The West Texas VA Health Care System, Big Spring, Texas is currently recruiting for (6) six Clinical Psychologists, Mental Health Services in the following sections for Primary Care Mental Health Integration & Community Living Center; Compensation & Pension; and general Mental Health Services.

As a Clinical Psychologist, you will be responsible for the provision of direct psychological patient care, consultation services on difficult or complex cases.  Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

   1.  Provides a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses mental disorders,

        particularly for patients with complex or unusually difficult conditions:

   2.  Provides evaluation of vocational, emotional, intellectual and brief neuropsychological functioning

        through the use of psychological tests, procedures and/or clinical interviews.

   2.  Provides education to Veterans, family members and significant others;

   3.  Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including

        individual, family and group psychotherapy; provides consultation to professional staff within

        the facility and to community providers, concerning clinical assessment findings and

        appropriate treatment and discharge plans for patients; develops, implements, and

        documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of Veterans, 

        including prompt completion of clinical reminders; serves as Mental Health Treatment

        Coordinator for Veterans that quality for an MHTC assignment.

   5.  Completes clinical psychologist assessments for the Compensation and Pension (C&P)

        examination through psycho diagnostic testing and interviewing, individual and group 

        psychotherapy, training, consultation and other services typically provided by a clinical

        psychologist.

"A RECRUITMENT/RELOCATION INCENTIVE MAYBE AUTHORIZED"

Work Schedule:  8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and may vary depending on the hiring facility.

Functional Statement #:  Psychologist #000000 

Salary to be determined by Professional Standards Board of your peers and based on your education, experience and professional accomplishments.

DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION:  Applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.  Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.  Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:  The work will involve some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items.  The incumbent must also become familiar with or willing to utilize the equipment and protocols used within the Service.

Conditions of employment

• US citizenship
• English language proficiency
• Background/suitability investigation
• Physical standards - Must pass pre-employment examination
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

Veteran's Preference: When applying for Federal jobs, eligible veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of DD-214(s) showing all dates of service as well as character of service (honorable, general, etc.). Additionally, veterans with service-connected disability of 10% or more must also submit a copy of their official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying their service-connected disability and/or their receipt of compensation for service-connected disability. If the military member is within 120 days of separation and does not yet have a DD214, the member may instead submit any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed.

Veterans with service-connected disability of less than 10%, nonservice-connected disability, and Purple Heart recipients, as-well-as those claiming derived preference for a spouse, widow or widower, or natural mother, should refer to and submit a completed SF 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and required documentation with your application materials.

For more information on Veterans' Preference, go to http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetsinfo.asp.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

• U.S. citizenship
• 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 not 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 respecialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the respecialization program) meeting both of the following conditions:
• (a) the respecialization 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 transcripts and/or certificate documenting the completion of the respecialization program which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship.
• AND
• Internships
• (a) Have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program that was accredited by APA or CPA at the tine the program was completed and this is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.
• OR
• (b) New HVA psychology internship programs that are in the process of applying for APA accredition 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 full0time, 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 Psycholofy in the specialty area that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.  (NOTE:  One board certified, the employee is required to maintain board certification). 
• 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 (a)(10(D) 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. 
• Licensure - Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States (e.g. Puerto Rico) or the District of Columbia.
• GS-13 Staff Psychologist (Full Performance Level)
• (a) Experience - At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at lease one year equivalent to the GS-12 level.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.  In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's:
• 1.  Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to full range of patient populations.
• 2.  Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
• 3.  Knowledge of clinical research literature.
• Assignment.  This is the full performance level of staff psychologist.  At this level, psychologist are licensed to practice independently in the provision of psychological services, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate.  They may be assigned to any VHA program and setting, such as in patient or outpatient medicine, primary care, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, Compensation and Pension, Vet Centers, and the VHA National Center for Organization Development.  Psychologist diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders.  Among the modalities provided are individual, family, and group psychotherapies and other inventions such as behavioral health and community interventions.  Psychologists consult with medical center staff on wide variety of patient care issues.  Staff psychologists may be involved in program evaluation, teaching, training, and research activities.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

References: VA Handbook 5005/27, Part II, Appendix G18, PSYCHOLOGIST QUALIFICATION STANDARD.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social).  Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.  You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Complete application packages will be reviewed to determine if the basic qualifications for this position have been met. A listing of candidates who meet the basic qualification requirements will be forwarded to the hiring facility where the credentialing and privileging screening process is completed.