Staff Psychologist - Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs Counselor (Hiring Immediately)

Staff Psychologist - Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs Counselor The Veterans Health Administration was seeking a Staff Psychologist for the Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs at the Sheridan VA Health Care System in Sheridan, WY. This position provides psychological assessment, treatment planning, individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, aftercare planning, patient and family education, interdisciplinary consultation, clinical documentation, and mentoring for Veterans receiving residential mental health, substance use disorder, PTSD, or serious mental illness services. Agency: Veterans Health Administration Facility: Sheridan VA Health Care System Location: Sheridan, WY Vacancies: 1 Salary: $85,453 - $158,334 per year Pay Scale & Grade: GS-11 to GS-13 Promotion Potential: GS-13 Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Appointment Type: Permanent Telework: Yes; ad-hoc telework eligible Remote/Virtual: Not available Travel Required: Not required Relocation Expenses: Not reimbursed Recruitment Incentive: May be authorized for GS-13 only EDRP: Authorized; student loan reimbursement may be available up to $200,000, subject to eligibility and VHA approval. Application must be submitted within four months of appointment. Former EDRP participants are ineligible. PCS: Not authorized Drug Test: Required Security Clearance: Not required Position Sensitivity/Risk: Non-sensitive / Low Risk Background Check: Credentialing and suitability/fitness required Financial Disclosure: Not required Federal Service: Excepted Service Union Representation: Yes Supervisory Status: No Series: 0180 Psychology Functional Statement: 51233-A, 51234-A, 51235-A Announcement Number: CBSU-12975984-26-CC Key Responsibilities: Identify problems and needs from assessments and develop individual treatment plans. Provide professional input to the treatment team regarding the social and psychological aspects of each Veteran's situation. Assist Veterans and the treatment team in navigating issues within the residential treatment milieu. Provide assigned case management during admission and through post-discharge follow-up. Conduct therapeutic counseling according to clinical guidelines. Handle crises regularly with minimal supervision. Serve as therapist or counselor for individuals and groups. Observe and document patient behavior and reaction patterns for use by the multidisciplinary treatment team and for follow-up planning. Develop and conduct lectures and educational presentations related to general mental health, substance use disorder, PTSD, or serious mental illness. Educate Veterans, families, and treatment team members on available options and collaborate on preferred treatment or referral plans. Develop, organize, and implement outpatient aftercare treatment for patients and collaterals. Develop and implement methods to motivate Veterans to attend aftercare or participate in outpatient programming. Transport Veterans using a government vehicle when needed to help them access resources or complete essential business. Collaborate with other service providers in reassessing Veteran needs. Educate Veterans and caregivers about available services and assist with appropriate referrals based on Veteran or surrogate preference. Serve as field instructor, preceptor, or mentor to interns, new or unlicensed clinicians, newly licensed clinicians, and peers as needed. Enter all Veteran and family contacts into the electronic record using approved formats and templates. Maintain positive working relationships with VA employees, volunteers, consumers, stakeholders, and outside community agencies. Attend staff meetings, team meetings, committee meetings, and other required meetings. Collaborate in performance improvement processes and comply with performance measures, program office requirements, and local policies. Serve as consultant to medical center staff and trainees regarding psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment. Offer consultation to colleagues and students on psychosocial treatment in specialty areas. Teach and mentor staff and students and provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications when appropriate. Basic Qualifications: Must be a U.S. Citizen. Non-citizens may only be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy. Must be proficient in spoken and written English. Must hold a qualifying doctoral degree in psychology from an APA, PCSAS, or CPA accredited graduate program, with the specialty area consistent with the assignment; or Must hold a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and have completed an approved re-specialization program with required internship documentation; or Must hold a qualifying doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. Must have completed a qualifying professional psychology internship program, unless covered by an approved exception. Must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a U.S. State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, unless appointed as a graduate psychologist under an approved temporary appointment exception. Applicants pending completion of educational, certification, or licensure requirements could be referred and tentatively selected but could not be hired until requirements were met. Must pass pre-employment drug testing and remain subject to testing requirements for this testing designated position. Must be subject to background/security investigation. Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959. Must complete all application requirements and online onboarding requirements. Must provide acceptable identification for employment eligibility verification. Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as required for Department of Veterans Affairs health care personnel. Must complete annual employee health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. Selected applicant will be required to serve a one-year or two-year trial period. Eligibility: This announcement was open to the public, including U.S. Citizens, Nationals, or those who owe allegiance to the United States. The two-page resume requirement did not apply to this position. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. This was an open continuous announcement with an initial applicant review cutoff date of June 11, 2026. This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. GS-11 Qualification Requirements: Entry level. No experience beyond the basic requirements is required. GS-12 Qualification Requirements: Developmental level. Must have at least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-11 level. Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under supervision of a licensed psychologist, but with less intense supervision than at GS-11. Must demonstrate knowledge and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to varied patient populations. Must be able to design and implement effective treatment strategies. Must be able to incorporate new clinical procedures. Must be able to conduct research activities if assigned research duties. Must be able to perform basic research tasks within an established research team, including participant relations, documentation, data acquisition, maintenance, and collaboration. GS-13 Qualification Requirements: Full performance level. Must have at least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level. Must demonstrate knowledge and ability to apply professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations. Must be able to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health. Must demonstrate knowledge of clinical research literature. Preferred Experience: Extensive experience in individual and group therapies for PTSD and substance use disorder. Training in evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and other evidence-based protocols. Experience working within interdisciplinary teams, including medical providers, psychiatrists, nursing staff, and case managers. Proficiency in suicide prevention and mental health crisis care. Ability to provide episodic treatment. Certification in evidence-based psychotherapies. VA systems experience. Education: Doctoral degree in psychology meeting VA psychologist qualification standards is required. Education must be from an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be supported by a certificate of foreign equivalency if used to meet qualification requirements. Transcript was required if using education to qualify. Physical Requirements: Must be physically and mentally able to perform essential functions efficiently without hazard to self or others. Requires visual acuity, with corrective lenses permitted. Requires keen hearing, with hearing aid permitted. Requires clear and distinctive speech and manual dexterity. May require moderate lifting and carrying between 15 and 44 pounds. May involve occasional exposure to patients who are combative due to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. Requires maturity, flexibility, judgment, and ability to work effectively in stressful situations. Requires ability to shift priorities based on patient needs. Requires ability to move within ADA-compliant workspaces, including travel between buildings. Evaluation Criteria: Applicants were evaluated based on qualifications, application material