State of Florida·Macclenny, Florida
The Social Services Counselor actively participates in treatment team meetings to develop and revise therapeutic plans for individuals with mental illness. They also coordinate discharge planning, conduct individual and group counseling, and maintain clinical records.
08/04/2026 Total Compensation Estimator ToolThe Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state of Florida’s social services agency. The agency oversees services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking and public assistance. The agency’s mission is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency. Within DCF, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program office is recognized as the single state authority for substance abuse and mental health services. The Office of SAMH is statutorily responsible for the planning, evaluation, and implementation of a comprehensive statewide system of care for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and adults with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorders. Northeast Florida State Hospital (NEFSH) is a 613-bed, licensed mental health treatment facility that provides person-centered services to adults suffering from severe and persistent mental illness. The hospital, located in Macclenny, was established in 1959 and is the largest state operated civil treatment facility. NORTHEAST FLORIDA STATE HOSPITAL IS A TOBACCO FREE FACILITY. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION RESPONSES TO THE QUALIFYING QUESTIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST BE VERIFIABLE BASED ON YOUR SUBMITTED APPLICATION. This is a highly responsible and professional position serving as the Social Services Counselor OPS within the Social Services Unit. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative team player who works seamlessly across all sections within the program office. This role requires the use of independent judgment, a proactive approach to responsibilities, and exceptional attention to detail. If you are driven, organized, and thrive in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply. Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:
Actively participates in the treatment process, attending treatment team meetings, and contributing in the development and revision of individuals under treatment with their therapeutic plan.
Intreprets critical information about the individual's social history and current social situation to the team.
Records community needs of individuals at the meetings, and jointly works with the team in making recommendations for treatment and discharge planning.
Completes level of care (LOCUS) Assessments at the following intervals: Baseline, Annual, Semi-Annual and upon Discharge.
Coordinates planned and unplanned discharges from the unit and serves as the point of contact between the community liaison with the catchment area and the unit, arranges an after care plan for unit based discharges, notifies significant others of discharge plans, arranges for transportation when necessary, and completes necessary discharge documentation and discharge notes.
Develops and maintains expertise regarding community resources to prepare individuals for discharge.
Educates treatment teams regarding available community resources and their relationship to discharge planning Conducts individual counseling and group psychotherapy with chronically mentally ill persons, including geriatric individuals.
Assesses level of functioning with regard to social and community life skills necessary for discharge to the community..
Documents all social services treatment and unit discharge activities in the clinical record.
Completes weekly and monthly progress notes, psychosocial histories, discharge notes for unit based discharges, admission and movement records, and event notes as appropriate.
Updates the accuracy of face sheets, including information on changes of addresses and phone numbers, guardians and guardian advocates, 1st representatives, and other significant persons necessary to ensure quality continuity of care.
Interviews/contacts family members of individuals being served to obtain data related to personal, social, and emotional history.
Maintains regular contact with family or significant others through treatment team meetings, telephone contacts, and letters in order to provide updates on the individual's condition and current discharge plans.
Counsels with family about sensitive situations involving individuals related to their mental and physical problems.
Coordinates day passes and leave of absences with treatment team, legal department, and the Administrative Review Committee (ARC) as required.
Coordinates referrals for prosthetic devices and medical equipment as necessary.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: required for the position:
Knowledge of counseling techniques and practices.
Knowledge of the principles and practices of social work, nursing, education or counseling.
Knowledge of methods of compiling, organizing and analyzing data.
Ability to develop treatment or rehabilitation programs.
Ability to develop guidelines and procedures for the delivery of social services.
Ability to develop and present staff development and training programs.
Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments.
Ability to follow through on all phases of the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of clients.
Ability to provide casework services to clients.
Ability to collect, analyze and interpret data.
Ability to communicate effectively.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in social work, psychology, education or nursing and three years of professional experience in providing social work, health education, nursing or counseling services; or A master's degree from an accredited college or university in social work, psychology, education or nursing and two years of professional experience as described above.
Candidate Profile (application) must be complete in its entirety.
Include supervisor names and phone numbers including current place of employment. *Gaps 3 months or more must be addressed – you will need to account for and explain any gaps in employment including unemployment.
You can either list these in your application under Period of Employment or attach a word document listing your gaps.
Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications.
If claiming Right to First Interview, candidate MUST attach a copy of your official layoff letter when applying.
This only applies to employees laid off from Career Service positions.
If you experience problems applying online, please call the People First Service Center at (877) 562-7287. Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:
Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits. For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.
DCF EMPLOYMENT DISCLOSURES US CITIZEN REQUIREMENT Only US citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers will be hired.
SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM REGISTRATION All selected male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS).
Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.
For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov. RETIREE NOTICE If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida.
Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.
BACKGROUND SCREENING It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and, if applicable, also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and Chapter 408, F.S.
No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.
Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735).
Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.
The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace.
All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.
Assists with habeas corpus requests and court appearances as necessary.
Will be available to assist other staff with transportation on recreational outings, escort individuals to appointments for prosthetic devices or hospital wide celebrations, and transport individuals to the community for discharge readiness apppointments or actual discharge placement.
Performs other related duties as assigned and assists in training new Social Services Counselors.
Market context
In Florida, behavioral-health roles are typically in steady demand across community clinics, schools, and care settings serving diverse populations. Competition often centers on licensure status, supervised experience, and the ability to work well with interdisciplinary teams while applying mental health ethics and cultural awareness. Review the full posting carefully and confirm your Master’s degree, Registered Intern License, and communication experience; this platform’s AI-summarized requirements and benefits can save you time by condensing the original job description.