Psychologist (Vet Center Director)

Duties As the Supervisory Psychologist (Vet Center Director), the selectee will be on a multidisciplinary team that is located in a community-based Vet Center that provides veterans with community outreach, counseling, therapy, treatment and direct services and referral to VA and community resources and community education regarding the problems and needs of the veteran. The Vet Center Director conducts interviews and counseling with clients and provides social/psychological assessment and treatment to clients; crisis intervention and both short and long-term services. He/she provides guidance and consultation to other team members conducting interviews, counseling, and therapy. The selectee is responsible for establishing, maintaining and conducting outreach activities with veterans, community and service organizations, business and industry, professionals and the public; The Vet Center Director provides direct social work intervention involving serious and complicated problems frequently encountered by veterans and their families or significant others; Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff, communicated through the formal employee performance management system. The selectee performs program analysis, development, review, research, design, and public contact work. Observes workers' performance; demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques. Provides informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance; Resolves informal complaints and grievances. The Vet Center Director develops work improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary; Provides advice and counsel to workers related to work and administrative matters; Reviews and approves or time and leave authorization for all Vet Center staff.Telework schedules: Not authorized for this positionVirtual work schedules: Not authorized for this positionFunctional Statement Title: Supervisory PsychologistRelocation / Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized for these positionsRelocation Expenses: Not authorized for these positions.Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., some evenings and weekends may be required; work schedule is subject to change based on the needs of the Vet Center.Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of EmploymentMust possess a valid state driver's licenseYou must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this jobDesignated and/or random drug testing may be requiredSelective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959You may be required to serve a probationary periodSubject to a background/security investigationMust be proficient in written and spoken EnglishSelected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/04/2022.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 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. For the purpose of meeting this requirement, the term "specialty area" refers to the specific specialty areas recognized by the accrediting body and not to specific job duties that might require special skills. Currently, APA accredits doctoral programs in the specialty areas of clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, or combinations of two or more of those areas. PCSAS accredits doctoral programs in psychological clinical science. CPA accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and school psychology. 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. Strictly for the purpose of determining eligibility for appointment as a psychologist in VHA, there is no distinction between the specialty areas (with the exception of school psychology). OR 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: the re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship.Internship: 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.)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.Board Certification: Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be 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. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education. Loss of Credential. Once board certified, psychologist must maintain a full, valid and unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required board certification 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.Grade Determinations:GS-13 Supervisory 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. Examples of specialized experience but is not limited to: Diagnosing mental disorders, conducting psychological or neuro-psychological assessments, treating mental disorders through a variety of modalities, and providing adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders.References: VA Handbook 5005/87 Psychologist Qualification Standard Appendix G18.Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. It may require some lifting (10-20 lbs.) occasionally. Reaching above shoulder; Frequent keyboarding (4-7 hours per day); Sitting (4-7 hours per day); Walking up to 6 hours per day); Standing (up to 8 hours per day); Infrequent climbing/descending of stairs; Some bending; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Correctable near sighted and far sighted vision; Hearing (Aid permitted). EducationIMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: . Additional informationReceiving Service Credit or 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. 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 to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.Help Help 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. Review our benefitsEligibility 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.