Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in both spoken and written English
• Education: Must possess one of the following: 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 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 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: You 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
• 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-12 Staff Psychologist: 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
• GS-13 Staff Psychologist: Experience
• At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 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, 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 Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-12 to GS-13
• Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies
• The incumbent must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the incumbent or others
• Position involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams.

Duties

• The psychologist serves as a Clinical or Counseling Psychologist in the Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) and Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) programs within the Mental Health service line at the Kansas City VA Medical Center
• The MHICM and PRRC programs provide outpatient treatment for Veterans diagnosed with serious mental illness
• The psychologist provides psychological services to Veterans in the MHICM and PRRC programs to assist in their recovery and community integration
• Duties include but are not limited to intensive case management services
• advocacy
• individual, group, and family counseling/psychotherapy
• psychoeducation
• assessment
• psychological evaluations
• consultation
• individualized treatment planning
• community outreach
• crisis intervention
• and coordination of services across other health disciplines at the Medical Center
• The psychologist possesses a thorough knowledge of and ability to effectively use the skills and principles of case management, recovery-oriented service delivery, community integration, and the provision of psychological services to Veterans with serious mental illness
• The psychologist serves as a program liaison and consultant in the areas of community health and welfare resources
• As such, he/she must develop a working familiarity and ongoing contact with these resources within the communities in which Veterans reside
• Specific psychological services that are provided in the MHICM and PRRC programs include assessment and diagnostic evaluation, counseling/psychotherapy, psychoeducation, and consultation
• The psychologist serves as consultant to other hospital programs and staff in the area of behavioral and mental health
• In the MHICM program, the psychologist works within a multidisciplinary team, providing intensive home and community-based case management and psychological services to Veterans with serious mental illness, severe functional impairment, and high utilization of inpatient mental health unit services
• The psychologist serves as a primary case manager for a caseload of Veterans
• He/she also provides services to other Veterans in the MHICM program through a team case management approach, ensuring all Veterans in the program have access to psychological services as clinically indicated
• He/she appropriately documents services provided and completes local and national surveys/assessments regarding Veteran care and functioning
• MHICM services are provided primarily in the community, such as the Veteran's residence or in other community settings
• The psychologist provides transportation to Veterans utilizing a government vehicle when identified as a case management need
• Services are also provided in the inpatient setting to Veterans who are hospitalized
• The psychologist applies psychosocial theory and recovery-based principles in working with each Veteran to determine their individualized treatment plan toward the goals of recovery and increased quality of life in the community of their choosing
• In the PRRC program, the psychologist works within a multidisciplinary team, providing intensive outpatient psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery services and psychological services to Veterans with serious mental illness and severe functional impairment
• The psychologist serves as a recovery coordinator for a caseload of Veterans
• He/she also provides psychological services to other Veterans in the PRRC program, ensuring all Veterans in the program have access to psychological services as clinically indicated
• PRRC services are provided primarily in the outpatient setting and in the community, assisting Veterans in community integration
• Service delivery includes individual, group, and family formats
• The psychologist provides transportation to Veterans utilizing a government vehicle when needed to facilitate community integration
• Services are also provided in the inpatient setting to Veterans who are hospitalized
• The psychologist leads or co-leads a recovery-based group on the inpatient psychiatry unit
• The psychologist applies psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery-based principles in working with each Veteran to determine their individualized treatment plan toward the goals of recovery and integration into meaningful, self-determined community roles
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 0000 Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: up to 15% incentive (sign-on bonus) may be authorized for highly qualified candidate in accordance with agency policy
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VISN15EDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more