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. 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. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA psychologist are prescribed by Public Law 96-151 codified in 38 U.S.C. § 7402. To qualify for appointment as a psychologist in VHA, all applicants must meet the following: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. 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, the applicant is to be employed. NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship. [Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards.] [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. c. 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 Loss of Credential. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists. Board Certification and Loss of Credential (1) Board Certification. 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. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education. (2) Loss of Credential. Once board certified, psychologist must maintain a full, valid and unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required board certification must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. GRADE REQUIREMENTS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. (1) 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. (2) 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. ["The psychologist in the Center for Integrated Residential Care for Addictions (CIRCA) will function as a member of the interdisciplinary team within a residential substance use treatment program located at the Brockton campus. The program provides comprehensive rehabilitation services for male and female veterans with alcohol and/or drug use disorders, comorbid mental health problems including posttraumatic stress disorder, and social problems including homelessness and unemployment. The psychologist provides comprehensive assessments, individual and group psychotherapy, crisis intervention, case management and facilitates discharge planning. CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES Direct Service Provision Provides screening of new referrals using appropriate templates and documentation. Conducts comprehensive admission assessments including an appropriate assessment of patient characteristics, substance use, mental health, and social history, and diagnoses. Conducts risk assessments as required for residential programs and develops Safety Plans as needed to ensure safety of veterans in CIRCA. Develops individualized treatment plans and updates as required. Provides a full range of evidence-based therapeutic interventions including group and individual psychotherapy focused on substance use and mental health co-morbidities. Provides on-call coverage for the residential treatment programs in JP including CIRCA. Consults with referring providers about residential addiction services. Attends clinical team meetings in CIRCA and takes the lead in overseeing the care of individual patients as needed. Assists with case management and discharge planning as needed. Offers measurement-based care to veterans in CIRCA. Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff to assist in treatment of patients with substance use disorders. Provides clinical supervision and training for pre-doctoral interns, post-doctoral fellows, and/or psychology practicum students on the addiction and co-occurring disorders rotation on the JP campus. May provide clinical supervision for other disciplines including psychiatry residents and social work interns, as appropriate. Contributes to MH clinical service activities (e.g., urgent care, police evaluations, C&P exams), as requested. Clinical administrative activities Completes all clinical charting and documentation required for VA Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs in a timely manner. Attends staff meetings to support CIRCA. Keeps informed regarding treatment and outcome research development in the areas of substance use, mental health, and related fields. Assists with the modification/implementation of evidence-based treatments in CIRCA. Reviews clinical documentation of trainees and ensures that it is meeting standards and completed in a timely manner. Provides clinical service in an ethical manner, consistent with American Psychological Association and VA Boston Healthcare System ethical guidelines. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Available Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: F0001 EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Karen.Chapman@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more"]

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