Social Work-Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program

The social worker is assigned to the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System Mental Health Clinic located at The Villages. The social workers responsibilities include the assessment diagnosis and treatment planning of mental health and psychosocial problems often at a time when the Veteran is experiencing crisis and include the provision of evidence based clinical/psychotherapeutic interventions.

Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Conducting psychosocial/mental health assessments of Veterans independently and/or in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team the Veteran family members caregivers and/or significant others.
• Developing a patient centered treatment plan and developing achievable treatment goals with the Veteran and when appropriate the family members/caregiver and collaborating with all additional interdisciplinary team providers.
• Educating the Veteran and family members/caregivers on the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veterans preference or that of his/her surrogate decision-maker.
• Developing updating and using current social worker resources within VA and community social service programs to ensure that Veterans are receiving education information and referrals to current and viable resources to best meet their psychosocial and mental health needs to enhancing the care/treatment provided.
• Recognizing and understanding the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when needed to serve the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver.
• Providing education related to navigating the VA system use of community resources entitlements Advance Directives/Living Will/Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Goals of Care Conversations.
• Providing psychoeducation to Veterans family members/caregiver and referring them to appropriate interdisciplinary team members or services for identified health education needs.
• Providing Veterans and their family members/caregiver with ongoing supportive counseling and psychosocial/psycho-education as appropriate in the individual group and family setting.
• Establishing and maintaining positive professional working relationships with employees volunteers consumers and stakeholders within the VA as well as community agencies and all other internal and external stakeholders.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a trial period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Education: You must possess a masters degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the School of Social Work is fully accredited. A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the masters degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work.
• Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to assignments at the GS-9 level VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent masters level within three years of their appointment as a social worker.

• Experience Education and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.

• Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.

• Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting.

1. Ability to utilize counseling skills when working with Veterans and family members.
2. Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan identifying the Veterans problems strengths weaknesses coping skills and assistance needed.
3. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals families and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive problem solving or crisis intervention techniques.
4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients staff and representatives of community agencies.
5. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses disabilities and treatment procedures. This includes acute chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology

1. Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services.
2. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic educational and other backgrounds.
3. Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries common medications and their effects/side effects and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan.
4. Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals families and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric medical and social problems to achieve treatment goals.
5. Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers social work graduate students and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.