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

The HBPC Psychologist functions as part of an interdisciplinary team and is responsible for the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders, for conducting brief psychological/cognitive assessments, for providing psychotherapy and behavioral health interventions through a variety of modalities, and for providing professional consultation services. The duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• • Provides psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual and family psychotherapy and caregiver support services.
  • Provides brief psychological assessment services to facilitate treatment.
  • Provides psychoeducational and supportive interventions for Veterans and family members/caregivers to promote goals of highest level of independence and ability to remain in the home.
  • Provides behavioral health interventions around issues related to pain management, insomnia, smoking cessation, weight loss, and medical compliance.
  • Facilitates communication among medical team members, patients, and their families to enhance the medical treatment process; AND
  • Functions collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team to identify Veteran needs and develop treatment plans.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• 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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/12/2019.

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.

Education: Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The specialty area of the degree must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. AND have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program that has been accredited by APA.

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.

Physical Requirements: The candidate selected must successfully complete a pre-employment physical examination prior to appointment.

English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Psychologist must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to perform the duties of this position.

Creditable Experience:
Current Professional Psychology Practice: To be creditable, the experience must be post-doctoral degree and must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with current professional psychology practice. Creditable post-doctoral degree experience can be obtained through employment as a psychologist or through participating in a supervised post-doctoral psychology training program. This may be evidenced by one or both of the following:
1. Active professional practice. Active professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional psychologist.
2. A full, current, and unrestricted license.

Quality of Experience: Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties to be performed. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to professional psychology experience at the next lower level.
Post-Doctoral Degree Fellowships: Post-doctoral degree fellowships are training programs in an advanced area of clinical practice. Training as a fellow may substitute for creditable experience on a year-for-year basis.

Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:
GS-13:
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.
Experience: In addition to the experience requirements at the GS-12 level, at least 1 additional year of experience as a psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level.
Assignments: At this level psychologists are licensed at the doctoral level to practice independently in the provision of psychological services consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. They are assigned to any VHA program and setting, including inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, Vet Centers, and the VHA National Center for Organizational Development.

References: VA Handbook 5005/23, Part II, Appendix G-18: PSYCHOLOGIST QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-180

The full performance level of this vacancy is 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. The candidate selected must successfully complete a pre-employment physical examination prior to appointment.

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 determine 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.