Psychology Interns

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. 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 complete review of the EDRP application.

S) citizen

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: 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 - 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

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

(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.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

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

Staff Psychologist-GS-11 (Entry Level): None beyond the basic requirement 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

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

Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health

Knowledge of clinical research literature

Preferred Experience: Evidence-based Psychotherapy (EBP) - such as CBT-D - ACT - IPT - CBT-I - CBT-CP - DBT Experience providing behavioral health services with adult populations Experience providing behavioral health services through telehealth modalities Experience working as a member of a collaborative multidisciplinary care team Experience with couples therapy Psychological Testing Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional This Staff Psychologist position serves the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks (VHSO) - Mental Health Service in Fayetteville - AR and provides individual and family-based psychotherapy - as well as consulting with medical center staff on a variety of mental health issues

Duties of the Staff Psychologist include - but are not limited to: Applies advanced professional psychological diagnostic methods and evidence-based intervention strategies to a full range of patient problems in the work setting Advanced knowledge of psychological diagnosis - intervention - and behavioral health that qualifies him/her to provide advice and consultation to professionals representing a variety of disciplines Provides a full range of psychological assessment services - including pre-surgical psychological assessments and will generate psychological reports based on these assessments with recommendations for the veteran or consulting service as appropriate Provides education to patients - family members - and significant others Promotes communication/interactions between medical team members - patients - and their families to facilitate the medical treatment process Provides - as opportunity allows - clinical supervision to psychology trainees Adheres to operational policies and procedures for Mental Health Services and VHSO - participate fully in peer review - assessing the quality of professional psychology standards provided in the organization - comply with all CPRS documentation procedures - including timeliness standards for documentation and encounter completion (e.g. - entering diagnostic and procedure codes) Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the Associate Chief of Staff - Mental Health Services - the Chief of Staff - and the Medical Center Director - attend regular Mental Health Service staff meetings and comply with Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations (OPPE) procedures - and is fully accountable for practice - including entering patient visits - measuring outcomes to interventions - and meeting productivity standards Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00am-4:30pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the service) Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Authoized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorzed EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive

Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined 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 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

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 - per organizational policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position

GS-13 - 564-01736-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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