Supervisory Psychologist (Deputy District Director)

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.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/10/2026.

Basic Requirements: 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. a. 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.) b.

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.

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.

~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:(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.

NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship..

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

AND Internships 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.

~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.

c.

Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to psychologist positions in the GS-0180 series in VHA 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.

d. 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.

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).

Preferred Experience: Evidence of strategic planning, program operations, policy development, data analysis, and program/project implementation.

Three or more years of Readjustment Counseling Service Vet Center experience at the Vet Center Director level and above (Vet Center Director level and higher).

Demonstrated clinical supervisory experience in a mental health setting.

Grade Determinations: Psychologist, GS-14 (Service Chief) in addition to the basic requirements above for employment, the following criteria must be met: (a) Experience: At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade 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 organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meets multiple deadlines. 2.

Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools. 3.

Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups. 4. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives. 5.

Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations. 6. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards. 7.

Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.

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-14.

Physical Requirements: Due to the widespread geographical area of responsibility, the position requires a commitment of at least fifty percent travel.

The position requires that the incumbent must possess a valid driver's license.

Completing of his/her supervisory and oversight functions involves driving long distances between Vet Centers and other VA or community partner facilities. Major Duties:

Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement.

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

VA Careers - Psychologist: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Deputy District Director is expected to exercise considerable independent judgment in placing into operation all VA, VHA and RCS policies and guidance.

Because the Deputy District Director has major management and developmental responsibilities for a highly innovative program, the individual must exercise considerable independent judgment to determine the most effective means of completing assignments and responding to management needs as they arise.

Service Chiefs have responsibility for staffing, work assignments, budget, services provided, program criteria, day-to-day program operations, and all reporting requirements.

The major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Formulates and implements major operating policies and plans for effective governance of an organized and interdependent but decentralized readjustment counseling service delivery system.

Understands and effectively solves extremely complicated and multifaceted issues that arise from providing quality readjustment counseling services across an area with differing local Veteran population needs.

Develops annual business plans supporting long- and short-range strategies, including planning for appropriate staffing and funding requirements for Vet Centers and any required creation of new facilities or relocation of existing facilities to better serve eligible Veterans, Service members, and their families.

Allocates and adjusts resources, to include personnel, equipment, and funding, within the area of responsibility insuring adequate support for all operating initiatives.

Develops and executes budgets which are based on effective controls and realistic projections.

Identifies and communicates a clear strategy and vision to their respective Vet Centers consistent with their RCS District Director strategic plan and VA, VHA, RCS Policy and Guidance.

Achieves objectives in quality of readjustment counseling services and programs for their respective Vet Centers, as evaluated by internal indicators (both standardized measures and those created by the incumbent), oversight protocols, and client satisfaction feedback.

Develops an effective management team and with their respective Vet Center Team Leaders by advising, counseling, and evaluating performance.

Ensures that their readjustment counseling and support service goals are attained through effective organizational structures, human resource policies, staffing and funding levels, partnership relationships and outcome measurement.

Encourages employee training and development opportunities, including mentoring and succession planning, consistent with diversity goals.

Fosters a smooth functioning, efficient organization through proactive management; timely resolution of problems; and personal competence, flexibility, and willingness to manage corporate change.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am to 4:30pm. Evenings and weekends may be required.

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

Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) 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) Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 283240 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized