The Psychology Program Manager (PPM) has responsibility for the day-to-day operations of SUD Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs serving Veterans with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and those dually diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI), Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and traditional outpatient services within the Mental Health Service Line (MHSL) at the Lake City location. 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 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. 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. Internship 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. (NOTE: Once board certified, the 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. 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. 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. GS-14 Psychology Program Manager Experience. At least 3 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 level. 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 (i.e., degree and internship requirements) and licensure/certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. Employees grandfathered under this provision for this revision may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions or beyond the assignment currently held for those being grandfathered to assignments above FPL.] Psychologists who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Psychologists initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. [NOTE: If psychologists who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.] Preferred Experience: Treating/Managing SUD population/programs Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard. https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. Physical Requirements: The work requires patience and emotional regulation. The work may require using appropriate techniques to physically restrain patients who present a danger to self or others. The work may also require assisting physically disabled Veterans. Day-to-day work involves sitting, walking, standing and carrying light objects. Some of the work is performed in a setting away from the office, where the environment cannot be controlled. ["This is a multi-discipline posting. Applicants will be considered from one of the following Multidisciplinary Occupations, which are listed in separate announcements: Psychology Program Manager or Social Worker Program Coordinator. The Psychology Program Manager (PPM) works with programs that provide specialized clinical care to Veterans with a wide range of SUDs, many with other co-occurring mental health and/or medical conditions. Provision of substance use services is complex, with Veterans moving between varied levels of care as clinically appropriate. The PPM ensures Veterans receive individual, case management, and group interventions from multidisciplinary team members. The PPM ensures multidisciplinary team members implement and facilitate educational and therapeutic group interventions each week for the purpose of providing comprehensive, recovery focused clinical interventions for the purpose of treating Veterans. The PPM works with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure the transition of Veterans moving across varied levels of care from inpatient, incarcerated, and outpatient settings. Responsibilities include implementation of evidence-based programs; development of local policies, procedures, and protocols to enhance treatment programs and professional staff performance; systems redesign to improve access, effective and efficient Veteran-centered care; monitoring program outcomes for efficiency and productivity; and space planning for maximal program accommodation. The PPM has clinical and administrative responsibility of the daily operations of the Psychosocial Residential Recovery Treatment Program, PRRTP, and Substance Abuse Treatment Team (SATT) outpatient programs. Outpatient and residential programs both utilize the services of a multi- disciplinary staff to provide coordinated, integrated, rehabilitative, and recovery-oriented medical and mental health care to Veterans whose care needs are complex in nature, across multiple locations, some requiring supervision twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven days per week. The PPM has responsibility of leading a multidisciplinary team including Psychologists, Psychiatrists, APRN's, RN's, Social Workers, Addiction Therapists, Peer Specialists, Registered Dietitian, Vocational Rehabilitative Specialist, Pharmacist, Program Assistants, Nursing Service staff and clinical trainees. 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 Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not available. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of 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) Telework: Ad-Hoc available (Emergencies only. Not reoccuring). Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Psychology Program Manager, FS #000000"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.