This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship 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 Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Education Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS), or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) at the time the program was completed. The specialty area of the degree must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. For the purpose of meeting this requirement, the term "specialty area" refers to the specific specialty areas recognized by the accrediting body and not to specific job duties that might require special skills. Currently, APA accredits doctoral programs in the specialty areas of clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, or combinations of two or more of those areas. PCSAS accredits doctoral programs in psychological clinical science. CPA accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and school psychology. There are no job assignments in VHA that require the skills of a school psychologist; therefore, an applicant with a degree in the specialty area of school psychology is not eligible for appointment. Strictly for the purpose of determining eligibility for appointment as a psychologist in VHA, there is no distinction between the specialty areas (with the exception of school psychology). OR Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully complete a respecialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the respecialization program) meeting both of the following conditions: (a) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program. AND (b) the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship. [Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards.] OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.] AND Internships: a) Have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program that was accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed and that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. OR New VHA psychology internship programs that are in the process of applying for APA accreditation are acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement, provided that such programs were sanctioned by the VHA Central Office Program Director for Psychology and the VHA Office of Academic Affiliations at the time that the individual was an intern. OR VHA facilities that offered full-time, one-year pre-doctoral internships prior to PL 96-151 (pre-1979) are considered to be acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement. OR Applicants who completed an internship that was not accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed may be considered eligible for hire only if they are currently board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty area that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. (NOTE: Once board certified, the employee is required to maintain board certification.) OR Applicants who have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature may fulfill this internship requirement by having the equivalent of a one-year supervised internship experience in a site specifically acceptable to the candidate's doctoral program. If the internship experience is not noted on the applicant's official transcript, the applicant must provide a statement from the doctoral program verifying that the equivalent of a one-year supervised internship experience was completed in a site acceptable to the doctoral program. NOTE: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the requirements of this qualification standard. Licensure Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Board Certification Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty area that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education. GS-14 Grade Determinations: Experience At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meets multiple deadlines. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program. Preferred Experience: Supervisory experience or other demonstrated role for one year. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the Social Worker or others. Social Worker must be able to pass VA requirements for operation of a government vehicle. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position requires travel to meet with Veteran representatives and stakeholders in clinics, medical centers, VISN and State offices that provide assistance and support to Veterans. ["Duties include but are not limited to: Essential Program Management and Supervisory Responsibilities (75% of time) The incumbent has direct administrative and program management and development responsibilities for the entire Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP). SARRTP is a 30-bed, two-unit, residential treatment program for persons with substance use disorders and a wide variety of co-occurring mental health disorders. Each unit of the program includes two distinct but overlapping treatment tracks: Track A is generally a shorter program which provides SUD-focused treatment to individuals with a primary substance use disorder diagnosis, who may also have a co-occurring non-PTSD mental health disorder; Track B is a longer program for veterans with co-occurring substance use disorder and PTSD diagnoses. 2. Responsibilities include ensuring efficient daily operation of the organizational unit, professional management, and assisting in administrative responsibilities that are complex in scope and that constitute a significant portion of the Medical Center. The incumbent has ultimate managerial responsibility, and both technical and professional accountability, for two interdisciplinary teams consisting of psychiatrists, nurse practitioners/ physician assistants, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, addiction therapists, peer support specialists, and other health care staff, Nurse Practioners/Physician Assistants, and Admissions Coordinators. Provides programmatic direction to nursing staff. The incumbent has full responsibility for management of an effective therapeutic milieu in the residential treatment environment. This includes development and implementation of therapeutic programming, management of the social dynamics of patient interactions, and direction of staff- patient interactions. The incumbent is responsible maintaining a healthy environment of care. The incumbent engages facility services, such as Bioengineering, Information Technology, Patient Safety, and Environmental Services, to correct deficiencies in the treatment and work environment. Maintains awareness of physical safety of staff and patients. Ensures that treatment programming, staff development, and the environment of care are managed at a level that meets or exceeds required accreditation standards by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Is responsible for Program performance and patient outcomes. To the end, implements and maintains a system of measurement to assess patient progress and treatment outcomes. Treatment programming is modified over time to maximize outcomes. Develops and implements new programming or special projects that improve the efficacy and safety of residential treatment. Develops and maintains effective working partnerships with community providers, such as community-based treatment programs. Has line and staff authority for resource allocations within the SARRTP, coordinates the budget for the program, and provides in-service and staff training. Implements process improvements to maximize efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In the aforementioned capacities, decisions are made exercising wide latitude and independent judgement. The incumbent reports to the Associate Chief, Mental Health Service, but largely operates in an independent manner on a day-to-day basis. Is a member of the MHS Supervisory Council. As such, the incumbent directly participates in the overall management of MHS, including decisions with regard to clinical services provided, program development, resource allocation, staffing and staff workload issues. Clinical Responsibilities (20% of time): Performs psychosocial and substance abuse assessments of patients seen in the SARRTP. Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions, including individual psychotherapy, marital/family therapy, psychoeducation, and care coordination. Provides consultation to non-psychologist team members on a wide variety of patient care issues. Enriching Elements Academic/Teaching/Training: (5% of time) Holds faculty appointments in appropriate academic departments of local universities as deemed appropriate or needed. May provide clinical supervision to Psychology Interns completing training rotations in the SARRTP. May be involved in the Psychology Training Program and serve as a member of the Training Committee. May be involved in the training of medical students, medical and psychiatric residents, and nursing students. Work Schedule: Monday -Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm (MST) Some nights/weekends may be required based on agency needs. Telework: Adhoc Telework may be available, will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 660-56124-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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