Psychology Technician

Summary

The person in this position serves as a Psychology Technician supporting the Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) and PACT-Mental Health Integration (MHI) team at the VA Medical Center in Monterey, CA.

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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***

PACT MHI is a collaborative, team-based model designed to provide timely, accessible, and measurement-based mental health services within the primary care setting. The program focuses on early identification, prevention, brief interventions, and coordination of care for Veterans presenting with mental health needs in the outpatient primary care environment.

Under the supervision of the Medical Director of the South Bay Mental Health Clinics, the technician plays an essential role in ensuring streamlined operations of integrated mental health services. The incumbent assists with clinical assessments, supports providers during patient encounters, coordinates follow-up care, and facilitates communication between primary care, mental health clinicians, and Veterans. The technician also monitors for safety concerns, assists in crisis response using approved protocols, and contributes to maintaining a therapeutic and Veteran-centered clinic environment.

Through direct support to clinicians and proactive care coordination, the technician helps optimize access, efficiency, and quality of mental health services delivered within the PACT framework at the Monterey outpatient clinic.

Major duties include, but are not limited to.

• Conducts chart reviews
• Gathers patient data
• Administers brief self-report inventories
• Maintains the standard interviewing environment and the scoring conditions critical to attaining a valid assessment with standardized instruments
• Determines the appropriate level of care needed for patients
• Provides brief interventions limited to psycho education, motivational interviewing, behavioral activation and supportive techniques
• Maintains clinical records and documentation per program protocols
• Completes data entry, data maintenance and data revisions
• Complies with privacy and confidentiality policies and procedures
• Performs other duties as assigned.

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

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

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 : Completion of a bachelor's degree or higher 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. NOTE: You must submit copies of transcripts at the time of application. Education will not be credited without documentation. Please ensure that your transcripts show that a degree was conferred. Display copies of degrees or course listings do not provide the information needed.

~AND~

In addition to the above requirements, in order to meet the minimum qualifications for this position at the GS- 9 grade level, you must meet one of the following:

EXPERIENCE: At least two (2) years of technical work under the direction of a professional psychologist in a program of professional services, training or research. At least 6 months of this experience must be comparable in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade in the Federal service (GS-8), OR 1 year comparable to the second lower grade (GS-7). This experience includes working with patients in a behavioral health setting or program; proficiency in the administration, scoring, and preliminary findings of various neuropsychological, psychological, psychophysiological, vocational, and behavioral test instruments or measures; knowledge of statistics, for reporting, calculation, and transposition of standard scores to aid in scoring and interpretation of assessments; conducts structured or semi-structured diagnostic clinical interviews, provides patient, family, and group counseling and participates in treatment planning. Performance of these tasks requires a practical understanding of some of the general principles, theories, methods, and techniques of psychology in order to carry out duties which are performed under the supervision of a professional psychologist. NOTE: Experience under the direction of a professional psychologist is required and MUST be documented on your resume. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

~OR~

EDUCATION : Successful completion of two (2) full years of graduate study in psychology in an accredited college or university may be substituted for 2 years of experience and meets in full the requirements at the GS-9 level. NOTE: You must submit copies of transcripts at the time of application. Education will not be credited without documentation.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

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

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.

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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