Staff Psychologist - Mental Health

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 and 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 a 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. 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 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. 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. OR (2) Have 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; (b) the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. OR (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally‑accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. Internships: 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 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.) OR 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. 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 licensed psychologist. 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. 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. 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). Grade Determinations: 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. 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 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations (GS‑11, GS‑12). Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies and 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 within the context of an established research team – including participant relations, documentation, data acquisition, maintenance, and collaboration. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health (GS‑13). Knowledge of clinical research literature and clinical practice guidelines. Ability to lead interdisciplinary treatment teams in intervening in patient mental health crises. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre‑employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre‑employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Duties VA Careers – Psychologist: Provide a full range of psychological services to include psychological assessment, diagnostic, and evidence‑based treatment services. Familiarity with the full range of DSM‑5 clinical presentations and experience with associated brief evidence‑based psychological interventions for mild, moderate, and severe presentations. Knowledge of mental health assessment and treatment, including Substance Use Disorders, Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, and Serious Mental Illness (SMI). Skill and experience with treating patients within a Veterans' Hospital PTSD and MHC setting who may present with all forms of mental health and behavioral health concerns and comorbidities. Generalist psychological assessment and intervention skills, with some specialized experience with evidence‑based treatment. Ability to work effectively within interdisciplinary teams. Knowledge of thorough risk assessment and mental health crisis procedures and ability to lead interdisciplinary treatment teams in intervening in patient mental health crises. Provide individual and group interventions to support patients coping with health psychology presentations related to mental health diagnoses (e.g., sleep, pain, adherence to medical regimen, adjustment to illness), psychosocial stressors, grief or phase‑of‑life difficulties (e.g., discrimination, stress management, coping with loss, transition to civilian life), and mild‑moderate‑severe mental health presentations. Skill in providing cognitive screening to address specific functional and/or cognitive ability questions. Experience in providing consultation about mental health diagnosis and appropriate treatment plans to professionals representing a variety of disciplines – particularly concerning psychiatrically and medically complex patients. Ability to provide education to patients, family members of patients, professional staff, and trainees. Ability to engage families of Veterans in empirically supported treatment for caregiver burden. Knowledge of most current clinical assessment and psychotherapy research literature as it pertains to areas of specialization and clinical privileges. Ability to communicate with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and with varying levels of understanding. Excellent customer service skills toward both patients and coworkers. Ability to function successfully as a member of a multidisciplinary team of medical and mental health providers. Secondary duties in other outpatient or inpatient medical settings – and other duties as assigned. Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday – 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. Paid Time Off: 37‑50 days of annual paid time off per year (13‑26 days of annual leave – 13 days of sick leave – 11 paid federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment – up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment – full‑time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA. Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long‑term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement). Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Benefits Competitive salary and regular salary increases. Paid Time Off: 37‑50 days of annual paid time off per year. Parental Leave: Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment. Child Care Subsidy: Up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children. Retirement: Traditional federal pension and federal 401(k) with VA contributions. Insurance: Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long‑term care insurance. #J-18808-Ljbffr