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Summary

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

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: (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
• 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 (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 Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature 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
• 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
• 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance, Level) 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
• Assignment
• This is the full performance level for staff psychologists
• At this level, psychologists are licensed to practice independently in the provision of psychological services, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate
• They may be assigned to any VHA program and setting, such as inpatient or outpatient medicine, primary care, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, Compensation and Pension, Vet Centers, and the VHA National Center for Organization Development
• Psychologists diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders
• Among the modalities provided are individual, family, and group psychotherapies and other interventions such as behavioral health and community interventions
• Psychologists consult with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues
• Staff psychologists may be involved in program evaluation, teaching, training, and research activities
• Preferred Experience: In delivering first line evidence based psychotherapy for Veterans with PTSD
• Training in EMDR a plus
• References: VA Handbook 5005/103 PART II Appendix G18 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13
• Physical Requirements: Light lifting, light carrying, reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, walking, standing, hearing (aid may be permitted), position is mostly sedentary.

Duties

"VA Careers - Psychologist: Duties: This full time position consists of a psychologist that participates in a full range of psychotherapeutic diagnostic and training activities under the supervision of the Chief of Psychology.
They are responsible for the provision of outpatient posttraumatic stress disorder services as part of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Team (PCT) at the Louis A Johnson VAMC.
This individual will perform assessment and evidence based individual and group psychotherapy for Veterans experiencing symptoms of PTSD.
These services may include provision of therapy or assessment via telehealth equipment.
The inclusion of family in the treatment process may occur when deemed appropriate.
This individual will act as a specialist in the treatment of PTSD and will consult with peers in this area as needed.
They will participate in collaborative treatment planning and program development and evaluation as part of the PCT.
The incumbent will serve as a consultant to other disciplines in the area of behavioral and mental health and other areas of the facility as needed.
They will participate in the professional activities of the Behavioral Health Service and the Medical Center at the direction of and approval of the Chief of Psychology and Associate Chief of Staff, Behavioral Health.
These activities may include, but are not limited to: administrative committees of Behavioral Health and/or the Medical Center, continuing education, training, research, and treatment/program evaluation.
They function as a member of the Louis A Johnson VAMC Medical Staff with full clinical privileges.
The psychologist complies with all documentation and coding procedures, as well as national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients.
The psychologist should have a strong foundation in evidence based psychotherapy and diagnosis in the areas of PTSD and other mental health diagnosis.
They should possess good time management skills, be self-directed, and have good communication and negotiation skills to balance workload demands.
The psychologist should be familiar with and able to easily use a personal computer.
Proficiency in writing psychological reports, chart notes, and develop treatment summaries in a timely manner is expected.
They should be able to prioritize their work appropriately and should seek consultation as needed to deal with difficult cases.
The psychologist should be able to demonstrate leadership abilities within an respectful interdisciplinary team format and should be self-motivating to seek out an complete work assignments.
The psychologist should be familiar with VA and Behavioral Health Services policies and procedures as well as accrediting body standards such as Joint Commission and should be able to follow protocol while maintaining necessary flexibility to over come and barriers to providing service to Veterans.
The psychologist should exhibit excellent customer service skills toward both patients and coworkers and remain professional even during times of high level stress.
The psychologist should be able to work collegially with all other professions and should demonstrate tolerance of those with different opinions and/or attitudes.
Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.
Learn more 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 may be available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"