Summary

The Battle Creek VA Medical Center is recruiting for multiple Psychologists. The Psychologist(s) will function under the Psychology Service. Positions include but not limited to: Staff Psychologist for the following disciplines, Neuropsychologist, PTSD Program, PCMHI, PRRTP, Pain, BHIP, and SATP.

This is an open continuous announcement. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available.

Learn more about this agency

Help

Overview

* Accepting applications

* Open & closing dates

01/08/2024 to 12/31/2024

* Salary

$79,612 - $147,508 per year

* Pay scale & grade

GS 00

* Help

Locations

Many vacancies in the following locations:

* Battle Creek, MI

* Benton Harbor, MI

* Lansing, MI

* Muskegon, MI

* Show more locations (1)

* Wyoming, MI

* Remote job

* Telework eligible

Yes-availability for telework varies between location and position and is subject to supervisor's discretion

* Travel Required

Not required

* Relocation expenses reimbursed

* Appointment type

Permanent -

* Work schedule

Full-time -

* 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-12264576-24-AP

* Control number

769400100

Help

This job is open to

* Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

* The public

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

Clarification from the agency

Qualified applicants to this position will be referred and considered in the following order 1- Current, permanent employees of the Battle Creek VAMC/CBOCs / 2. All other applicants U. S. Citizens Note: due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans preference to ALL external applicants for this job announcement

Videos

Help

Duties

Duties are specific to each position but may include:

Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program

* Works as part of multidisciplinary team in a residential setting.

* Completes admission screenings for residential programs.

* Provides psychological assessment, conducting evaluations of psychological functioning based upon chart review, clinical interview, psychological tests and instruments.

* Provides a full range of psychological interventions, to include group and individual psychotherapy, consistent with training and expertise, with an emphasis on provision of evidenced-based interventions for a broad range of general mental health conditions.

Primary Care Mental Health Integration

* Provide consultation, therapeutic counseling, and mental health support for mild-to-moderate cases in Primary Care

* Provide functional assessments and diagnostic services for Veterans with a range of psychopathology, health psychology, and behavioral medicine concerns.

* Provide evidenced-based psychotherapeutic interventions as indicated and appropriate for the Primary Care setting, which may include individual, family, and group psychotherapy and psychoeducation.

Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program

* Provide time-limited, evidence based therapy to Veterans experiencing a wide range of mental health diagnoses.

* Conduct biopsychosocial assessments to inform follow-up care

* Facilitate group Evidence Based Psychotherapies

Substance Abuse Treatment Program

* Provide individual and group Evidence Based Therapies for individuals with substance use disorders

* Provide case management services bridging medication treatment, housing programs, and legal system involvement for veterans with a substance use and mental health disorder

* Work with dually diagnosed veterans (substance use disorder and mental health disorder) across all levels of care.

PTSD Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program

* Works as part of multidisciplinary team in a residential setting.

* Completes admission screenings for residential programs.

* Provides psychological assessment, conducting evaluations of psychological functioning based upon chart review, clinical interview, psychological tests and instruments, and other structured techniques with a focus on evaluations for trauma-related disorders.

* Provides a full range of psychological interventions, to include group and individual psychotherapy, consistent with training and expertise, with a strong emphasis on massed provision of evidenced-based interventions found to be effective with trauma-related disorders.

Health Behavior Coordinator

* Provides a wide range of health psychology assessments and interventions to Veterans with primarily medical/health related concerns and conditions.

* Provides education to Primary Care and other medical center areas on health behaviors and coping

* Expertise in behavioral medicine and diagnostic assessment and consultation with medical staff regarding psychological components of medical illness is preferred.

* Opportunity to be involved in clinical psychology internship and postdoctoral residency training program.

Community Living Center

* Primary clinical duties with assignment to the Community Living Center (CLC), including the Palliative Care Unit.

* Diagnoses mental disorders, conducts psychological assessments, treats mental disorders through a variety of modalities, and provides adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders.

* The incumbent will provide and guide behavioral intervention and support services and liaise with specialty services such as geropsychiatry and geriatric medicine to facilitate long-term care management.

* Opportunity to be involved in clinical psychology internship and postdoctoral residency training program.

Pain Psychologist

* Provides education, consultation and evidence based treatment to Veterans suffering from chronic pain issues.

* Provide diagnostic interviews and treatment coordination for Veterans with a range of mental health and/or medical issues who are referred for pain management.

* Utilize whole health interventions and collaborate closely with medical, nursing, physical therapy and other disciplines.

* Opportunity to be involved in clinical psychology internship and postdoctoral residency training program.

Work Schedule: Varies by position

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation Incentives: May be authorized for a highly qualified candidate.

EDRP: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. 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 complete review of the EDRP application.

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Help

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.

* 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.

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 Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English.

* 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 fulltime, 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. 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.

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).

Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following:

* GS-11 Level: no additional experience beyond the basic requirement.

* GS-12 Level: at least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-11 level, and are able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities

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 Level: at least 2 addition years of experience, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level, as a professional psychologist that was obtained through employment as a psychologist or through participating in a supervised post-doctoral psychology training program that demonstrates 1) active professional practice that was paid/non-paid employment and/or 2) a full, current and unrestricted license. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics associated with current psychology practice:

1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to a 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.*Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed.

Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: Light Lifting (under 15 lbs); Light carrying (under 15 lbs); Straight pulling (1hr); Walking (2hr); Standing (2hr); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Hearing aid permitted.

Education

IMPORTANT: 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 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.

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.

* Benefits

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 benefits

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.

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.