UCSF Health consistently ranks among the top ten hospital systems in the country. So why does UCSF Health management not treat its workers with the dignity and respect we deserve? Why is UCSF Health creating a two-tier system of care for its employees? Why is UCSF Health not treating the behavioral health crisis in San Fransico with the urgency it demands?

Join us on Thursday, October 3, 2024, from 4 to 5 pm, at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center as we answer these critical questions and more.

Clinical social workers serve San Francisco’s most vulnerable populations, providing essential services to those who have often lost every safety net.

Yet, campus clinical social workers—funded by grants from the City and County of San Francisco, the State of California, and federal entities—earn, on average, 31 percent less than our medical center counterparts despite holding identical licenses, education levels, and real-world experience. By systematically placing campus clinical social workers into lower title classifications and steps within the same series, UCSF Health has created a compensation structure that devalues our critical frontline work.

This disparity discourages skilled clinicians from working with high-risk populations, leading to burnout, understaffing, and longer wait times for clients. UC must lead by example in addressing systemic inequities in behavioral health care. Closing the pay gap is essential to ensure that those providing critical care are valued and supported.