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 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 & 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 & 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
• 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
• NOTE: Must provide an official transcript &/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program - which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship
• OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 & 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 & 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 & VHA Office of Academic Affiliations at the time that the individual was an intern
• 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 & 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 & 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 & if a placement opportunity exists
• Board Certification & 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 & 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 & 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 & if a placement opportunity exists
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive & Handbook 5019
• English Language Proficiency: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken & 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 & 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
• Qualifications continued under Additional Information

Duties

• This vacancy will remain open until filled
• The first cut-off date is 03/11/2025
• 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 may be limited to: Administrative May have clinical program management responsibilities - including operation & management of various psychology or mental health (MH) programs within the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (VATVDBHCS) May serve as clinical supervisor for employees in lower grades May have responsibilities for & oversight of administrative/programmatic resources of various clinical programs that are specialized/complex & significantly impact delivery of health care service to veterans May coordinate programming within various MH programs with managers of other programs in MH as well as with discipline supervisors of affected staff assigned to these programs May manage work of various clinical programs & their staff - ensuring that work is assigned in a systematic way & meets facility/VA guidelines/standards Clinical Diagnosing mental disorders using nomenclature of the fifth edition of Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DMS-5) Providing an assessment of each Veteran using the system as set forth in DSM-5 Determining when clinician-administered psychometric testing is necessary & integrating the results of such testing into the report of the examination Providing a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including the use of psychological testing for patients within VATVCBHCS in areas of special interest/expertise Performing psychological evaluations for individual with MH/medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification & treatment planning recommendations
• These evaluations employ a comprehensive diagnostic interview - review of available records - collateral contract when when available - as well as objective & cognitive tests when indicated Providing a range of psychological therapeutic interventions - with individuals with MH/medical disorders utilizing empirically supported modalities when indicated Academic/Teaching/Research May be asked to serve as a clinical supervisor for psychology predoctoral interns & doctoral level graduate practicum students in psychology & related disciplines May be asked to prepare & teach seminars/workshops for VATVCBHCS trainees/staff on topics within interest/competency areas May be asked to serve as a member of various VATVCBHCS MH - VATVCBHCS &/or VISN committees Work Schedule: Fulltime - Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m
• to 4:30 p.m
• Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a Highly Qualified Individual: Relocation incentives may be authorized to full-time Federal employees who must change worksites & physically relocate to a different geographic area when the approving official determines that without the incentive - it would be difficult to fill the position with a high-quality candidate
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Recruitment Incentive may be authorized for a Highly Qualified Individual: Recruitment incentives may be authorized to full-time - part time or intermittent individuals in their first appointment as a Federal employee or to a newly appointed former Federal employee with at least a 90-day break in service
• 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 & 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) & 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: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Bargaining Unit position