Social Worker PCMHI

The Social Worker Primary Care - Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) is assigned to the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System Mental Health Clinic. This posting is for Tallahassee and Gainesville locations. Applicants are able to select their location of interest.


The PCMHI Clinical Social Worker conducts psychosocial/mental health assessments of Veterans independently and/or in collaboration with interdisciplinary treatment team the Veteran family members caregivers and/or significant others. The Social Worker is knowledgeable of a range of treatment modalities and has the skills required to provide the appropriate level of care/treatment through psychosocial treatment and evidence-based clinical/psychosocial therapeutic interventions.

At the GS-09 level under supervision for clinical licensure the Social Worker conducts psychosocial/mental health assessments of Veterans in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team the Veterans family members caregivers and/or significant others.

At the GS-11 level the licensed clinical Social Worker conducts 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.

Major Duties include but are not limited to:

• The PCMHI Social Worker utilizes evidence-based and best practice approaches to assist Veterans caregivers and staff in managing behavioral factors associated with chronic medical problems and in promoting medical compliance. The clinician functions as a full member of the Primary Care clinic teams and provides ongoing team consultation services to other Primary Care clinic team members.
• Provides crisis intervention services seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members.
• Provides individual group and family evidence based psychotherapies and treatment (i.e. PST MI MET CPT PE CBT Seeking Safety etc.) appropriate to level of licensure to Veterans and their families/caregivers. Evidence based therapeutic interventions are reviewed regularly during clinical supervision.
• Responsible for planning and organizing work coordinating with clinical interdisciplinary team members other professional and clinical staff and management personnel.
• Responsible for providing reviewing and coordinating all phases of continuing care for Veterans in the Mental Health Clinic
• Provides patient education to Veterans and family members on the available services and assists them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veterans preference or other decision maker
• Responsible for 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 meet their needs.
• Develops and executes crisis management treatment plans in a timely effective and efficient manner.
• Responsible for 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 surrogate decision maker.

• 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.
• 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 identification 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

• 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.

Applicants must meet the requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 08/12/2026

BASIC REQUIREMENTS. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(9) as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419 enacted November 1 2000. To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA all applicants must meet the following:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 Part II chapter 3 section A paragraph 3j this part.
• Education. Have a masters degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
• Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level.
  • GS-9 Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level.
    • For the GS-11 grade level and above the candidate must be licensed or certified. 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.
• Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of the Social Worker Qualification Standard - GS-0185 - September 10 2019 are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title series and grade held including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

• Experience Education and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above you must demonstrate all of the following KSAs on their resume and in their experience. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training listed below; otherwise we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. If selected you may be required to submit narrative responses then.

• (a) Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans their family members caregivers and survivors.
• (b) 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.
• (c) 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.
• (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients staff and representatives of community agencies.
• (e) 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.

• Experience. 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 nonVA experience).

• Education and Licensure. 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. You must attach additional transcripts to support this substitute.
  • Licensure or certification at the independent practice level is required at the GS-11 level.

• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above you must demonstrate all of the following KSAs on their resume and in their experience. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training listed below; otherwise we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. If selected you may be required to submit narrative responses then.
  • (a) Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services.
  • (b) Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic educational and other backgrounds.
  • (c) 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.
  • (d) 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.
  • (e) 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.