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Duties include, but are not limited to:

• The incumbent has direct oversight and responsibility for the functioning of the BHIP Teams throughout the SAVAHCS, to include the Tucson main campus and seven community-based outpatient clinic.
• The incumbent is responsible for the day-to-day oversight and functioning of BHIP, as well as long term program outcome evaluation and efficiency. This includes directly supervising the multi-disciplinary BHIP Team Supervisors who each oversee up to two BHIP teams, subspecialty program coordinators, and Gap Psychiatric Providers.
• The incumbent will develop and facilitate a weekly BHIP Supervisors' Meeting, a monthly BHIP Program Meeting, participate in weekly BHIP team meetings as clinically or administratively indicated, participate in monthly or bimonthly Mental Health Service Management Meetings, and participate in monthly or bimonthly discipline-specific meetings to include social work, psychology, psychiatry, and nursing as needed.
• The incumbent will attend BHIP VISN and national level meetings to ensure the SAVAHCS is following BHIP national guidelines.
• The incumbent will oversee the reporting and outcomes of BHIP-specific SAIL measures.
• The incumbent will collaborate with Mental Health Service managers in meeting clinical encounter, consult management, productivity, clinic build, and bookability requirements for program staff.
• The incumbent will work in close collaboration with the other program coordinators in outpatient mental health to ensure timely and appropriate access to care and quality clinical care is being provided to Veterans.
• The incumbent is delegated the full scope of authority and responsibility for the coordination of BHIP, to include performance standards and evaluations, workload evaluation, competencies, proficiencies and all other personnel related responsibilities.
• The incumbent assumes professional, technical, and administrative responsibilities psychology programs extended to these areas.
• The incumbent collaborates with supervisory clinical leads outside of social work (i.e., psychology, psychiatry) in evaluating their employees' clinical skills.
• The incumbent coordinates with the BHIP Nurse Manager to ensure that BHIP registered nurse and licensed practical nurse/nursing assistant competencies, proficiencies, direct management, and other personnel related needs are being met.
• The incumbent manages and controls the use of data related to these programs regarding day-to-day functioning and program evaluation. In conjunction with the Mental Health Outpatient Section Chief, the incumbent organizes and directs administrative, operational, patient and personnel activities for the service.
• The incumbent develops, implements, and evaluates clinical guidelines, protocols, and standard operating procedures to establish appropriate utilization of services in accrediting bodies and VA national and local directives.
• The incumbent will work with both the Mental Health Administrative Officer as well as the Mental Health Quality Management Coordinator to establish and maintain performance improvement standards and criteria for continued accreditation by The Joint Commission, CARF or other accrediting bodies.
• The incumbent performs the administrative and personnel management functions relative to staff supervised and oversees the personnel management functions of the BHIP Team Supervisors.
• The incumbent is responsible for furthering the goals of equal employment opportunity (EEO) by taking positive steps to assure the accomplishment of affirmative action objectives and by adhering to nondiscriminatory employment practices regarding race color, religion, sex, and affirmative action for the area under his/her supervision.
• As a key leader within the Mental Health Service, the incumbent may represent the service on Medical Center task forces or committees, as deemed appropriate.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. work schedule, but work schedule may be adjusted to meet the needs of the service.
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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.
• 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

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. 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,
  • (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, (b) the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. OR,
  • (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. AND,
  • 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 (pre1979) 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.
• 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.
• 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.

• Experience. At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines.
  • Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools.
  • Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view.
  • Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives.
  • Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations.
  • Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards.
  • Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.

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, resume, 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.