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Staff Psychologist (Mental Health & Behavioral Health Sciences)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

*****A recruitment/relocation incentive may be offered to highly qualified candidate(s).*****

The Staff Psychologist may be assigned to any location within the BPVAHCS Mental Health & Behavioral Sciences Service (MH&BSS) continuum of care. The incumbent is expected to provide psychological services and consultation with supervisors and peers, as appropriate.

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Posted 11/09/21
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$64,649 - $119,787 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 13
Promotion potential
13 - The candidate may be promoted up to the full-performance level
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
CBTC-11289978-22-DIQ
Control number
621377900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to All U.S. Citizens

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Duties

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Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Ability to diagnose mental health disorders, conduct psychological and/or neuropsychological assessments.
  • Ability to treat mental health disorders through a variety of modalities, with an emphasis on Evidence Based Psychotherapies, and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders.
  • Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services, including assessment and using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care.
  • Provides psychological assessments and individual and group psychotherapy for patients in their assignment.
  • Upon direction from BPVAHCS leadership, and in support of the VA patient care mission, conducts patient care services through face-to-face, and telehealth mediums, to include, but not limited to video and telephonic means.
  • If unlicensed, practice is under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.
  • Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the treatment team, established by the Service Chief, MH&BSS.
  • Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs to effectively coordinate services.
  • The licensed psychologist may be involved in the Psychology Training Programs and Training Committee and present at internship didactic training and Mental Health Grand Rounds.
  • The unlicensed Graduate Psychologist may present at internship didactic training and Mental Health Grand Rounds, but is considered an Ad Hoc, and not a full member of the Psychology Training Programs and Training Committee.
  • Establishes mechanisms for routine program evaluation and/or outcome evaluation of psychological interventions within the program or clinical area to which they are assigned.
  • Assists/advises other staff in processes and procedures related to VHA, BPVAHCS, or program specific performance measures and/or program outcome and evaluation.
  • Experience assessing, diagnosing, and treating Veterans presenting with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Substance Use Disorders, and Co-Occurring Disorders.
  • Ability working successfully as a member of a multi-disciplinary treatment team.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 08:00 AM - 04:30 PM
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized - As determined by Facility/Agency
EDRP Authorized: Refer to "Additional Information" section below for more details - If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the VISN 8 Compensation Center of Excellence at VISN8CCOE@va.gov
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • All 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.
  • 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
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel

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
  • 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. 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: The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and, the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. OR
    • Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
  • Internship
    • 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. 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: 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.
  • 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).

Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

Staff Psychologist GS-11 (Entry Level)
  • Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.
Staff Psychologist GS-12 (Developmental Level)
  • Experience: At least one (1) year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the supervision of a licensed psychologist but with less intense supervision than at the GS-11 grade level.
Staff Psychologist GS-13 (Full Performance Level)
  • Experience: At least two (2) years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one (1) year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.
Preferred Experience: At least 3 years specialty care working with Veterans suffering from PTSD, experience with Cognitive Processing Therapy and/or Prolonged Exposure, and a strong background in diagnostic evaluations and assessment.

References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: Physical demands are generally minor, and the work is primarily sedentary in nature and usually occurs within climate controlled clinical and administrative settings. There may be occasional light lifting/carrying (15 pounds or less) requirements to relocate boxed materials from one area to another, equipment and room set-up, and ambulation related to physical inspections of facilities. The incumbent will be expected to successfully negotiate various functional requirements (i.e., lifting, ambulating, reaching above their shoulder(s), the use of hands or fingers, sitting, standing, repeated bending, using stairs or elevators, functional vision, clear speech, hearing, and emotional stability) and environmental factors (i.e., working independently and at times closely with others, moving about the campus for appointments and/or meetings) for the position, with or without adaptive devices, technology, or reasonable accommodations that are more thoroughly evaluated in the current version of Certificate of Medical Examination, U.S. Office of Personnel Management Optional Form 178 (OF178). Use of fingers may be required to operate computers.

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. 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

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: The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and, the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.

OR

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

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. [Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards.]

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

This position may be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan reimbursement program within VHA, pending funding and approval. If selected for this position you must meet specific individual eligibility criteria in accordance with VHA policy 1021 and apply for EDRP within four (4) months of appointment. Final award amount and program start date is determined after review of a complete EDRP application and supporting documentation by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services office.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. Per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, 2 weeks after receiving the requisite number of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved or authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or that has been listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization. For Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or AstraZeneca/Oxford, full vaccination is 2 weeks after receiving the second dose in a 2-dose series. For Johnson and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen, full vaccination is 2 weeks after an employee has received a single dose.HR Office staff must verify your vaccination status prior to issuing a final offer of employment and before you report for New Employee Orientation.

In addition, new hires must show vaccination documentation and submit their completed VA FORM 10230, COVID-19 Vaccination Form, to VA HR staff when reporting for New Employee Orientation. HR staff will upload vaccination information in the VA Light Electronic Action Framework (LEAF) system. If you are unable to obtain the COVID-19 vaccination due to a legally covered exception (i.e., medical or religious reasons), VA will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation is needed and how you can request an exception. If you request a legally required exception, you must first complete the VA FORM 10230, COVID-19 Vaccination Form, and return the form to the servicing HR Office staff within 2 business days. The HR Office staff will submit the form to your new supervisor of record for adjudication of the exception request. You may receive a final offer or be appointed while your request for medical or religious exception is being adjudicated. Some positions must be adjudicated favorably prior to receiving a final offer. Please contact the HR Point of Contact listed in the JOA for more information.

COVID-19 Pandemic Expanded Telework Program

Due to COVID-19, VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position.

How you will be evaluated

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

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This is a bargaining unit position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

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.

While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position:

Staff Psychologist GS-12 (Developmental Level)

  1. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.
  2. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.
  3. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.
  4. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).
  5. 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.
Staff Psychologist GS-13 (Full Performance Level)
  1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the 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.
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.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise - "To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?

Bay Pines VA Healthcare System (BPVAHCS) is a level 1a, tertiary care facility headquartered in the Saint Petersburg area. The healthcare system operates nine facilities to include the main medical center and eight outpatient locations in central southwest Florida. More than 4,100 BPVAHCS employees serves over 110,000 Veterans yearly by providing a full range of high quality medical, psychiatric, and extended care services in outpatient, inpatient, residential, nursing home, and home care settings.

The 7th busiest VA healthcare system in the country is a rewarding team to join. BPVAHCS is located on 337 acres situated on the Gulf of Mexico in Bay Pines, FL. Bay Pines, Florida is home to several beaches and parks. Florida is known as the "Sunshine" state with an average of approximately 240 days of sunshine a year!

To learn more, please visit http://www.baypines.va.gov/.

Agency contact information

Danny Quitano
Phone
(407) 405-5795
Email
Danny.Quitano@va.gov
Address
CW Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
10000 Bay Pines Boulevard
Bay Pines, FL 33744
US

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