Staff Psychologist

Job description

Summary

The incumbent provides psychological services to primarily Veterans enrolled in Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) - including psychological assessment - diagnosis - brief cognitive evaluation - evidence-based psychological intervention - and treatment planning.

Summary

The incumbent provides psychological services to primarily Veterans enrolled in Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) - including psychological assessment - diagnosis - brief cognitive evaluation - evidence-based psychological intervention - and treatment planning.

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

Education: (1) 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

For the purpose of meeting this requirement - the term ""specialty area"" refers to the specific specialty areas recognized by the accrediting body and not to specific job duties that might require special skills

Currently - APA accredits doctoral programs in the specialty areas of clinical psychology - counseling psychology - school psychology - or combinations of two or more of those areas

PCSAS accredits doctoral programs in psychological clinical science

CPA accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology - counseling psychology - clinical neuropsychology - and school psychology

There are no job assignments in VHA that require the skills of a school psychologist

therefore - an applicant with a degree in the specialty area of school psychology is not eligible for appointment

Strictly for the purpose of determining eligibility for appointment as a psychologist in VHA - there is no distinction between the specialty areas (with the exception of school psychology)

OR (2) 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

and -(b) the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed

OR (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.) AND (4) Internships (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 GS12 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 4 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

Grade Determinations: Staff Psychologist - GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience: None beyond the basic requirements

Grade Determinations: 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: 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

Grade Determinations: 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: 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 7 psychology and behavioral health

3

Knowledge of clinical research literature

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 in the range of GS-11 to GS-13

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Duties

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program

You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment

Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) & 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 ineligible to apply

Major Duties: Clinical Functions: Conduct screening - assessment - diagnosis - and treatment of mental health disorders in Veterans primarily enrolled in HBPC - with particular attention to the clinical and functional needs of geriatric Veterans receiving care in the home

Administer - score - and review rating scales - questionnaires - and other measurement-based tools to assess emotional - behavioral - functional - and psychological conditions and to support Veteran-focused - individualized treatment planning within the HBPC plan of care

Administer and/or evaluate results of appropriate psychodiagnostic - intelligence - personality - and other psychological assessments and tests

Integrate interview data - assessment findings - observations - medical context - and information obtained through the home-based setting when diagnosing and treating mental health disorders

Administrative functions: Responsible for supporting the mission - policies - and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs - the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) - and the facility

Willing to serve on committees - work groups - and task forces at the facility as deemed appropriate by the supervisor

Able to maintain a level of productivity and quality consistent with the complexity of the assignment and consistent with Office of Mental Health Operations

Work Schedule: Full Time

Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Adhoc Telework - VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service - increase worker productivity - and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies

This position may be authorized for telework

Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process

Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Functional Statement #: 10419F - 10420F - 10421F EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive

Contact - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance

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Who can apply

Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.