Psychologist (Education Debt Repayment & Relocation Incentive)

Full Job Description

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 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 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(3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.]AND 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.

License.- 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. Grade Determinations.

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-12 (Developmental Level) 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 (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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is 13.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 11 to 13. ???????Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor.

The work is primarily sedentary, although the stress involved in dealing continually with patients in emotional distress, who may be uncooperative and occasionally violent, makes this job notably more demanding than most sedentary jobs.

Major Duties:

The incumbent serves as Staff Psychologist with full Clinical Privileges at the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), and has full, current, unrestricted licensure to practice as a Psychologist at a doctoral level in a State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia.

The incumbent has primary clinical duties with assignment to the Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP), with the possibility of assignment to other areas of the medical center.

As a Staff Psychologist, the incumbent diagnoses mental disorders, conducts psychological assessments, treats mental disorders through a variety of modalities, and provides adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders.

A focus of the work of the incumbent is on coordination of and provision of substance use disorder treatment.

Among the modalities that may be provided are individual, family, and group psychotherapies.

The incumbent consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues and may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities.

The incumbent provides Veterans and their family members mental health and/or substance abuse assessments; provides a broad range of intervention therapies, including educational, individual, group, and family or couple's therapies.

The incumbent provides therapeutic services to include suicide prevention, crisis intervention, short and long term treatment with Veterans exhibiting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),depression, anxiety disorders, other psychiatric disorders including Substance Use Disorder, and/or readjustment disorders.

The incumbent utilizes Measurement Based Care in providing treatment to Veterans served.

The incumbent is required to exercise independent judgment and decision making in the formulation of the treatment plan with the treatment team.

The incumbent is expected to write treatment plans using the designated treatment planning software package.

Additional responsibilities include an ongoing assessment of the patient's progress and treatment, as well as developing discharge plans.

The incumbent performs administrative functions such as actively participating in team meetings; maintains accurate records of his/her clinical interactions; and collaborates with other team members and with professionals, paraprofessionals, volunteers, and others in VA facilities and community agencies to help Veterans recognize and resolve their problems and needs.

The incumbent may provide training experiences for Psychology trainees; may make community visits needed to effectively perform his/her responsibilities, may participate in research and pilot studies, and will maintain an active participation in the Psychology Service and the other Mental Health Services.

The incumbent functions as a champion and advocate for the provision of recovery focused services to Veterans.

As such, the incumbent is expected to model recovery and its defined values in all aspects of her or his professional activities and partnerships.

Work Schedule: Mon-Fr 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Relocation Approved.

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more