Psychology Technician

Summary

This position is located with the Neuromodulation Clinic of the Mental Health Service at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) in Palo Alto, California. The Psychology Technician provides support to the Neuromodulation Clinic delivering clinical neuromodulation treatment (e.g., transcranial magnetic stimulation or TMS).

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Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

The major duties include but are not limited to:

• Prepares the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for patients.
• Positions patients properly and comfortably in accordance with the neuromodulation device configuration.
• Positions the neuromodulation device properly over the prescribed anatomic target as determined by the Neuromodulation Clinic attending Psychiatrist or qualified designee.
• Provides patients with hearing protection (ear plugs) and ensures they are worn properly.
• Activates the device to deliver neuromodulation in accordance with the prescribed "dosage" as determined by the Attending Psychiatrist or qualified designee.
• Provides eyes-on monitoring of the patient and device during neuromodulation delivery for possible adverse events or problems arising due to the device, coil placement or other unexpected problems.
• Provides monitoring of patients after self-administration of rapidly acting antidepressants (i.e., esketamine) under the supervisor of the attending Psychiatrist or qualified designee.
• Checks vital signs prior to self-administration of esketamine and at 20, 40, 90 and 120 minutes after self-administration.
• Provides daily screening and monitoring of neuromodulation patients which includes changes in medication, sleep status, mood or anxiety related to neuromodulation therapy.
• Assesses for use of substances and utilizes knowledge of medical/substance use that is relevant to neuromodulation therapy;
• Performs daily screening for suicide.
• Obtains vital signs (temperature, blood pressure and heart rate) and their changes and observes the general well-being and mental status of patients undergoing treatment.
• Administers rating scales for patients which includes maintaining sufficient rating scale packets, administering them, collecting scores and reviewing results for immediate clinical needs (i.e., report of active suicidal or homicidal ideation with a plan) and contacts the attending Psychiatrist if this occurs.
• Drafts daily notes in the medical record, documents the procedures performed under the appropriate note title and following established forms, filled with relevant data from the treatment.
• Monitors consultation requests and schedules patients with the attending Psychiatrist or qualified designee.
• Schedules patients for neuromodulation therapy and reminds new patients of upcoming dates or their treatment.
• Contributes to approved neuromodulation research protocols and program evaluation projects.
• Adheres to professional/ethical standard and codes of conduct.
• Performs other duties as required.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.

AND

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in an appropriate social or biological science, which included or was supplemented by 12 semester hours in psychology? (COPY OF UNDERGRADUATE TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION).

In addition to meeting the English Language Proficiency and the Basic Education Requirement, to qualify for this position at the GS-7 level, you must meet one of the following requirements:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One year of technical work under the direction of a professional psychologist in a program of professional services, training or research. At least six (6) months of such experience must be comparable in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade (GS-6) in the Federal service, or one (1) year comparable to the second lower grade (GS-5) in the Federal service. NOTE: Experience under the direction of a professional psychologist is required and MUST be documented on your resume.

Technical duties include experience with one or more of the following: (1) assist in research as in systematic collection of psychology research data, recording and collecting of data, preparing tabular or graphic presentation of data, in accordance with a predetermined research plan;(2) assist counseling psychologist in contacting potential employers for purpose of making vocational placement, providing follow-up consultation, administering and scoring of interest, achievement and aptitude tests, securing work history and other relevant vocational information;(3) assist neuropsychologist in administering and scoring of selected tests of a neuropsychology battery in accordance with clearly defined procedures; (4) assist psychologists in completing behavior rating scales or in conducting behavior modification. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.

OR

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successfully completed one full year of graduate study in Psychology in an accredited college or university to substitute for the one year of experience to meet in full the requirements at the GS-7 level. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

OR

SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT (SAA): SAA at the baccalaureate level in the coursework detailed above is fully qualifying. Applicants who wish to apply under this provision must submit proof from their educational institution that they meet one of the criteria listed below. To qualify for SAA, applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and meet one of the following:

1. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university or major subdivision. Class is defined as the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration.
2. A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0). This grade point average could have been determined based on 4 years of education or based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
3. A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) based on courses required for my major field or courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
4. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. For a list of recognized honor societies please visit

For more information regarding SAA please visit

NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcript with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing, or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant for appointment. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation may also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to: the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules.

Education

IMPORTANT: 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 information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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