You will serve as a licensed-eligible provider with a doctorate in clinical or counseling psychology in the Birmingham VA Medical Center's Mental Health Service Line. You are to provide professional services to the veteran population seeking MHSL services. You will provide a full range of psycho-diagnostic assessment, therapeutic and psycho-educational interventions as well as consultative services within their scope of practice. 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. 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 2 (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. 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. d. Board Certification and Loss of Credential e. Grandfathering Provision. [All persons employed in VHA as a psychologist on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. g. 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: 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: 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. Assignment. Staff psychologists at this level diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders, and may conduct research. They may be assigned to any program area. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is 12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. ["You provide direct patient care as a licensed Psychologist or as a license-eligible provider with a doctorate in clinical or counseling psychology. You provide direct services to selected patients and/or selected treatment programs. You will establish and maintain therapeutic relationships and exercise professional judgment to provide treatment for veterans. As a clinical care provider, you are a psychologist, defined as a credentialed and privileged Licensed Independent Practitioner or is a license-eligible provider with a doctorate in clinical or counseling psychology, who functions as an essential member of the interdisciplinary treatment team; provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care; performs evaluations for veterans mental health disorders; provides a full range of specialized individual and group- based empirically supported psychological interventions to mental health patients whose conditions indicate a need for the advanced skill and training of a licensed psychologist; reviews and translates psychological research into practical interventions for improved patient treatment outcomes; consults with Medical Center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues; assesses the need for referral for additional psychological services for patients; coordinates with other providers throughout the BVAMC when other interventions such as psychiatric, medical or palliative care are required; is responsible for accurate, timely and appropriate completion of clinical patient care documentation . You will also engage in non-direct clinical activities, including participating in staff meetings, data management, and program development. You may also engage in research, intern supervision/training, and administrative services consistent with the mission. As a scientist practitioner, you routinely searches literature relevant to mental health treatment. You may engage in activities both within and outside the facility that promote the conduct of independent, peer-reviewed, and/or funded research projects. He/she may function as a principal, co-principal, or collaborative investigator. You may also engage in the following extra-clinical enriching elements: provide clinical supervision to various disciplines and levels of training, including psychology interns, psychiatry residents, and other students/trainees involved' in the Psychology Training Program and the Training Committee; serve as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees on a wide variety of patient care issues as needed; serve on BVAMC, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces; represent Psychology on decision--making committees at the Medical Center; actively participate in leadership roles with local, state and national level professional organizations; represent the Medical Center at professional or community events and committees. The work requires administrative knowledge of mental health clinic settings and clinical knowledge as a psychologist. You must possess the analytical ability to research, assemble, and compile information and data, evaluate the results against appropriate standards, and recommend corrective action where indicated. You must be proficient in behavioral research design and analysis, and knowledgeable regarding ethical practices in the conduct of human research. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following: 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. Staff psychologists at this level diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders, and may conduct research. They may be assigned to any program area. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm or 7:00 am - 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Available to eligible candidates. Telework: Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 51216F, Clinical Psychologist GS-0180-12 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for eligible candidates. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized."]

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