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. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

1) Doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program accredited by the APA, PCSAS, or CPA at the time the program was completed. 2) 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:

(4) Internships:

• a) Successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed and consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.
• 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.
• c) VHA facilities that offered full-time, one-year pre-doctoral internships prior to PL 96‑151 (pre‑1979) are considered acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement.
• d) Applicants who completed an internship 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 consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. (e) Applicants who have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 and 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.

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 licensed psychologist. 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.

Staff Psychologist, GS‑11 (Entry Level)

Staff Psychologist, GS‑12 (Developmental Level)

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)

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

Knowledge of clinical research literature.

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