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Staff Psychologist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Healthcare System of the Ozarks (VHSO)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

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. 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.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
11/02/2023 to 01/29/2024
Salary
$72,565 to - $134,450 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 00
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Fort Smith, AR
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CBST-12191830-24-AC
Control number
758471100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

1st Area of Consideration - Current permanent Veterans Health Care Systems of the Ozarks employee (includes CBOCs) 2nd Area of Consideration - Current permanent Veterans Healthcare Administration employees 3rd Area of Consideration - Current permanent VA Nationwide employees 4th Area of Consideration - Current permanent Federal employees of other Agencies 5th Area of Consideration - Current/Past/Upcoming VHA HPT Graduates

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Duties

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This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2024 or until all positions are filled. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be November 19 2023, with subsequent cut-off dates of every Sunday until all positions are filled.

If you are not a current, permanent VA employee, Federal employee from another agency or Health Profession Trainee, you should apply under: CBST-12191831-24-AC

Duties include, but are not limited to:

Clinical Responsibilities (up to 100% time):

  • Provides a full range of psychological assessment services and the diagnoses of mental disorders, particularly in complex or unusually difficult cases.
  • Provides education to patients, family members, and significant others.
  • Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy.
  • Fully participates as a CBOC Mental Health Service team member, assuming a collaborative role with Veterans and other team members in developing and implementing recovery-oriented treatment plans and functioning on the team as a consultant, mentor, leader, or other roles as appropriate to promote the team mission.
  • Provides consultation to professional staff within the Mental Health Service and the larger medical center, as well as to community providers when appropriate, concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients.
  • Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients, including prompt completion of Clinical Reminders.
  • Functions independently as a member of the VHSO's Mental Health Service staff, with full clinical privileges. The incumbent assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation.

Administrative responsibilities:
  • Assists the Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS), Mental Health Service and Lead Psychologist with the design, development, and implementation of clinical programs for a team of treatment providers.
  • Adheres to operational policies and procedures for Mental Health Service and the VA Medical Center.
  • Assists the ACOS of Mental Health Service and Lead Psychologist with ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of mental health programs.
  • Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs within the Medical Center and at other VA Medical Centers to effectively coordinate services.
  • Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of Clinical Reminders in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) for all patients. Functional Statement - General Mental Health (116A) 3 Other: Collects required data for quarterly and yearly reports as requested Other: Participates on the Psychology Training Committee, if appointed (List academic faculty appointment and rank, research projects/roles/responsibility, etc., if these are a part of your job)
  • Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic, procedure, and Service Connection/Special Authority codes).
  • Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the Lead Psychologist, the ACOS, Mental Health Service, the VHSO Chief of Staff, and the Medical Center Director,
  • Attends regular Mental Health Service and GMH staff meetings, and complies with peer review procedures.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 564-00213-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact Jennifer.Isbell-Gross@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
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.
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
  • 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 Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
  • Required to drive a Government Owned Vehicle. Will need to possess valid state driver's license.

Qualifications

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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
  • Education: The VHA Psychologist must meet one of the following education requirements: 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, 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: In addition, the VHA Psychologist must also meet one of these criteria regarding their 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: Applicants 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.
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:
  • GS-11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level)
    • Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.
  • GS-12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level)
    • Experience. At least 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.
    • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
      • 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 Staff Psychologist (Full Performance Level)
    • Experience. At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least 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 KSAs:
      • Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the 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.
(KSAs must be clearly reflected in resume under description of duties in order to be found qualified for this position/grade level).

*Please see education section below for preferred criteria, references, and physical requirements of this position.*

Education

Preferred Experience:

  • Preferred experience with Evidence Based Psychotherapy (EBP), such as CBT-D, ACT, IPT, CBT-I, CBT-CP, DBT.
  • Experience providing behavioral health services with adult populations.
  • Experience providing behavioral heal services through telehealth modalities.
  • Experience working as a member of a collaborative multidisciplinary care team.

References: VA Handbook 5005/103, Part II Appendix G18, Psychologist Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

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:
The work is usually sedentary, but it requires periods of walking, standing, bending, or climbing and employee may carry light items such as books, instruments, lap tops and other similar materials. In addition, position may be subject to additional medical requirements that involve federal motor vehicle operation. Environmental factors include work performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.(See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services).

Work Environment:
Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

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 job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

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

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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