Staff Psychologist

Psychologist Position

This co-located, collaborative care psychologist position is part of the primary care mental health integration (PCMHI) program, situated within the primary care setting. The psychologist will operate as a member of multidisciplinary primary care teams, providing brief, consultation-based services to Veterans, primary care providers, and allied Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) members. The role emphasizes general service delivery for a broad spectrum of concerns, aiming to resolve issues within the context of primary care. Behavioral health visits are designed to be brief (typically 30 minutes), limited in number (1-6 visits), and conducted within the primary care practice area. This structure ensures that Veterans perceive engagements with the behavioral health provider as a routine aspect of primary care services. The psychologist will work within the fast-paced environment of primary care teams, consulting with multiple Veterans daily. The primary goals are to assist PACT members with the identification, treatment, and management of mental health and behavioral medicine conditions within the enrolled population. As well as ensure that appropriate referrals to specialty programs and community resources are made. The psychologist operates independently as a member of the Fargo VA Medical Staff, holding full clinical privileges, and participates in peer reviews to assess the quality of professional psychology standards within the organization. The psychologist is responsible for their clinical assessment findings, Veteran care decisions, and documentation, ensuring adherence to all documentation procedures, including timely entries and proper Veteran check-out processes. They are fully accountable for their practice, which includes recording visit details, measuring intervention outcomes, and meeting productivity standards. The psychologist promotes the highest standards of professional and ethical practice across the interdisciplinary team and actively participates in administrative and informational meetings, including those of the Psychology Service, Mental Health, and Medical Staff, as well as relevant program-specific meetings.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provide a full range of psychological assessment services, ensuring the timely and accurate completion of assessments that demonstrate interpersonal competence and accuracy in rendering mental health diagnoses.
• Deliver comprehensive, evidence-based therapeutic interventions through both in-person and telehealth services.
• Provide therapeutic services through individual therapy, couples/family therapy, and psychoeducational groups.
• Develop treatment plans and set achievable treatment goals in collaboration with the patient.
• Evaluate service delivery and outcomes by consistently using measurement-based care to guide interventions and treatment.

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 our EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program approval, 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 review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

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 401K 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.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized