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The Inpatient Mental Health Psychologist will promote the delivery of psychosocial interventions for behavioral and other psychological problems in the Inpatient Mental Health Unit at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, GA. They will provide evidenced based, recovery-oriented services to inpatients who have severe mental illness, substance use disorders, and other neuropsychiatric and/or mental health conditions. The clinician will function as a full member of the inpatient interdisciplinary mental health team, including but not limited to active participation in treatment team meetings as well as engaging with Veterans as appropriate and requested through diagnostic evaluations, psychological testing, individual psychotherapy, and psychoeducational groups. In addition to providing direct patient care, the clinician will serve as the Inpatient Mental Health Recovery Lead, promoting and advancing recovery-oriented care and services on the Inpatient Mental Health Unit. While most services are provided during a standard tour of duty, the clinician may also provide services for patients on Saturdays and/or evenings.

Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Performs psychological evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning. These evaluations employ a comprehensive diagnostic interview, review of available records, collateral contact when available, as well as objective and cognitive tests when indicated.
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions in the Acute Inpatient Mental Health Unit, including individual and group psychotherapy, and family care or care provider education. Selects and provides the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care, including evidenced based, recovery-oriented care for psychosis, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and substance use disorders.
• Serves as a full member of the interdisciplinary treatment team for Veterans on the inpatient unit, collaborating closely with psychiatrists, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, social workers, nurses, and providers of other disciplines (pharmacists, occupational therapists, and others.).
• Leads psychosocial and psychotherapeutic treatment planning for Veterans on the inpatient unit. Guides, informs, and coordinates psychosocial and psychotherapeutic programming made available to each Veteran on the unit.
• Ensures safety planning is completed prior to a Veteran's discharge.
• Ensures that all clinical work is documented accurately and in a timely fashion, consistent with the Mental Health Service and facility expectations and policies.
• Provides consultation to medical center staff within in CNVAMC regarding care of Veteran inpatients.
• Responsible for identification of patient problems requiring consultation with other multi-disciplinary medical center staff and making appropriate referrals.
• Fully accountable for practice, including entering patient visits, measuring outcomes to interventions, and meeting productivity standards.
  • If licensed, performs all clinical functions independently while providing guidance and/or supervision to others.
  • If unlicensed, the individual practices under the close supervision of a licensed psychologist, and the supervised experience must meet the supervision standards for psychology licensure.

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 examination.
• 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: 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.
• 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.
• 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. 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).

• In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following:
  • GS-11 Level: no additional experience beyond the basic requirement
  • GS-12 Level: at least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-11 level, and are able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities:
    • 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.
  • 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.

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.

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.