Psychologist (Neuropsychologist)

Full Job Description

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.

Program 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.

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.

Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.

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

AND (4) 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.

(1) 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. Board Certification and Loss of Credential (1) 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 and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education. 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.

(1) 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.](2) 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.

(3) 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.

Grade Determinations: Staff Psychologist, GS-11: Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. ** See the Education Section below for continued information on GS-12 and GS-13 required qualifications.

Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The incumbent will be ABPP-CN board-certified or board-eligible, with specialized training and expertise in clinical neuropsychological and psychological evaluation, consultation, and intervention procedures appropriate for an adult clinical practice.

The incumbent will have experience providing these services working with adults of diverse backgrounds with known or suspected neuropsychological deficits, including those related to AD, PD, and other neurodegenerative conditions, TBI, epilepsy, FND/FCD, neurodevelopmental conditions (LD, ADHD), a range of medical and mental health disorders, including persons with multiple comorbid presenting conditions.

As a consulting clinical neuropsychologist primarily serving ambulatory care programs at a major medical center, with occasional inpatient work the neuropsychologist provides a full range of neuropsychological diagnostic and consultation services, including neuropsychological/psychological evaluation and consultation, patient/family education, with potential for involvement in brief cognitive rehabilitation, and/or other interventions.

The incumbent consults with medical center staff in Neurology, Mental Health, and Medicine clinics, and may be asked to participate in multidisciplinary teams, including the Memory Clinic, the Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, the Rehabilitation Medicine TBI clinic, the Clinical Center (PADRECC) DBS surgery care-conference team, and the Epilepsy Center of Excellence, and others.

The neuropsychologist offers assessment and consultation services to characterize the pattern of neuropsychological functioning, establish baseline, and/or monitor for change, and interprets findings in a manner that serves to guide care and treatment planning and other clinical decisions, sensitive to a range of individual factors.

The incumbent actively participates in program development, assists Program Manager in implementation of the program, and is involved in ongoing program evaluation.

As a clinical educator also involved in training residents in the APA-accredited Clinical Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Residency and Neuropsychology-track interns in our APA-accredited predoctoral internship program, the incumbent collaborates with other program faculty and assists the Training Director in ongoing implementation and program development.

The incumbent serves on the Neuropsychology Residency and Psychology Training Committees, and is active in recruitment and selection of trainees.

The incumbent provides specialized didactics, skills training, and supervision aimed at preparing residents for independent practice and ABPP-CN board certification.

The incumbent completes regularly scheduled formal evaluations of the residents and assists with reporting to the APA CoA and other responsibilities associated with management of the program.

The incumbent also provides didactics and other training and clinical supervision to predoctoral practicum students rotating in Neuropsychology Section.

Where applicable, the incumbent also offers limited case-based instruction to medical students, residents, house staff, interdisciplinary team and other professionals within and outside of medical center.

The incumbent actively participates in program development and/or program evaluation and may be involved in research and/or other scholarly activities related to advancing the science and practice of neuropsychology.

The incumbent assists with administrative activities associated with the operation of a clinical neuropsychology consultation program, and completes other tasks delegated by the Neuropsychology Program Manager and the Training Director for the Clinical Neuropsychology Residency.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 662-07540F/ 662-07541F/ 662-07542F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized