Medical Social Worker (2920) - Citywide - H00140

San Francisco Department of Public Health

place San Francisco, 94154

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Counseling, Social Work, Other Behavioral, Mental, or Healthcare Field

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Internship, Consultant, Supervision

local_atm $113,100 - $137,436 a year

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Spanish, Cantonese

Recruitment: REF50715Q

Published: January 30, 2026

Contact:
Eliot Watt - Eliot.Watt@sfdph.org

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

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Department: Public Health

Job class:
2920-Medical Social Worker

Salary range: $113,100.00 - $137,436.00
Role type: Permanent Civil Service What does this mean?

Hours: Full-time

Exam type:
Class Based Test

Rule:
Rule of the List

List type:
Entrance

About:
This is a Citywide Exam posting. Your application to this posting is an application to take a citywide exam.
Application Opening : 1/30/2026
Application Deadline : Application filing will close on or after 2/6/2026
In-person Assessment : 2/20/2026
Annual Salary : $113,100 - $137,436

careers.sf.gov/classifications/?classCode=2920
Appointment Type : Permanent Civil Service
Recruitment ID : CBT-2920-H00140
San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

Role description

Under general supervision, the 2920 Medical Social Worker performs routine medical social work duties; evaluates social, emotional and physical needs of clients; interviews clients and their families and significant others; provides supportive counseling or crisis intervention; conducts mandatory reporting activities; advocates on behalf of clients; provides discharge planning, service coordination, psychoeducation and case management; and performs related duties as required.
The essential job functions include but are not limited to the following:
Evaluates social, emotional, and physical needs of clients by applying social work theories. Helps clients cope with the environmental and psychological issues of illness by explaining options and treatments as well as making appropriate referrals.
Provides supportive counseling or crisis intervention to clients and/or their significant others, families, or friends or may provide referral services to therapists or mental health providers.
Interviews clients, their families, and significant others to obtain intake information, reviews financial status and screen eligibility for entitlement programs. Collaborates with interdisciplinary health care teams to treat and plan for the psychosocial and medical needs of patients by consulting with other providers and making referrals. Devises, develops, and implements treatment plans, as necessary. May make a diagnosis as part of a treatment plan.
Conducts mandatory reporting activities by completing reports (CPS, APS, elder abuse, and domestic violence reports) in specific timeframes and completing appropriate documents.
Prepares records to document case activity including pertinent statistical reports, chart notes, correspondence, and other agency forms to monitor and assess client's progress;
Advocates on behalf of clients with agencies, medical practitioners and within the community.
Conducts home visits when necessary to survey living situation of clients for accessibility and to determine the need for further services.
Provides discharge planning and/or service coordination and linkage by analyzing client needs, coordinates with other members of treatment teams and refers clients to outside services and community agencies. Research community resources, makes appropriate referrals, and helps facilitate medical treatment and arranges follow-up care.
The 2920 Medical Social Worker also performs other related duties as required.

How to qualify

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must meet these minimum qualification requirements by the final application submission date unless otherwise noted.
Education : Possession of a Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)*;

AND
Experience: Six (6) months** (1,000 hours) of social work experience in a health care setting. This experience may be gained from supervised field placement during the Master's in Social Work (MSW) program or from post-graduate social work experience.

Applicants who have qualifying experience, but do not have their MSW degree yet, may qualify if they upload documentation showing

Current enrollment in the final academic term of a qualifying MSW program
MSW program will award their degree by June 16, 2026
However, if selected, the candidate will NOT be appointed/hired until proof of their MSW degree completion is provided.
**One-year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours, based on a 40-hour work week.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

These qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.
Comfort as Float responding to urgent social work requests in varied hospital outpatient units
Experience in Urgent Care and/or Dialysis setting
Willingness to provide case management services (on-campus only)
Excellent communications skills
Able to manage multiple tasks/assignments
Bilingual in Spanish or Cantonese
VERIFICATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education or experience verification is required, information on how to verify education and experience requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at careers.sf.gov/knowledge/experience-education .
Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

What else should I know?

Selection Procedures

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which include the following:
Written Assessment (Weight: 100%)

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to a location in San Francisco to participate in a written multiple-choice assessment designed to measure knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas such as:
Knowledge of: social work theories, principles, and techniques; Federal, State and local laws, administrative codes, rules and regulations; contemporary medical issues and health trends; case agencies and resources; counseling, therapy, advocacy, and intervention.
Ability to: apply social work methodology; develop and maintain professional working relationships; work cooperatively with interdisciplinary teams; train and supervise others; be sensitive to cultural diversity; evaluate client social, emotional, and physical needs; provide and conduct psychosocial assessments; advocate on behalf of the client; determine appropriate therapeutic referrals; written communication skills; oral communication skills; basic computer skills; interpersonal skills.
Candidates must achieve a passing score on the Written Assessment to continue in the selection process and will be placed on the confidential eligible list in rank order according to their final score.
Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.
2920 Medical Social Worker Assessment Score Banking

Scores attained on this Assessment will be 'banked' for three years, from the Assessment date. Within the first year of that date, if a candidate applies and qualifies for another job using this Assessment, their 'banked' score would be automatically reused for that job. After the first year, a candidate has the option to either (a) apply their 'banked' score for other jobs that require the same Assessment or (b) re-test. Re-testing is allowed after one year from the date of the Assessment only if a candidate applies and is qualified. The most recent score becomes the official score if a candidate chooses to retest.
If the Assessment undergoes significant changes in the future, the use of “banked” scores may change. Candidates with “banked” scores would be required to re-take the Assessment sooner than the three-year period if they apply to a job opportunity using the same modified Assessment.
Certification

The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this assessment will be the Rule of the List.
Eligible List/Score Report

A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service assessment process will be created and used for certification purposes only. An assessment score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service assessment process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.
The duration of the eligible list resulting from this assessment process will be 12 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.
To find Departments which use this classification, please see the city’s Position Counts by Job Codes and Departments.
Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at careers.sf.gov .]
The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this assessment announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and assessment policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at sf.gov/departments--civil-service-commission
Additional information regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:
Information About the Hiring Process
Conviction History
Employee Benefits Overview
Equal Employment Opportunity
Disaster Service Worker
ADA Accommodation
Veterans Preference
Right to Work
Copies of Application Documents
Diversity Statement
Where to Apply

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit careers.sf.gov to begin your application process.
Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment. Please consider using a personal email address that you check regularly rather than a work or school account.
Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall , 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110.
Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues.
Applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@smartrecruiters.com that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.
If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Eliot.Watt@sfdph.org 628-271-6704.
We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.
The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.