Clarification from the agency

Only open to current permanent VISN 2 employees.

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As a Licensed Provider for the Department of Veterans Affairs, you will practice independently in the provision of psychological services, engage in professional and scientific work which relates to behavior, capacities, personality, interests, emotions and mental disorders. Consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate.

PLEASE NOTE: Qualified clinical trainees, residents, fellows, interns, etc. are encouraged to apply; please follow the instructions in the How to Apply section.

Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Works with team members at Regional, VISN and facility levels to ensure PCAFC eligibility determinations are delivered objectively with strong, consistent inter­rater agreement and with documentation and communication of outcomes in a direct and coordinated manner.
• Utilizes knowledge of PCAFC clinical eligibility to coordinate with other regional CETs the transfer of appeals for inter-VISN evaluation.
• Brings a knowledge of and ability to administer, score and interpret the widest array of psychometric psychological assessments (e.g., attention/concentration, memory, executive functioning, intelligence, reasoning and judgement) to assist CET with case disposition and team's recommendations.
• Conducts Peer Reviews from a psychological standpoint, which may occur at the regional level, to aide in achieving consistency nationally.
• Collaborates with and contributes knowledge to a community of practice across VISN's and Regions with CSP CSC's and CET members.
• Provide comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy.
• Provides education to patients, family members, significant others, and community members.
• Functions as a member of the assigned mental health or specialty mental health care team. The incumbent assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical findings, patient care decisions, and documentation.
• Provides clinical supervision and instruction for psychology interns and post-doctoral residents.
• Evaluates program progress and outcomes and utilizes data to continuously modify and improve the program and processes.
• May serve as Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator, or Consultant on projects approved by appropriate IRB's.
• Serves on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces.
• Represents Psychology on decision-making committees at the Medical Center.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Applicants tentatively selected are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior and will not be appointed if a verified positive drug test result is received. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

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 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 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.
• Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following:
  • GS-13 Level: 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:
    1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to a 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will review the selected candidate's education and experience and recommend the grade and salary at which the candidate will be placed. For internal selectees eligible for promotion, the board will recommend grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy.

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; religions; 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.