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:

• United States Citizenship
• English Language Proficiency: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j
• 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 re-specialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the re-specialization 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 (b) 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 (c) 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 (d) 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 (e) 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
• 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
• 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Staff Psychologist GS-11: Experience
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Staff Psychologist 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
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs): 1
• Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations
• 2
• Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies
• 3
• Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures
• 4
• Ability to conduct research activities - such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties)
• 5
• 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
• Staff Psychologist 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
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs): 1
• Knowledge of - and ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations
• 2
• Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health
• 3
• Knowledge of clinical research literature
• 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
• References: VA HANDBOOK 5005 - PART II APPENDIX G18

Duties

• VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck] This Health psychologist position is located within Mental Health/Primary Care - located in White River Junction system
• The psychologist is an integral member of a multidisciplinary team of clinical providers (e.g. - doctors - nurses - social workers - and health technicians) providing high quality - whole-person - Veteran driven health care
• The Health Psychologist provides direct clinical care (motivational interviewing for various health related concerns - biofeedback - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP) - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI) - mindfulness - relaxation techniques - meditation - clinical hypnosis - guided imagery - therapeutic brief interventions such as CBT and ACT for health related concerns - obesity and weight loss) - and patient education of healthy lifestyle modifications and behaviors
• The psychologist complies with national and local performance measures - and participates in service - committee - and departmental meetings
• This clinician will provide an integral role on the Pain - Sleep - Weight Management - Chronic Disease - Oncology - and Palliative Care teams
• A significant aspect to this role is the flexibility in teams and emphasis
• Duties may include - but are not limited to: Clinical responsibilities Direct Service Provision Provides a full range of therapeutic services and interventions in the Mental Health Clinic - including psychiatric assessments and individual - and group psychotherapy
• Selects and provides the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care - including evidence-based care for substance use disorders and co-occurring psychiatric disorders
• Completes intakes and makes appropriate treatment recommendations based on these interviews
• Provides clinical supervision and training to psychology trainees
• Contributes to clinical service activities (e.g. - urgent care - police evaluations - compensation and pension evaluations) - as requested
• Clinical administrative - support - and management functions Attends MH treatment team meetings and serves as a consultant to other treatment providers including those in the specialty programs for veterans with SUD
• Completes administrative functions - including report and progress note writing - and attending staff and organizational meetings
• Keeps informed regarding treatment and outcome research development in the areas of substance use and mental health (including Affective and Anxiety Disorders) and assists in the implementation or modification of existing treatments based on developments in these areas of practice
• Works in compliance with local and national performance measures
• Academic/Teaching/Training The psychologist may engage in supervision of interdisciplinary trainees (e.g. - psychiatry residents) who conduct direct clinical care
• Provides direct education to psychology interns or fellows and psychiatry residents through clinical forums and seminars
• Attends training meetings regarding psychology training
• Participates in recruitment activities for the psychology internship and fellowship training programs (e.g. - application review - interviewing - and applicant selection)
• Serves as a consultant to other medical and mental health staff and trainees on issues related to addiction
• Program Evaluation Contributes to the development of innovative clinical services to better meet the needs of veterans served in the Mental Health Programs
• Assists program managers to assess the efficacy of programming and adjusts programming as necessary to enhance clinical care and outcomes
• Assists with the preparation and analysis of program outcome data to form appropriate questions for quality improvement projects
• Research Will be a regular consumer of research relevant to the conduct of evidence-based evaluation and treatment of patients - as well as supervision of trainees
• Will supports research programs that are consistent with the mission of the medical center
• As applicable - presents research results at VA - regional or national scientific or professional meetings
• May assist in preparation of grant proposals and scholarly work including presentations at national professional conferences and publications in professional journals
• As applicable - prepares and submits manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals
• Other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: We are happy to consider alternative tours and compressed schedules
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: F04882 -F04883 -F04884 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required