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This Staff Psychologist position is a full-time position with primary duties in the Behavioral Medicine Division, which is part of Mental and Behavioral Health Services (MBHS) within the Durham VA Health Care System (VAHCS). The incumbent has responsibilities conducting evidence-based individual and group psychotherapy and behavioral health focused assessments for sleep impairment and associated diagnoses.
The Psychologist provides behavioral sleep assessment and intervention for the growing population of Veterans being seen within the Durham VA HCS. The Psychologist may also provide supervision to Psychology practicum students, interns, and/or postdoctoral fellows who are completing training rotations in Behavioral Medicine. In terms of discipline-specific and other clinical practice issues, the Psychologist directly reports to the Division Chief of Behavioral Medicine and, ultimately, the Chief of Psychology (Durham VAHCS).

The list below is not all inclusive of the duties the incumbent will perform. This list also reflects duties at the full performance level.

Primary (Clinical) Responsibilities

1. Provides a full range of specialized sleep services at all levels of complexity for patients within the Behavioral Medicine Division.
2. Provides evidenced-based psychotherapies in individual and group formats for a wide-range of Veterans with both physical and mental health needs, such as CBT-I, Imagery Rehearsal Therapy for Nightmares, and promotion of adherence to CPAP and BiPAP.
3. Serves as a team member within Behavioral Medicine, by providing psychological consultation to other Psychologists, in addition to other professional staff within Durham VAHCS.
4. As relevant and as requested, may provide clinical supervision to Psychology practicum students, interns, or fellows (or unlicensed Psychology staff, as requested).

Academic/Teaching/Training

1. May contribute to the didactic training series for Psychology interns,
postdoctoral fellows, and staff.
2. May contribute to the didactic training series for trainees and staff for medical
residents and for other disciplines.
3. Professional development mentorship: May provide research &/or professional
development mentorship to Psychology interns and fellows.

Research/Program Evaluation

1. May contribute to the establishment and maintenance of patient tracking and
treatment outcome databases to enable ongoing program evaluation for
Behavioral Sleep Medicine within the Behavioral Medicine Division.
2. As requested, analyzes and interprets program evaluation data related to
clinical or educational / training programs.
3. May engage in non-funded or VA funded research per approval of the
supervising Psychologist and Chief of Psychology.
4. As applicable, may publish results of research in scientific, peer-reviewed
journals and/or present research findings at scientific meetings or present
outcome data and research results at VA and regional or national scientific or
professional meetings.

Other Significant Responsibilities

1. With approval, may serve on Medical Center, VISN, and/or National VA
committees or task forces.
2. May represent Psychology / Mental Health programs in various workgroups
and committees at the Medical Center.
3. May actively participate in leadership roles on local, state, and national
professional organizations.
4. As assigned, may represent the Medical Center or Psychology / Mental Health at professional organizations / community group events or committees.


Work Schedule: 7:30am- 4:00pm M-F; 8:00am - 4:30pm M-F
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Telework: Ad Hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Yes
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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 Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
• 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 for a period not to exceed 2 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.

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.
Education:
(1) 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.
OR
(2) 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:
a. The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral
program; and,
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.
[OR
(3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution,
with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.]
AND
(4) Internships
(a) 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
(b) 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
(c) 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
(d) 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
(e) 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.
NOTE: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision and who were employed by the
Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully
met the requirements of this qualification standard.]
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.
Loss of Credential. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure 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.
Board Certification and Loss of Credential
(1) 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.
(2) 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:
In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following
criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:
(1) Staff Psychologist, GS-11 (Entry Level)
(a) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.
(b) Assignment. Staff psychologists at this level diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological
or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, provide
adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders, and may conduct research.
(2) Staff Psychologist, GS-12 (Developmental Level)
(a) Experience. At least one 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.
1. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or
assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.
(c) Assignment. Staff psychologists at this level diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological
or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, provide
adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders, and may conduct research. They may be
assigned to any program area.
(3) Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance, Level)
(a) Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one
year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS 11-13.
References: Appendix G18. Psychologist Qualification Standard
Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
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.

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.