North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System

Psychology

Program Mission

Psychology Service at the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System provides Veterans with timely access to compassionate and high quality psychological and rehabilitation services designed to meet the patient’s specific needs. Psychology Service specifically addresses the mental, behavioral, psychological, and rehabilitation issues confronting the veteran population. Psychologists all have doctoral degrees and are licensed independent practitioners. Rehabilitation Counselors all have Master’s degrees.

Services Provided

The specific services that Psychology Service provides are listed below. To access these services, Veterans should request a referral to Psychology Service from their Primary Care provider.

• Psychological Assessment 
• Neuropsychological Assessment 
• Vocational Assessment 
• Individual or Group Psychotherapy 
• Family Psychotherapy 
• Vocational Counseling 
• Compensated Work Therapy 

Specific Sites for Psychological Services

• Primary Care/Behavioral Health Psychology 
• Pain Management Clinic 
• Substance Abuse Treatment Program 
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinic 
• Mental Health Clinic 
• Geriatric Programs 
• Women’s Clinic 
• Medical Psychology 

Psychological Assessment

• The evaluation of a Veteran’s emotions, behaviors, characteristics and intellectual functioning and the impact of these areas on the Veteran’s life.
• The results of these tests are used to come up with a treatment plan to improve the Veteran’s situation.

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Neuropsychological Assessment

• The evaluation of how the brain functions and the effect of injury or disease on the ability of the brain to function normally.
• The types of patients seen for neuropsychological assessments are those who have experienced Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, seizures, toxic events, or traumatic brain injuries.

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Vocational Assessment

• An evaluation of the Veteran’s work-related preferences, interests, skills, abilities, and behaviors.
• Vocational assessments are often helpful for veterans who may need to reassess their ability to work due to disabilities or handicaps or for those who wish to enter the work force in either a different or more compatible field.

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Individual or Group Psychotherapy

• Assists Veterans to make changes and to address problems in their life by providing strategies for change, support, insight, and guidance.
• Encourages development of coping behaviors for a variety of personal, social, situational, and interpersonal problems.

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Family Psychotherapy

• Involves spouses and/or children in psychotherapy.
• May also include other significant family members, especially those who are involved in the treatment of a Veteran who has a long-term illness or who is dying.

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Vocational Counseling

• Helps to resolve problems related to employment, including finding jobs, gaining skills needed to become employed, learning how to handle stress while on the job, and practicing good interview techniques.
• May also include learning how to cope when maintaining employment is no longer possible.

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Compensated Work Therapy

• A special kind of vocational program that places Veterans in a work setting within the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System and that allows the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors to supervise the Veterans on-site.

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Primary Care/Behavioral Health Psychology

• Provides assessment and psychotherapy services to Veterans from outpatient Primary Care teams and outpatient specialty clinics.
• Includes services to help veterans stop smoking or lose weight, cope with medical illnesses, follow their physician’s medical instructions, and manage stress better.

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Pain Management Clinic

• Provides strategies for managing short-term or long-term pain without or in addition to using pain medications.
• Treatment strategies may include the use of biofeedback, relaxation, supportive counseling, and/or psychotherapy in either an individual or a group format.

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Substance Abuse Treatment Program

• Evaluates and treats veterans who are addicted to alcohol or other drugs.
• May involve family members in treatment.
• May involve individual and group psychotherapy, and may also involve Vocational Rehabilitation.

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinic

• Assists Veterans in dealing with or overcoming their experience of trauma (usually combat-related trauma) through individual and/or group psychotherapy.

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Mental Health Clinic

• Assists Veterans in overcoming emotional, behavioral, and/or interpersonal problems through the use of individual and group psychotherapy.
• May also provide assistance with stress management or learning to live independently by acquiring basic life skills.

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Geriatric Programs

• Provides specialized assessment and psychotherapy services to elderly Veterans who are nearing the end of life.
• Works with Neuropsychology to determine the effects of aging on the veteran and on the veteran’s ability to live independently.
• May involve the Veteran’s family members in the care of their elderly loved one.

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Women’s Clinic

• Addresses the special concerns of women Veterans. Individual and group psychotherapy, support groups and specialized assessment may be provided.

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Medical Psychology

• Provides assessment and psychotherapy services to Veterans on inpatient Medicine and Surgery wards.
• Includes services to help veterans cope with medical illnesses, follow their physician’s medical instructions, engage in healthy lifestyle choices, and manage their stress.
• Conducts pre-transplant mental health assessments.

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