Staff Psychologist

Full Job Description

The incumbent is a psychologist and serves in a full-time capacity as a psychologist specializing in substance use disorders (SUD) within the Domiciliary Substance Use Disorder Program, located offsite in Detroit, Michigan.

The psychologist will work as a member of the interdisciplinary Domiciliary Substance Use Disorder Program team, providing care to the DOM population.

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 Requirement: Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English.

Education Requirement: You must 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.

OR, have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully completed a 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 you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for; OR, have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.

Internship Requirement: You must 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 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).

NOTE: 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: Candidates must 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 additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following: GS11: no additional experience beyond the basic requirement GS12: at least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS11 level, and are able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities: 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.

GS13: at least 2 addition years of experience, with at least one year equivalent to the GS12 level, as a professional psychologist that was obtained through employment as a psychologist or through participating in a supervised post-doctoral psychology training program that demonstrates 1) active professional practice that was paid/non-paid employment and/or 2) a full, current and unrestricted license.

To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics associated with current psychology practice: Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to a 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.

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).*Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed.

Preferred Experience: Experience working in SUD (Substance Use Disorder) setting, psychiatric inpatient, and/or corrections Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS13.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS11 to GS13.

Physical Requirements: Ability to physically access various treatment settings within the facility. Ability to use computers frequently/continuously throughout the day for data input and communication.

Ability to use phone. Position is primarily sedentary and incumbent must be able to sit for prolonged periods of time.

May require light lifting and carrying (under 10 pounds) and climbing stairs as needed. Major Duties:

Clinical Responsibilities Provides a full range of biopsychosocial diagnostic services including psychological testing and assessments as well as neuropsychological screening.

Performs routine and in-depth mental health and psychological evaluations, including intake assessments.

Provides evidence-based psychotherapy and other therapeutic interventions utilizing VA based guidance and guidelines.

Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions for patients, including individual, couples, and group psychotherapy.

Uses the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care. Performs routine brief assessments as appropriate.

Provides brief mental health and behavioral interventions as appropriate. Provides clinical care coordination and case management of patients as appropriate.

Liaisons/advocates on behalf of the Domiciliary Substance Use Disorder Program team and/or Veteran/caregiver between settings of care, both internal and external to the VA.

Provides patient and caregiver education, both in individual and group formats.

Provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint, coordinates family conferences and serves as a liaison to family members, as needed.

Assesses the need for referral for more intensive and/or specialty mental health services. Independently identifies high-risk patients and connects with needed resources and services, as needed.

Consults, collaborates, and coordinates with other staff who provide care to Veteran. Completes comprehensive Veteran-centered, recovery-focused treatment plans and updates as appropriate/required.

Completes clinical reminders. Monitors the efficiency, effectiveness, timeliness, quality of services offered within the program area.

Reviews relevant data, assesses the data, develops, and implement ideas for improvement.

Serves as psychology champion for treatment planning, discharge planning, and psychosocial and psychotherapeutic needs.

Education and Research Responsibilities Provides clinical supervision to psychology trainees.

Involvement in the training of medical students, medical and psychiatric residents, nursing students, fellows and other graduate or post-graduate trainees, as appropriate.

Other Significant Responsibilities Serves on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces, as assigned by the Supervisor or the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health.

Represents psychology on decision-making committees at the Medical Center or Healthcare System, as assigned by the Supervisor or the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health.

Represents the Medical Center or Healthcare System at professional/program community group/events and committees.

Serves as a consultant to one or more Vet Center(s), including but not limited to the Vet Centers located in Detroit, Pontiac, Dearborn, and Macomb.

Perform VA police psychological examinations as needed. Contributes to policy formulation and participates in establishing procedures within the assigned area. Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Sunday- Thursday, 8:00am - 4:30pm with occasional evenings. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 93882/93883/93884 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: 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. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized