Career Center

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. 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: 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. 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. 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: 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. 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. Grandfathering Provision. Current VA Employees may meet Basic Requirements through the Grandfathering Provision. 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. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). GS-14 GRADE DETERMINATION Experience: At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 Psychologist The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. ["The Psychologist Program Manager functions as \"Team Leader\" or \"Clinical Coordinator\" who is responsible for administrative duties as well as managing and directing clinical activities for a team of health care providers connected with Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP). BHIP provides comprehensive assessment and treatment services to Veterans, families, and caregivers through an outpatient general mental health clinic. Clinical Responsibilities Provides psychological assessment and diagnosis of mental disorders with special focus on Veterans with complexor intensive mental health needs. Provides education to Veterans, family members, and significant others. Provides evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, group, and couples, psychotherapy for a diverse group of individuals presenting with a broad range of clinical concerns. Provides consultation both within VA and for community partners regarding the mental health treatment needs of Veterans with psychological disorders. Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients, including prompt completion of clinical reminders. Functions independently as a licensed provider and member of the medical staff with full clinical privileges. Assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation. Administrative and Supervisory Responsibilities Provides leadership in the design, development, implementation, and oversight of clinical programs supporting a team of treatment providers offering a broad range of general mental health services. May provide local and network level leadership for related clinical services and programs. Develops, implements, and oversees operational policies and procedures for the treatment team, in collaboration with Mental Health and facility leadership including Care Line/Service Chief and/or Network Lead for Mental Health. Organizes and runs team meetings in order to facilitate case disposition, care management, and effective service delivery interventions. May also organize and facilitate network level meetings. Conducts ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects that monitor the effectiveness, efficiency, access to care and customer satisfaction of Veterans and other BHIP stakeholders. Distributes workload to providers, monitors provider adherence to workload standards, and plans work to be accomplished by team members (sets and adjusts priorities, prepares schedules for completion of work). Initiates and maintains liaisons with other health care programs in order to effectively coordinate services. Ensures compliance of team members with local and national performance measures. Assumes primary responsibility for hiring new staff (multi-disciplinary) into positions assigned to the team. Evaluates work performance by functioning as the primary, first line rating authority on performance standards and appraisals, for multi-disciplinary team members. Assumes responsibility for taking appropriate disciplinary actions for employees with performance problems. Ensures that appropriate coverage is arranged for patient care responsibilities when staff members are on leave. Manages time and approves leave for employees assigned to the treatment team. Initiates performance awards for outstanding employees and completes administrative paperwork. Attends and participates in monthly psychology service meetings and other meetings which may include supervisory staff meetings, peer review meetings, and educational or training related meetings. Teaching, Training, Supervision Provides clinical supervision for psychology trainees (practicum students, interns, and/or postdocs). Provides clinical instructions for psychology trainees according to staff interest and service needs. May provide education, training, or other learning opportunities for psychology, mental health, or hospital staff. Research/Program Evaluation May oversee the establishment of program monitors, measurements, and outcomes within areas assigned or as requested using data driven quality assurance processes. May plan and oversee completion of personal research projects/programs designed to provide information regarding programs, systems, and treatments. May present research or other data at VA and regional or national scientific or professional meetings. May assist in preparation of RFPs and grant proposals as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PD21Z28O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact VISN2EDRPCoordinators@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

Return to Search Results