Summary

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. Program 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.

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:

• U.S Citizen: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• 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
• OR Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and - in addition - successfully complete a re-specialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the re-specialization program) meeting both of the following conditions: The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program
• & 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 &/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program - which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship
• OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 & 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature
• OR Are a current or former OAA intern/resident/fellow at a VA Program
• Internships: Have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program that was accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed & 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 & 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 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 &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
• OR Are a current or former OAA intern/resident/fellow at a VA Program
• Licensure: Hold a full - current - & unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State - Territory - or Commonwealth of the United States - or the District of Columbia
• Exception
• Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment as a "graduate psychologist" at the GS-11 or GS-12 grade under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 [(c)(2)(B)] for a period not to exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that such a psychologist provide care only under the supervision of a psychologist who is licensed
• Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment
• Grade Determinations: GS-11 Experience
• None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-12 Experience
• At least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11)
• Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the supervision of a licensed psychologist but with less intense supervision than at the GS-11 grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - & Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of & ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations
• Ability to design & implement effective treatment strategies
• Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures
• Ability to conduct research activities - such as designing and implementing clinical research projects
• Ability to perform basic research tasks of scholarship and research execution within the context of an established research team - including research participant relations - research documentation - data acquisition - maintenance - and collaboration
• GS-13 Experience
• At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - & Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of - & ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations
• Ability to provide professional advice & consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health
• Knowledge of clinical research literature
• Preferred Experience: Residential Substance Use Disorder and/or acute mental health inpatient treatment is preferred
• References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 FEBRUARY 7 - 2018 PART II APPENDIX G18 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13
• Physical Requirements: The work of the psychologist is largely office based and in a sedentary setting
• No manual labor is required above ordinary situations
• Incumbent must be capable of participating in emergency drills and evacuations
• Incumbent must be capable of using a computer given that all clinical charting is electronic.

Duties

• Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Psychologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Psychology-Career-Flyer.pdf Provides a full range of psychodiagnostic services including assessment and using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care
• Provides psychological assessments and individual and/or group psychotherapy
• Provides comprehensive - evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions including: individual - group - and family psychotherapy - caregiver stress support - cognitive-behavioral therapy - and interpersonal therapy within the residential and outpatient settings
• Provides education to patients - family members and significant others
• Develops - implements - and documents the psychotherapeutic treatments plan for an assigned caseload of patients - including prompt completion of clinical reminders
• Serves as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and provides consultation to the professional staff concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients
• Consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues
• Functions independently as a member of the VA WCHCS medical staff with full clinical privileges and assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings - patient care decisions - and documentation
• Provide on call responsibilities covering the inpatient services - emergency room - and consultation service
• Assumes complete professional responsibility for her/his clinical assessment findings - patient care decisions - and documentation
• Develops - implements - and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for patients - including prompt completion of clinical reminders
• Writes clear concise evaluative reports and progress notes with explicit impression - recommendations - and plan
• Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures - including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g. - entering diagnostic and procedure codes)
• Collaborates with physicians - mid-level medical providers - nursing staff - social workers - peer specialists - vocational rehabilitation specialists and others in the residential and/or outpatient care setting using an interdisciplinary team approach
• Promotes communication/interactions between medical - nursing - social work and other team members and patients and their families/significant others to facilitate the treatment process
• Provides advice to other staff professionals in residential and/or outpatient care in an attempt to promote and preserve a therapeutic environment for individual patients
• Consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues
• Serves on Healthcare System committees as endorsed by supervisors
• Participates as a member of the medical staff - in accord with medical staff by-laws
• Participates in support of psychology and RRTP-SUD performance improvement activities
• Collaborates in the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements within the RRTP-SUD using a data-driven quality assurance processes
• As directed - assists in the development of treatment protocols for Veterans with substance use disorders
• In conjunction with the RRTP-SUD treatment team - assists in refining program documents and assists in ensuring continuous survey readiness for Joint Commission and CARF
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00am- 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact Jillana Martinez@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #:592520 - 592521 - 592522 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized