Staff Psychologist

Summary The Fargo VA Health Care System is recruiting for 1 full-time Mental Health Counselor. This vacancy will be filled by a Social Worker - Marriage and Family Therapist - Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - or Staff psychologist. Staff psychologists should apply under this announcement. This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP). Summary The Fargo VA Health Care System is recruiting for 1 full-time Mental Health Counselor. This vacancy will be filled by a Social Worker - Marriage and Family Therapist - Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - or Staff psychologist. Staff psychologists should apply under this announcement. This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP). Qualifications Health Professional Trainee (HPT) 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 Education: 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 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: (a) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program (b) 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 OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature AND Internship: (a) 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 (b) 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 (c) 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 (d) 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 (e) 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 psychologist who is licensed Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment 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 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: Staff Psychologist - GS-11 (Entry Level) (a) Experience None beyond the basic requirements Staff Psychologist - GS-12 (Developmental Level) (a) 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 (b) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1 Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations 2 Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies 3 Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures 4 Ability to conduct research activities - such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties) 5 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) (a) Experience At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level (b) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1 Knowledge of - and ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations 2 Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health 3 Knowledge of clinical research literature All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package 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 GS-11 to GS-13 Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Duties The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care - you will operate in a model with three core elements - seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being VA Careers - Psychologist: Psychologists diagnose mental disorders - conduct psychological and/or cognitive assessments - treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities - and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders The primary job functions include the provision of direct psychological patient care - consultation services on difficult or complex cases - and education of staff and trainee supervision as appropriate 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 The treatment plan will be completed no later than the end of the patient's third visit for mental health services and updated as required by the Mental Health Integrated Care Community (MH ICC) - or more frequently if there is a change in the patient's condition or needs Evaluate service delivery and outcomes by consistently using measurement-based care to guide interventions and treatment Conduct crisis screening and assessment - developing crisis management plans for the appropriate level of care In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency - follow the protocol of the Mental Health Clinic at the VA Medical Center Provide consultation to professional staff within the Fargo VA Healthcare System and to community providers regarding patient diagnosis and treatment - as well as the delivery of care Offer formal or informal supervision and/or training for psychology trainees - including students - interns - and residents Ensure that the practice of psychology is consistent with the professional practice standards and ethics of the American Psychological Association and with the established policies and procedures of the Psychology Service - Fargo VA - State Licensing Board - and the Veterans Health Administration Position(s) listed under this Open Continuous Announcement (OCA) MAY be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program Applicants selected for an EDRP-eligible position will be notified in their conditional job offer The selectee must meet specific eligibility requirements per 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 review of the EDRP application Former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive Learn more 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: Available (Ad-hoc only) Virtual: This is not a virtual position Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized #J-18808-Ljbffr