worker is one that constantly puts them in the limelight. They perform duties to help patients as they navigate the process of being sick and hospitalized. They assist patients in dealing with the effects of hospitalization. They function as the middleman between patients and the hospital staff. They must also connect patients to much-needed services and assist with coordinating insurance reimbursements.
Hospital social worker responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real hospital social worker resumes:
- Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
- Provide individual therapy, case management, and insurance coverage reviews for individuals undergoing short-term rehabilitation.
- Provide orientation, support and information to patients and their families to facilitate active involvement in the rehabilitation environment.
- Perform assessments/social history upon admission to better understand the patient's needs and personal circumstances as they relate to their rehabilitation.
- Coordinate care with community providers for follow up if patient are discharged, prepare documentation for admission to inpatient psychiatry unit.
- Analyze psychological / psycho-social evaluations, IEP's, and medical histories within a referral packet to determine eligibility.
Hospital social worker skills and personality traits
We calculated that 28% of Hospital Social Workers are proficient in Social Work, Patients, and Patient Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Emotional skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Hospital Social Workers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Social Work, 28%
Participated in weekly interdisciplinary team conferences, professional staff conferences and served as supervisor and trainer for social work practicum students.
- Patients, 21%
Provided orientation, support and information to patients and their families to facilitate active involvement in the rehabilitation environment.
- Patient Care, 7%
Participated in daily patient care meetings with administrative and cooperate staff.
- MSW, 6%
Provided supervision for MSW candidate interns as official field instructor and task supervisor Social Work Internship Experience
- Behavioral Health, 5%
Represented Behavioral Health unit at court hearings for continued commitment.
- Acute Care, 4%
Worked with area nursing homes, long term acute care hospitals, rehab units, home health and medical equipment providers.
Most hospital social workers use their skills in "social work," "patients," and "patient care" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential hospital social worker responsibilities here:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a hospital social worker to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "clients talk to social workers about challenges in their lives." Hospital social workers often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "facilitate communication between patients and hospice, home health care, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and durable medical equipment agencies. "
Interpersonal skills. hospital social workers are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to hospital social worker responsibilities, because "social workers must be able to work with different groups of people." A hospital social worker resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "utilize treatment modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing and interpersonal therapy. "
Organizational skills. A big part of what hospital social workers do relies on "organizational skills." You can see how essential it is to hospital social worker responsibilities because "social workers must help and manage multiple clients, often assisting with their paperwork or documenting their treatment." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical hospital social worker tasks: "coordinated improvement in the departmental unit and the organizational system to benefit patient care. "
Problem-solving skills. Another crucial skill for a hospital social worker to carry out their responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." A big part of what hospital social workers relies on this skill, since "social workers must analyze their clients’ complex situations and develop practical solutions." How this skill relates to hospital social worker duties can be seen in an example from a hospital social worker resume snippet: "visit homebound patients to assess need for community services and to provide brief solution-focused therapy to patients and families. "
The three companies that hire the most hospital social workers are:
- UnitedHealth Group21 hospital social workers jobs
- Trinity Health15 hospital social workers jobs
- Aramark12 hospital social workers jobs
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Compare different hospital social workers
Hospital social worker vs. Family therapist
A Family Therapist works with couples and families to help ameliorate marital and family issues. They can work in hospitals, treatment programs, government agencies, health organizations, and private practices.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, hospital social worker responsibilities require skills like "patient care," "msw," "behavioral health," and "acute care." Meanwhile a typical family therapist has skills in areas such as "mental health issues," "foster care," "fft," and "clinical supervision." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Family therapists really shine in the health care industry with an average salary of $50,267. Comparatively, hospital social workers tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $56,595.The education levels that family therapists earn slightly differ from hospital social workers. In particular, family therapists are 12.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a hospital social worker. Additionally, they're 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Hospital social worker vs. Substance abuse counselor
Substance abuse counselors act as a support system for people with drug and alcohol problems and other behavioral issues. They help the patients control their behavior until they achieve a full recovery. The mental health counselors aid patients to overcome their chemical dependencies and become self-sufficient individuals. Part of their duty includes meeting clients to evaluate their health and substance issues while creating goals and treatment plans. They teach clients coping mechanisms, refer them to support groups, and engage them in group therapy sessions. Once the patient is stable, they help them re-establish their careers and give updates and reports of progress to the courts. Requirements for the job include a master's degree in counseling and social work.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that hospital social worker responsibilities requires skills like "patient care," "msw," "behavioral health," and "acute care." But a substance abuse counselor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "substance abuse treatment," "intake assessments," "excellent interpersonal," and "mental health issues."
On average, substance abuse counselors earn a lower salary than hospital social workers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, substance abuse counselors earn the most pay in the non profits industry with an average salary of $41,273. Whereas hospital social workers have higher pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $56,595.In general, substance abuse counselors achieve lower levels of education than hospital social workers. They're 9.9% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for hospital social workers in the next 3-5 years?
Virginia Schwindt
MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University
Hospital social worker vs. Service counselor
Service counselors provide guidance to couples, individuals, groups, and families who are going through issues that influence their well-being and mental health. They comprehensively approach their clients by utilizing a "wellness" model that focuses on and motivate the client's potentials. Their duties include inspiring clients to talk about their emotions and experiences, helping them determine their action plans and goals, as well as designing therapeutic methods. Also, they may refer their clients to other services or psychologists.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from hospital social worker resumes include skills like "patient care," "msw," "behavioral health," and "acute care," whereas a service counselor is more likely to list skills in "support services," "customer service," "aaa," and "emergency situations. "
Service counselors make a very good living in the education industry with an average annual salary of $43,030. On the other hand, hospital social workers are paid the highest salary in the health care industry, with average annual pay of $56,595.service counselors typically earn lower educational levels compared to hospital social workers. Specifically, they're 19.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Hospital social worker vs. Family counselor
A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between hospital social workers and family counselors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a hospital social worker might have more use for skills like "patients," "patient care," "msw," and "behavioral health." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of family counselors require skills like "poc," "family support," "dod," and "group supervision. "
Family counselors enjoy the best pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $40,967. For comparison, hospital social workers earn the highest salary in the health care industry.The average resume of family counselors showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to hospital social workers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.9%.Types of hospital social worker
Updated January 8, 2025
