Summary

The Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System is recruiting for 1 Staff Psychologist position to join their PTSD team in Phoenix, Arizona at the Southwest VA Clinic (SWCBOC). This position serves the outpatient mental health clinic but may also include after-care and post-hospitalization clinical duties.

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
• Licensure
• Applicants 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
• Education
• Applicant 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 applicants are 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
• OR 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: The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program
• and The specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed
• OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature
• AND Internships
• Applicants 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 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
• 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)
• Grade Determinations: GS-13 Experience: Applicants must have at least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level
• In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations
• Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health
• Knowledge of clinical research literature
• Assignment
• This is the full performance level for staff psychologists
• At this level, psychologists are licensed to practice independently in the provision of psychological services, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate
• They may be assigned to any VHA program and setting, such as inpatient or outpatient medicine, primary care, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, Compensation and Pension, Vet Centers, and the VHA National Center for Organization Development
• Psychologists diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders
• Among the modalities provided are individual, family, and group psychotherapies and other interventions such as behavioral health and community interventions
• Psychologists consult with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues
• Staff psychologists may be involved in program evaluation, teaching, training, and research activities
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Duties

• VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Psychologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Psychology-Career-Flyer.pdf Nearly perfect year-round weather and several impeccably designed championship courses have made Phoenix one of the top golf destinations in the world
• But there's more to this mild-mannered metropolis than pristine greens and tee times
• The greater Phoenix area also offers visitors an array of impressive cultural attractions
• Visit the internationally renowned Heard Museum for an in-depth look at Native American history or peruse the fine collection at the Phoenix Museum of Art
• Enjoy a ballet performance at the ornate Orpheum Theater or or catch a concert at the state-of-the-art Comerica Theatre
• In addition to golf, the city offers access to numerous outdoor endeavors including rock climbing, hot-air ballooning, desert jeep tours and more
• Family-friendly attractions, first-rate shopping, dining and entertainment, and spectacular recreational activities
• The Southwest VA Clinic provides primary care and specialty health services, including mental health care, laboratory and pathology services, pharmacy, nutrition counseling, and more
• Major duties include, but are not limited to: Provides a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses mental disorders, particularly for complex or unusually difficult patients with psychiatric disorders
• Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients, including prompt completion of clinical reminders
• Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients
• Provides consultation to professional staff within Phoenix VAMC or Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) and to community providers, concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients
• Functions independently as a member of the Phoenix VAMC Medical Staff, with clinical privileges
• The psychologist assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be offered to highly qualified candidates
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance):Not Authorized
• Telework: Available with supervisory approval
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 0000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized