Career Center

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: 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
• OR - have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and - in addition - successfully completed a respecialization program meeting both of the following conditions: a) the respecialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program
• and b) the specialty in which you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for
• OR - have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature
• Internship: 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)
• NOTE: 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
• (1) 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 Staff Psychologist:Experience
• None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-12 Staff Psychologist: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 - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations
• Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies
• Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures
• Ability to conduct research activities - such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties)
• 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 Staff Psychologist: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 - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of - and ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations
• Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health
• Knowledge of clinical research literature References: VA Handbook 5005/103 - Psychologist Part II - Appendix G18The 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 incumbent 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
• The incumbent must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands with reasonable accommodation if necessary - without endangering the health and safety of the incumbent or others
• Position involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams.

Duties

• VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck 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 Staff psychologists at this level diagnose mental disorders - conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments - treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities - provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders - and may conduct research
• They may be assigned to any program area.The neuropsychologist psychologist functions as a mental health provider providing neuropsychological assessment - treatment - management - and professional consultation services.This position will work in the Center for Aging and Neurocognitive Services (CANS) within the MHSL
• This position may work in both outpatient and inpatient settings and is responsible for providing direct clinical services that include neuropsychological evaluations and individual - marital - and group psychotherapy
• In addition - this position provides teaching and training experiences to students - trainees - interns - and residents.The following specific clinical duties will be provided by the neuropsychologist: Independently provides psychological services at all levels of complexity and consults with peers and supervisors as appropriate
• Conducts diagnostic evaluations by clinical interview - neurocognitive screening - comprehensive neuropsychological testing - objective and/or projective personality testing - intellectual assessment - organicity screening - and behavioral observation
• The incumbent interprets and integrates the findings with all other available patient data and writes these outcomes in comprehensive psychological evaluations
• Provides education to patients - patients' families - and medical center staff regarding psychological disorders and treatments
• Provides assessment - therapy - education - and support services for - and interacts with - patients from young adult to geriatric age levels on an inpatient and outpatient basis
• Serves as a consultant - adviser - and resource person - not only to lower grade level psychologists - but to staff members of other disciplines - operating officials - and others concerned with patient treatment care - including community resources
• Establishes and maintains appropriate patient treatment records in conformance with VA - medical center - service line - JCAHO - and other applicable standards
• Plans - guides - instructs - evaluates - and supervises one or more psychology trainees or interns
• Involved in the training of medical students - medical and psychiatric residents - nursing students and fellows - as appropriate
• Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assists in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients
• Provide screening - assessment - diagnosis - and treatment of a wide range of mental health disorders
• Assess and provide treatments for sub-clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety - adjustment difficulties - and excessive use or misuse of alcohol or other drugs
• Provide psychological prevention services to patients at significant risk for psychological problems
• Provide individual and group interventions to support patients' mental health needs
• Provide clinical services through the use of telemental health technology
• Promote communication/interactions between medical team members - patients - and their families to facilitate the medical treatment process
• Provides counseling assistance and serves as a resource person for the medical center's Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Facilitate transition of Veterans to higher level of care as indicated during assessment
• Provide psychoeducational and supportive interventions in conjunction with the veteran for spouses - family members/caregivers - and others who are members of Veterans support system
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:45am - 4:30pm Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• EDRP Authorized: Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions/assistance.EDRP Customer Support - Power AppsEducation Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) (sharepoint.com) Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required