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

The Primary Purpose of the Position is: To serve as a staff psychologist on a multidisciplinary inpatient medical rehabilitation - palliative care and hospice team in which the employee conducts a variety of brief cognitive/psychological assessments and brief - problem focused treatment interventions - including attending to various patient - family - caregivers and medical provider needs.

Basic Requirements:

• HPTs who are on track to graduate/complete the requirements should respond as if they have met the requirements
• Provide details in the narrative sections of the assessment
• United States Citizenship: You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• 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: To be qualified for a GS-0180 Psychologist you must possess 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:(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
• OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature
• AND Internship Requirement - You must 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: Candidates must 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 (a)(1)(D) 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
• 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)
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience: None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-12 (Developmental Level) 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 the following 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
• GS-13 (Full Performance - Level) 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 the following 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
• Preferred Experience: Successful completion of a 2 year neuropsychology postdoctoral residency and meets criteria for board eligibility in Neuropsychology by American Board of Professional Psychology
• Full - unrestricted license for the practice of Psychology from a US State or Territory
• Experience working with a medically fragile / rehabilitation population - including palliative care and hospice care
• Experience working within an interdisciplinary team
• Training in psychotherapy and behavioral management methods relevant to an aging population with complex medical - psychological and cognitive disorders
• Experience providing crisis intervention and case management services References: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• 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 is sedentary
• Some work may require movement between offices - hospitals - warehouses - and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work
• Work may also require walking/standing - in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site
• Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

Duties

• NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series
• For more information - refer to Required Documents below
• This is an open continuous announcement until September 25 - 2026
• Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available
• The first cut-off date is 10/24/2025
• Additional applications will be referred as needed
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a Highly Qualified Individual
• The Organizational Location of the Position is: Community Living Center - Behavioral Health Team - Mental Health Service - VA North Texas Health Care System - Bonham - TX
• Duties may include the following: This is a direct patient care position which requires General Core Psychology privileges and serves primarily an inpatient medical rehabilitation - palliative care and hospice population with complex and chronic - disabling disease
• The employee treats a wide variety of medical and psychological conditions and demonstrates knowledge regarding the role and interaction of cognitive - personality - and other psychological functioning factors
• The employee diagnoses psychological disorders through conducting a variety of assessment techniques including clinical interview - psychological - cognitive and capacity evaluations
• Mental health treatment and prevention-oriented services will emphasize evidence-based and best practice approaches including individual - group - or couples/family therapy to patients and their families or caregivers alongside behavioral and/or environmental interventions
• The individual will also provide evidence-based interventions to help CLC patients manage behavioral factors associated with behavioral medicine problems and to promote medical compliance
• Consultation with other disciplines on the Community Living Center is a normal part of this practice
• The employee may also be called upon to provide services to other areas of the hospital served by the Behavioral Health Team and/or assist with crisis management through Employee Assistance Program and the Critical Incident Team
• The employee is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system - as appropriate
• The incumbent works in the CLC - hospice and palliative care units as indicated by the needs of the service
• The incumbent provides suicide risk assessment and safety planning as needed
• This includes providing triage services for patients at elevated risk of harm to self or others
• The incumbent may be called upon to assist with temporary coverage of services to other teams/programs during crises or staffing shortages
• The incumbent assists with coverage of other mental health areas if deemed necessary by Service Leadership
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): May be Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VISN17EDRP2@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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• 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: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized