Staff Psychologist- Home-Based Primary Care

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: The following are the basic requirements and qualifications for appointment as a Psychologist. United States 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.) English Language Proficiency Requirement - Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.

Education Requirement - (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.

Internship Requirement - 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: 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: Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following: GS-11: No additional experience beyond the basic requirement.

GS-12: At least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-11 level, and are able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities: Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.

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: At least 2 addition years of experience, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Former Appendix G18 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service, paragraph 2. Major Duties:

The Psychologist (Home-Based Primary Care) is administratively within the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center's Mental Health Service Line (MHSL) and assigned to the Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) team.

In the role, the incumbent functions as a member of the interdisciplinary HBPC team to provide a full spectrum of high-quality, patient-centered, recovery-oriented, and evidence-based psychological services to Veterans enrolled in the program.

Emphasis is on delivering brief screenings for psychopathology and cognitive deficits; functional, psychological, cognitive, and capacity assessments; psychoeducation; episodes of efficient, evidence-based psychotherapies for individuals, groups, couples, and families; management of behavioral factors associated with behavioral medicine problems; motivational interviewing and motivational enhancement to promote medical compliance, health promotion, and disease prevention; case management; care coordination; and consultation to other programs and disciplines.

DUTIES: Provides a full range of high quality, patient-centered, recovery-oriented, and evidenced-based psychological services, including but not limited to clinical assessment; psychoeducation; episodes of efficient, evidence-based therapeutic services to individuals, couples, family members, and groups; and clinical consultation.

Documents all clinical work accurately, clearly, comprehensively, and in a timely fashion, consistent with the MHSL and facility expectations, rules, and policies.

Provides training or receive supervision through a EBP certification program sponsored by VA.

Participates in the Psychology Training Program and the Psychology Training Committee Meeting and fulfills all obligations to trainees per Training Program requirements.

Serves as a consultant to other hospital staff and trainees and assist in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients.

Collaborates with the Director of Psychology Training, or their delegate, on creating or enhancing major or minor rotations.

Attends and participates in staff meetings (including Outpatient Mental Health, Psychology Service, and Mental Health Service Line), and other relevant meetings, as necessary.

Performs other related professional duties as assigned by the supervisor. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am- 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 04707F, 04708F, 04709F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact Ryan.TenCate@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized