Staff Psychologist - Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) - EDRP Authorized

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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Duties

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GS-11 - Staff Psychologist (BHIP) Major Duties

• Conducts diagnostic interviews, psychological evaluations, and suicide risk assessments for Veterans
• Provides brief, evidence-based individual, group, and family interventions within BHIP
• Applies structured clinical methods to support diagnostic clarification and treatment planning
• Delivers consultation to interdisciplinary team members on behavioral health conditions and interventions
• Provides services via telehealth when clinically indicated
• Educates patients and families on conditions, treatments, and self-management
• Documents clinical care in accordance with VA standards

Administrative / Program Role

• Participates in interdisciplinary team meetings, treatment planning, and care coordination
• Completes clinical documentation and workload capture per performance requirements
• Engages in training, supervision, and professional development
• Supports BHIP program operations and assigned initiatives

GS-12 - Staff Psychologist (BHIP) Major Duties

• Independently conducts comprehensive psychological evaluations for diagnostic clarification and treatment planning
• Provides a full range of evidence-based psychotherapies, including individual, group, and family interventions
• Integrates assessment data, clinical interviews, and medical history into treatment recommendations
• Serves as a consultant on complex behavioral health presentations
• Delivers care via in-person and telehealth modalities
• Provides supervision and training to trainees and students, as assigned
• Develops and delivers education on behavioral health treatment and best practices

Administrative / Program Role

• Supports program implementation, evaluation, and quality improvement initiatives
• Monitors outcomes and contributes to performance improvement efforts
• Coordinates care across disciplines and levels of care
• Participates in program development and service-level initiatives

GS-13 - Staff Psychologist (BHIP) Major Duties

• Provides advanced evaluation and treatment of complex and high-risk behavioral health conditions
• Delivers a full spectrum of evidence-based psychotherapies across modalities
• Leads consultation across interdisciplinary teams as a behavioral health subject matter expert
• Provides supervision to psychologists, trainees, and multidisciplinary staff
• Develops, implements, and evaluates BHIP or related clinical programs
• Designs and delivers training and contributes to staff development
• Participates in and may lead research aligned with program goals

Administrative / Program Role

• Leads program operations, including planning, implementation, and evaluation
• Oversees quality improvement and performance measures
• Coordinates across service lines to ensure continuity of care
• Represents Psychology Service in committees and workgroups
• Contributes to policy, clinical standards, and service improvements

There are two vacancies being recruited for through this announcement. One is located at the North West San Antonio VA Clinic, 9939 State Highway 151, San Antonio, TX 78251-1900, the other is located at the Balcones Heights VA Clinic, 4522 Fredricksburg Road, Suites A-10/A-88/A-100, San Antonio, TX 78201 - 6521

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

Telework : Ad-hoc only, as determined by the agency policy.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : PD51671-F, PD51672-F, PD51673-F, and PD51671-F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact View email address on click.appcast.io, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You 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.
• 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.
• Pre-Employment/Post-Employment Physical Examination: May be required, depending on the needs of the organization.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.

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.
• English Language Proficiency Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English.
• Education Requirement - You must have 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. OR , have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully completed a 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 you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for;
• OR , have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
• Internship Requirement - You must 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 to be 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).
• NOTE : 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 : Candidates must 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.

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 :

GS-11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level):

Experience . None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level):

Experience. At least 1 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.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

a. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.

b. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.

c. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.

d. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).

e. 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.

GS-13 Staff Psychologist (Full Performance Level):

Experience. At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs

a. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations.

b. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.

c. Knowledge of clinical research literature.

*Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed. 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.

Preferred Experience:

GS-12

• Experience working on interdisciplinary teams or in a large medical center.
• Experience working with veteran and diverse populations.
• Experience/training in evidence-based psychotherapies

GS-13

• Experience working on interdisciplinary teams or in a large medical center.
• Experience working with veteran and diverse populations.
• Experience/training in evidence-based psychotherapies.
• Completion of an APA-accredited postdoctoral fellowship.
• Administrative or process improvement experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13.

Physical Requirements:

• Light lifting, under 15 pounds
• Light carrying, under 15 pounds
• Use of fingers
• Both hands required
• Hearing (aid may be permitted)
• Ability to perform privileges
• Ability to independently perform physical exam
• Emotional & Mental stability

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:

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Additional information

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

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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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.

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Eligibility 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.