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Clinical Responsibilities (80% of time)

At the GS 11 level, the following clinical activities are expected::

1. Ability to diagnose mental disorders and conduct psychological assessments to include objective and/or projective testing.
2. Ability to treat mental health disorders through a variety of evidence- based psychotherapies to include group & individual psychotherapy modalities.
3. Practice is under the close supervision of a licensed psychologist.

At the GS 12 level, the following clinical activities are expected:

• Knowledge of, and ability to apply professional psychological theories,
• assessment methods and treatments.
• Knowledge of clinical research literature and evidence-based psychotherapies for
• persons with mood, anxiety related disorders, and SMI.
• Ability to develop collaborative, recovery focused treatment plans.
• Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures and openness to engage in competency based supervision to learn evidence based psychotherapies as needed.

At the GS 13 level, the following clinical activities are expected:

• Ability to diagnose mental disorders and conduct psychological assessments to include objective and projective testing.
• Ability to treat mental disorders through a variety of evidenced based psychotherapies to include group and individual psychotherapy.
• Performs evaluations for Veterans within Oncology service, to include behavioral & mental health issues related to disease management, end-of-life issues.
• Performs evaluations for Veterans seeking services for mood and anxiety disorders.
• Ability to treat mental health disorders through evidence-based psychotherapies to include group and individual psychotherapy modalities. Veterans will present for treatment with a variety of mood, anxiety, and SMI disorders; many with personality disorders or traits.
• Demonstrates competency in at least one evidence-based psychotherapy such as Cognitive Processing Therapy or Prolonged Exposure for treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or Interpersonal Therapy for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders.
• Consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues.
• Staff psychologists may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities

Academic/Teaching/Training: (up to 5-10% of time)

• May hold faculty appointment at an affiliated university.
• May provide training opportunities to various disciplines (PA students, Psychiatry Residents, Family Practice Residents, and Nursing Students).
• May be asked to participate in the Psychology Training Program and Training Committee.
• May serve as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assist in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients (mostly in Behavioral Health).

Research/Program Evaluation/Care Coordination (up to 5% time)

• Assists in establishing program monitors and outcome measurements within programs assigned using a data-driven quality assurance process.
• Responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the ACC, as appropriate.
• If applicable, plans and oversees the completion of personal research programs, designed to provide information regarding program planning and relevant treatment approaches.
• Presents outcome data and research results at VA and regional or national scientific or professional meetings.

Other Significant Responsibilities (up to 5% time)

• Will attend weekly MH & BSS meetings and other treatment team meetings as assigned up to 5% of the time.
• May serve on ACC or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces.
• May represent psychology on decision-making committees at the Medical Center or Healthcare System

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Telework: Some telework may be considered but this is not a virtual position and the psychologist must report to the duty station every week.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:91571-A/91572-A/91573-A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Authorized - Contact Rhonda Smith (Rhonda.Smith5@va.gov), the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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.

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:

Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)

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.

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.

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:(a) the re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and (b) 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.

Internships

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.

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. 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.

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. Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the close supervision of a licensed psychologist.

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:

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.

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.

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:

1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the 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.

Assignment. This is the full performance level for staff psychologists. At this level, psychologists are licensed to practice independently in the provision of psychological services, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. They may be assigned to any VHA program and setting, such as inpatient or outpatient medicine, primary care, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, Compensation and Pension, Vet Centers, and the VHA National Center for Organization Development. Psychologists diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 PART II APPENDIX G18

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 11 to 13.

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.

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.