Summary

Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Authorized: Position is eligible for EDRP - student loan payment reimbursement. You must meet eligibility requirements in accordance w/VHA policy & submit EDRP application w/in 4 months of your start date. Program approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) & eligibility period (1 to 5 years) are determined by VHA Education Loan Repayment Services. Former EDRP participants are ineligible. Contact VISN17EDRP2@VA.GOV for questions/assistance. Learn more.

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: Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by American Psychological Association (APA) - Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) or Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) at the time the program was completed
• 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 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: Re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program
• and Specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed
• NOTE: Applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting completion of 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 Department of Veterans Affairs prior to implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards
• OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature
• 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 internship requirement - provided that such programs were sanctioned by VHA Central Office Program Director for Psychology and 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 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
• (NOTE: Once board certified - employee is required to maintain board certification.) 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
• NOTE: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the requirements of this qualification standard
• 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.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
• 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: 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
• 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
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 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
• 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-11 Experience
• None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-12 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: Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations
• Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies
• Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures
• 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 See Additional Information for Additional Qualifications

Duties

• This vacancy will remain open until filled
• The first cut-off date is 11/15/2024
• Additional applications will be referred as needed
• 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 Duties include - but are not limited to: Clinical Conducting standardized psychological assessment of mental health conditions and cognitive functioning in older adults Conducting capacity evaluations for Veterans with neurodegenerative diseases to determine their ability to make informed decisions about issues such as health care - finances or the ability to live independently Providing a full range of therapeutic interventions including individual therapy - family therapy - group therapy and psycho-education classes that is sensitive to cultural - cognitive and age-related needs
• Treatments will be adapted as needed to meet the needs of Veterans with cognitive changes - TBI and sensory changes Ensuring the care delivered is in the best interest of the Veteran by making treatment recommendations based on best available scientific evidence (e.g. - evidence-based clinical practice guidelines - systematic reviews - meta-analyses) Ensuring care provided offers the Veteran the best opportunity for restoration of mental health Regularly using valid measurement instruments to monitor treatment progress - guide clinical decision making and guide treatment planning Providing motivational enhancement activities to prepare Veterans to participate in clinically appropriate care and engage in treatment Developing person-centered - culturally sensitive treatment plans to address mental health needs of patients Conducting evaluations to aid in the differential diagnosis of complex cases Complying with national and local performance measures - including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients Program Development - Process Improvement - Program Evaluation and Education Assisting with process improvement activities related to geriatric psychology care Designing - implementing and evaluating services and processes for the geriatric patient population Providing education and consultation to providers on geriatric assessment - treatment and transitions of care
• VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines and the availability - effectiveness and utility of assessment tools and evidence-based psychotherapies for older adult population Providing education and consultation in the assessment of safety issues in Veterans including suicide risk - driving - firearms - falls and any signs of elder abuse - neglect or financial exploitation
• Implementing process/outcome measures to evaluate the impact of mental health services on geriatric Veterans Other Responsibilities Participating on selection panels for Staff Psychologist position vacancies or other positions as assigned Attending annual training programs sponsored by the VISN - VAMC and other APA recognized training programs to enhance knowledge - skills and abilities in area of specialization Work Schedule: Fulltime - Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m
• to 4:30 p.m
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VISN17EDRP2@VA.GOV - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• 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 existing pay - 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
• Parental Leave: 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) Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 504-52711-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Bargaining Unit position