Summary

The psychologist has responsibility for providing the full range of psychological services to patients of the Medical Center in the area(s) assigned to him or her by the Chief of Mental Health Services.

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Overview

* Accepting applications

* Open & closing dates

03/22/2024 to 09/30/2024

* Salary

$88,117 - $167,992 per year

Applicable Special Salary Rate pay table will be assigned based on duty station location.

* Pay scale & grade

GS 11 - 13

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Locations

Few vacancies in the following locations:

* Fort Wayne, IN

* Marion, IN

* Mishawaka, IN

* Remote job

* Telework eligible

Yes-May be authorized as determined by agency policy.

* Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

* Relocation expenses reimbursed

* Appointment type

Multiple Appointment Types - Appointment type may vary dependent upon position (Term, Temp, Permanent, etc.).

* Work schedule

Multiple Schedules - Varies dependent on position (Full-time, Part-time, etc.).

* Service

Excepted

* Promotion potential

* Job family (Series)

0180 Psychology

* Supervisory status

* Security clearance

Not Required

* Drug test

Yes

* Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

* Trust determination process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness

* Announcement number

CBSR-12362715-24-KM

* Control number

783097500

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This job is open to

* The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

If you are a current permanent VA employee or Federal employee from another agency, you should apply under CBSR-12363085-24-KM.

Help This job is also open in another announcement to:

* Federal employees - Competitive service

* Federal employees - Excepted service

* Internal to an agency

Help This job is also open in another announcement to:

* Federal employees - Competitive service

* Federal employees - Excepted service

* Internal to an agency

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Duties

VA Careers - Psychologist:

Psychologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Psychology-Career-Flyer.pdf

This is an Open Continuous Announcement that will be used for filling GS-0180 Psychologists for facilities located within the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System area until September 30, 2024. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.

We utilize Open Continuous announcements to accept applications in anticipation of vacancies. Extended announcements provide us a readily available source of applicants when vacancies do occur and are approved. If a vacancy does not occur for the location and grade for which you are qualified and apply, no further notification concerning the announcement will be provided.

Specific duties include the following functions: (1) psychological assessment and consultation; (2) psychological treatment including individual and group psychotherapy; (3) research; (4) collaboration between the following entities in and out of the VA to include but not limited to Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom, Substance Use Disorder; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Mental Health Clinic; VA Homeless Team, VCLC, other VA Northern Indiana Health Care System and VANIHCS Community Based Outpatient Clinics and their programs; and (5) education and training.

The psychologist provides psychological assessment and consultation services on patients in the assigned area representing less complex conditions and problems. Psychologist will consult with their supervisor on more complex patients. Psychological assessments may involve interviewing or testing of patients or both. He or she selects the optimum battery of tests or procedures to gain the appropriate information in each case. He or she oversees the administration and scoring of psychological assessment procedures, interprets and reports the findings of the evaluation in the medical record in a timely fashion, and helps to integrate the findings into treatment planning for patients.

The psychologist utilizes appropriate therapeutic techniques or combinations of techniques as indicated by the specific needs of patients in the assigned clinical area(s). Will be trained in psychosocial rehabilitation techniques and will use these techniques in day-to-day patient treatment. The types of psychological treatment interventions might involve individual or group psychotherapy, family or marital counseling, and other psychotherapeutic procedures as deemed appropriate to the patient's needs.

The psychologist may develop hypotheses and research designs and takes responsibility for the preparation and implementation of his or her research program. Research protocols are submitted for approval to the Committee on the Protection of Human Subjects as well as the Medical Center's research and Development Committee. The psychologist remains aware of current research by attending professional conferences and by reading professional publications; and the psychologist presents his or her own findings or theories at such meetings and/or in professional publications.

Work Schedule: Typically administrative in nature, Monday - Friday. Schedule will be discussed during the interview process.

Compressed/Flexible:May be available at supervisor discretion.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for highly qualified candidate.

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, 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 offer 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: May be available at supervisory discretion.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 91389-0

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

* You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.

* All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.

* Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

* Must be proficient in written and spoken English.

* You may be required to serve a probationary period.

* Subject to background/security investigation.

* Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

* Must pass pre-employment physical examination.

* Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

* Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

* A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment.

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.

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 Requirement:

* You must 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. OR,

* Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully completed a 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; and

* b) the specialty in which you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for; OR,

* Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.

* Internship Requirement:

* You must 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).

* NOTE: 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: Candidates must 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.

* NOTE: At the GS-11 and GS-12 levels non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment as a "graduate psychologist" 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.

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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following 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.

* Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.

* Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).

* 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.

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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following 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 areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.

* Knowledge of clinical research literature.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 PART II APPENDIX G18

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Transcripts must be official or unofficial college transcripts. A copy of your certificate/degree or screenshot of your current classes are not a replacement of your transcript and they will not be used in the qualifying process. Your transcript must include your name and the name and full address of the institution.

If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying based on education, you need to list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.

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 information

Receiving 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) 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.

* Benefits

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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.

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Eligibility 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Creditable Experience:

Current Professional Psychology Practice. To be creditable, psychological work experience can be obtained through paid or non-paid employment providing psychological work or through participating in a supervised postdoctoral psychology training program (i.e., fellowship or residency). Psychological work experience must have occurred after the doctoral degree was obtained and must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with current professional psychology practice. "Professional psychology practice" includes but is not limited to the following psychology-oriented job duties: providing professional clinical services, conducting research, carrying out education and training activities, carrying out program evaluation activities, clinical consultation, supervision and administration.

Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties to be performed. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to or exceeding professional psychology experience at the next lower level.

Part-time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to a full time workweek. For example, a psychologist employed 20 hours per week, or on a half time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service.

Post-Doctoral Degree Fellowships. Postdoctoral fellowships or residencies are training programs in an advanced area of clinical practice. Training as a fellow or resident is considered to be creditable experience on a year-for-year basis

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.