Staff Psychologist (BHIP)

Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) – a student loan payment reimbursement program. Applicants must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit an 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 a complete review of the 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. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 – Part II – Chapter 3 – section A – paragraph 3j 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 OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally‑accredited institution – with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature AND 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 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.) 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 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 Must demonstrate mandatory KSAs: Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations, ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies, incorporate new clinical procedures, conduct research activities (such as designing and implementing clinical research projects), and perform basic research tasks within the context of an established research team (including participant relations, documentation, data acquisition, maintenance, and collaboration) 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 Must demonstrate advanced KSAs: Knowledge of and ability to apply professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations, ability to provide professional advice and consultation in related fields, knowledge of clinical research literature Preferred Experience: Experience working with Veterans Reference: For more information on this qualification standard – please visit The full performance level of this vacancy is GS‑11; the actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS‑11 to GS‑13 There are no physical requirements for this occupation per OCHCO Communications email to VA Handbook 5019 – updated on 4/17/2026. Duties Serves as a staff psychologist for the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) team in the Mental Health Clinic (MHC) at the American Lake Division of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System At the GS‑13 level, provides comprehensive psychological assessment and diagnostic services for Veterans; demonstrates expertise in contemporary interview and psychometric assessment methods for mental disorders and/or behavioral health conditions; provides education to patients and family members regarding mental disorders; provides evidence‑based psychotherapeutic interventions; and consults with health‑care providers about assessment findings and treatment plans to ensure coordinated and integrated care within the Medical Center Develops, implements, and documents the mental health treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients; complies with all Service Line documentation requirements, including timely completion of CPRS patient‑contact notes, use of required documentation templates, clinical reminders, treatment plans, and risk‑assessment protocols Adheres to all Facility and Service Line policies and practices for delivering clinical care, including risk‑assessment and reduction practices for potentially dangerous behavior (suicide and violence), timeliness of care and access standards, professional conduct requirements, and CPRS documentation conventions Assists the Team Leader and/or Program Director in designing, developing, and implementing clinical assessment and/or intervention programs; adheres to operational policies and procedures; and assists in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data‑driven quality improvement projects Facilitates liaisons with other health‑care programs; complies with national and local performance measures and facilitates organizational success on these measures; and complies with all Facility and Service Line policies and expectations concerning administrative practices Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the Psychology Chief/Deputy Chief (Service Line Leader), Chief of Staff, and/or Facility Director; attends monthly Psychology Service Staff Meetings; participates in Psychology Training Faculty Meetings and the Psychology Service biannual competency review process (OPPE and FPPE); and periodically serves on the Psychology Service Clinical Pertinence Review Committee Maintains current knowledge of and practices in accordance with Joint Commission requirements; protects printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with federal privacy acts and confidentiality statutes; follows regulations and instructions regarding the release of sensitive or protected patient or employee information Work Schedule: Monday – Friday – 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign‑on Bonus): May be authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized; EDRP Authorized – Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive Contact View email address on click.appcast.io for questions/assistance Learn more: Pay – competitive salary and regular salary increases, mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory salary increased after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (above minimum rate of the grade) Paid Time Off – 37–50 days of annual paid time offered 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 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 #J-18808-Ljbffr U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs