Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens

This announcement is open to all U.S. Citizens. If you are a current, permanent employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs or another federal agency, in order to be considered as an internal applicant you must apply under announcement number CBEJ-10451132-19-AES.

The ideal candidate possesses a high degree of clinical skill, including the unique skills needed to work with Veterans and their significant others. You must possess the capability to perform administrative tasks required in the community-based office of a program with a unique administrative structure and a variety of formal and informal working relationships with a wide range of VA facilities and community organizations.

• Completes a psycho-social assessment and military history within the first three sessions with a patient.
• Develops a unique treatment plan that reflects a course of therapeutic intervention that will address the needs identified in the assessment.
• Maintains and exercises an effective resource data base that is used to address the needs of a client, which may be better served by programs external to the Vet Center.
• Serves as a subject matter expert to agencies and programs external to the Vet Center in matters of readjustment.
• Exercises advocacy with the goal of enabling and educating the client to effectively advocate for him/herself.
• Follows Readjustment Counseling Service procedure and reporting policy on clinical crisis.
• Provides education or facilitates education to elements external to the Vet Center.
• Ensures good communication and sound clinical treatment of active duty and Veteran clients that are shared with other health care providers as required within community based agencies, Department of Veteran Affairs, and Department of Defense.
• Exercises a variety of individual and group counseling techniques that are evidence based in the treatment of readjustment counseling problems and demonstrate good clinical practice.
• Uses initiative and resourcefulness in deviating from traditional methods or trends and patterns to develop new methods, criteria, and proposed new policies.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the needs and unique presentations of war veterans and can adapt professional practice to accommodate these clients in a trustful environment that facilitates successful readjustment.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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 Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Must possess a valid driver's license

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/09/2019.

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 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. 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.

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.)

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.

Board Certification: Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be 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. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education. Loss of Credential. Once board certified, psychologist must maintain a full, valid and unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required board certification must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists.

Grade Determinations:

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. In addition 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.

Preferred Experience:

• Minimum of two (2) years of experience working with and assisting military and veteran's population, particularly with PTSD, combat stress, and in support of development and readjustment.
• Public speaking skills.
• Experienced focused on Marriage and Family Therapy (Alexandria only)

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.