Psychologist

Summary

The Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) is a consolidated health care system that includes VA Medical Centers in Montgomery and Tuskegee Alabama as well as Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) in Dothan Alabama - Ft. Rucker Alabama - Monroeville - Alabama - Columbus Georgia and Montgomery VA Clinic.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation.

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: Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine
• The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed
• Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted - OR Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted
• For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above - facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification - and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate - if claimed by the applicant
• [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate - facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.] Licensure: Current - full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State - Territory - or Commonwealth of the United States - or in the District of Columbia
• Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training - approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification
• (NOTE: VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are: (1) Those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) - b) OR[(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) -OR(3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States) - which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences
• Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs)
• PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e. - not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent or fee-basis
• PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged
• rather - they are to have a "scope of practice" that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision
• Additionally - surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs
• English Language Proficiency: Physicians appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7402(d) and 7407(d)
• Grandfathering
• Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation
• For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the occupation at the time they were appointed - the following provisions apply: (1) Such employees are considered to have met the basic qualification requirements for the purposes of transferring or reassignment to another physician position within VA
• (2) Employees who were appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis - until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• (3) If a physician who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation or VA employment - the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry or reemployment
• Preferred Experience: Board certified American Board of Internal Medicine or Emergency Medicine or Family Medicine
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit
• Physical Requirements: Extended periods of standing - bending and carrying light items such as books - medical records and paper is required
• Walking long distance throughout the medical center - on units and between divisions is required
• Conducting patient encounters in a community setting or in the patient's home environment may be required
• Position often places the incumbent in a position of stress
• Due to the nature of the work - the incumbent may come in contact with Veteran patients who are confused - intoxicated or have a contagious condition.

Duties

• Major duties include - but are not limited to the following: Provides screening - assessment - diagnosis - and treatment of mental disorders - as well as other Axis I conditions - with an emphasis on the application of evidence ­based psychotherapy approaches proven effective for the condition of focus and the population to which assigned
• Performs psychological assessment and interpretation of results to inform treatment planning - as appropriate to the needs of the mental health program to which assigned
• Provides screening for cognitive deficits to address specific functional questions or to determine if a referral for a complete neuropsychological evaluation or dementia assessment is needed
• Participates fully in peer review - assessing the quality of professional psychology standards provided in the organization
• Responsible for identification of patient problems requiring consultation with other multi-disciplinary medical center staff and making appropriate referrals
• Assures that appropriate referrals to specialty programs - including community resources - are accomplished
• Promotes patient independence and achievement of optimal health through appropriate psychosocial education and community referrals
• Participates fully in educational development through staff and section meetings
• Providing and - where appropriate - referring patients - families and significant others for counseling in health maintenance and disease prevention
• Assumes responsibility for professional development by attending relevant training and regularly reviewing the literature to improve clinical competencies.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.