Service Chief of Mental Health (Psychologist Discipline)

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.

Basic Qualifications: The basic requirements for employment as a VHA psychologist are prescribed by Public Law 96-151 codified in 38 U.S.C. § 7402.

To qualify for appointment, all applicants for the position of psychologist in VHA must meet the following: Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States.

(Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.g, this part.) 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.

TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED TO VERIFY EDUCATION 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.

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

AND Internship: 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 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.

NOTE: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the requirements of this qualification standard.

Licensure: Holds 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 3.

Grade Requirements: Creditable Experience: Quality of Experience: Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties to be performed.

Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to or exceeding professional psychology experience at the next lower level.

Part-time Experience: Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to a full- time workweek.

For example, a psychologist employed 20 hours per week, or on a half time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service.

Post-Doctoral Degree Fellowships: Postdoctoral fellowships or residencies are training programs in an advanced area of clinical practice.

Training as a fellow or resident is creditable experience on a year-for-year basis. Senior Psychologist, GS-15 (Service Chief) (a) Experience.

At least four years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-14 level. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1. Ability to supervise and manage a large group of professional staff effectively. 2.

Skill in interpersonal relationships, including conflict resolution and ability to work collaboratively with supervisors from other units. 3.

Ability to accurately apply the qualification standards, assesses the potential of current and prospective employees, and promotes their professional development. 4.

Ability to develop appropriate productivity standards for professional staff, often across multiple program lines. 5.

Knowledge of the goals and objectives of the medical center and VISN and ability to communicate these to subordinates 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-15.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS 15 Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Major Duties:

The Chief of Mental Health Service serves as the VA Medical Facility Chief Mental Health Lead in accordance with VHA Directive and is the senior clinical and executive leader accountable for the full scope of mental health care delivered to Veterans across the facility and all its points of service, including Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs).

This position carries integrated responsibility for clinical quality, patient safety, access -including continuous after-hours and emergency coverage -workforce management, program development, and the stewardship of academic affiliate partnerships.

The Chief of Mental Health reports directly to the Chief of Staff and serves on the Medical Executive Committee (ECMS).

The position provides direct or matrix oversight of all mental health disciplines, programs, and staff- including psychiatry, psychology, social work, nursing, peer support, and associated mental health professions -regardless of specific organizational alignment within the facility.

VA Careers - Psychologist: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

(core hours; after-hours coverage as required) EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact VISN2EDRPCoordinators@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.

Learn more 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) Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #:13753F Permanent Change of Station (PCS):Not Authorized