Clinical Psychologist

Duties The Pain Psychologist provides accessible "Whole Person", Whole Health clinical care to Veterans with physical and mental health conditions. This may include individual and group sessions. They will be a champion of the Whole Health system, and play an integral role in the national effort to integrate Pain Management and Whole Health.Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Providing psychological assessment, making diagnosis, and developing treatment plans in conjunction with the veteran to address mental health issues that hinder the Personal Health Plan (PHP) process or psychological recovery process for veterans participating in the Whole Health system.
• Conducts comprehensive multi-method biopsychosocial assessments for patients referred for Whole Health Psychology services as needed.
• Assessment of risk of harm and implements appropriate safety interventions for veterans.
• Provide pain management psychoeducation as well as evidence-based treatments to veterans in group and individual settings.
• Provide clinical services through the use of tele-mental health/tele-home technology where available and appropriate.
• Consultation with other professionals, participation in multidisciplinary medical team meeting, and advocates for veterans to obtain comprehensive medical and mental health services.
• Participation effectively and collaboratively as a member of an inter-professional team in designing and implementing treatment plans and providing care coordination.
• Provide consultation to professional staff within VA New Jersey Medical Center and to community providers concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate Whole Health treatment plans for patients.
• Provide education to patients, family members, and significant others.
• Provide clinical supervision to psychology trainees including psychology interns, and postdoctoral fellows.
• Support the psychology training program, as needed, by serving on committees, presenting at seminars, and other activities.
• Provide training to program staff and other health care providers.
• Oversee the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements for programs within the Whole Health system, and to assist the teams in quality assurance efforts.
• Present outcome data and research results as VA and regional or national scientific or professional meetings.
• Assists in preparation of RFP's and grant proposals, as assigned.
• Assists the Primary Care Mental Health Integration Team as needed for coverage.
• Serves on Medical Center, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces.Clinical Responsibilities Provides Mental Health assessments, triages veterans with positive Depression, PTSD, MST, and Suicidal screens and provides short term psychotherapy. Consults with Medical Center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues relating to Patient Centered Care, Health Coaching and implementation of Whole Health Mental Health. Works with the Veteran to complete/review the Personal Health Inventory to prioritize health concerns and develop strategies for wellness. Provides health coaching as appropriate in support the transformation of care by helping patients define their health care goals using a Personalized Health Inventory (PHI). Collaborates with the Veteran and family members/caregivers to formulate strategies to reach goals focusing on Whole Health, disease prevention, and health education needs. Assesses efficacy of health behavior interventions for promotion of whole health and wellbeing. Engages in clinical administrative duties including: Scheduling of Veterans and related issues, Returning Veterans' phone calls and secure messaging, Writing reports, Attending clinic organizational meetings.Leadership/Advocacy Advises facility and primary care leadership on clinical and administrative issues related to Mental Health Integration and research activities. Advocates for policy and program development and resource allocation to support Whole Health programs and services for Veterans. Works with Health Coaches to identify challenges, priorities for improvement, and opportunities for disseminating and sustaining best practices. Partners with CHW Team including core and extended PACT team to support Outcomes Research and Lean Projects.Program Development and Implementation Participates in strategic planning, program development and implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of Whole Health services in VANJ. Promotes and utilizes evidence-based guidelines at all stages of program development and implementation. Contributes to research and quality- and systems-improvement projects in Whole Health.

Performs Other Duties as assignedWork Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pmTelework: AvailableVirtual: This is not a virtual position.Functional Statement #: 24148-FEDRP Authorized: Contact View email address on click.appcast.io, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn moreFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of EmploymentYou must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.Must be proficient in written and spoken English.You may be required to serve a probationary period.Subject to background/security investigation.Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.Must pass pre-employment physical examination.Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. QualificationsBasic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.EducationHave 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). ORHave 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.] ORHave a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.ANDInternshipsHave 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. ORNew 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; ORVHA 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; ORApplicants 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.) ORApplicants 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.Loss of Credential. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists.Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.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.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 (Entry Level)Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.Staff Psychologist, 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.Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of 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.Staff Psychologist, 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.Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of 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.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. An applicant may be selected in the range of GS-11 to GS-13. EducationIMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: . Additional informationReferences: VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 PART II APPENDIX G18, dated 02/07/2018 This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Help A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefitsEligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.How You Will Be EvaluatedYou will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. 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).Creditable ExperienceCurrent Professional Psychology Practice. To be creditable, psychological work experience can be obtained through paid or non-paid employment providing psychological work or through participating in a supervised postdoctoral psychology training program (i.e., fellowship or residency). Psychological work experience must have occurred after the doctoral degree was obtained and must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with current professional psychology practice. "Professional psychology practice" includes but is not limited to the following psychology-oriented job duties: providing professional clinical services, conducting research, carrying out education and training activities, carrying out program evaluation activities, clinical consultation, supervision and administration.Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties to be performed. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to or exceeding professional psychology experience at the next lower level.Part-time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to a full-time workweek. For example, a psychologist employed 20 hours per week, or on a half time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service.Post-Doctoral Degree Fellowships. Postdoctoral fellowships or residencies are training programs in an advanced area of clinical practice. Training as a fellow or resident is considered to be creditable experience on a year-for-year basis. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.