Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all U.S. citizens. *** If you ARE a current permanent federal employee, please apply to the Internal Announcement CBSU-12593022-25-MJR***

Videos

Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf
Psychologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Psychology-Career-Flyer.pdf

The Local Recovery Coordinator (LRC) is in the Mental Health Service Line and serves to 1) develop recovery policies and procedures in the Mental Health Service and to 2) implement recovery services in Mental Health programs, 3) educate providers across WCHCS, veterans and their families on recovery and 4) evaluate recovery implementation efforts. The LRC for WCHCS is responsible for the recovery efforts and education at all primary and CBOC clinic sites within the VA WCHCS service area.

Local Recovery Coordinator Duties Include:

• Advises MH Chief on filling peer specialist positions and provides administrative and clinical supervision to peer specialists.
• Assists with VA regional or local recovery-oriented trainings, meetings, or conferences as needed.
• Serves as a MH Liaison to the facility Mental Health Council.
• Provides an annual report on implementation progress to the VISN, RC and the NRC; other reports will also be prepared as requested.
• Meets quarterly via conference call with the VISN RC to coordinate a network response to recovery implementation and implementation of policies and procedures related to recovery.
• Participates in facility MH leadership meetings and policy planning groups.
• Coordinates and facilitates the annual Mental Health Summit.
• Provides education to the facility staff on recovery and reducing stigma for Veterans with mental health needs.
• Revises and writes policy consistent with recovery orientation.
• Ensures recovery-oriented environment.
• Serves on interdisciplinary team that conducts the Mental Health Environment of Care Rounds and ensures overall safety and recovery orientation of the inpatient mental health unit.
• Monitors and reports on LRC-related SAIL measures.
• Leads SMI re-engage efforts and reports to VISN on SMI re-engage.
• SME for development and implementation of peer support services.
• SME for providing education to staff, Veterans, families, and/or the community on recovery, serious mental illness, or other areas of expertise. Provides consultation to VA medical facility Inpatient Mental Health Services (IMHS) staff regarding recovery-oriented care, including education and training as needed.
• Develops a local Standard Operating Procedure addressing the education, staff training, and implementation of recovery oriented care on the inpatient mental health unit.
• Champion of recovery as "upstream suicide prevention" in all levels of care.
• Coordinates/Facilitates high-level outreach and community engagement.
• Consults on mental health policies, standard operating procedures, and mental health guidance documents to ensure that recovery principles and the voice of the Veteran are represented.
• Position requires that the incumbent possess and maintain a current valid state driver's license. Travel to national conferences will also be required.
• LRC is a supervisory position with responsibility for the outpatient mental health peer support specialists' direct reports. Manages all personnel issues for the peer supports specialists, including but not limited to the performance reviews, approval of leave, disciplinary actions.
• Engage in direct clinical services providing recovery-oriented care to seriously mentally ill Veterans.
• Provide coordination within the VISN and serving as a Point of Contact to the National Recovery Coordinator and National Recovery Advisory Committee.

Work Schedule: M-F; 8:00AM-4:30PM
Relocation/Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): May be Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Jillana Martinez (jillana.martinez@va.gov), the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: Not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 60142-0

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:

-Citizenship
Be a citizen of the United States.

-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. 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

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
• 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.

AND

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.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Grade Determinations: Psychology Program Manager, GS-14

Experience
At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
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.

Assignment
Psychologist program managers have broad program management responsibilities for a specific program or programs that are designed to deliver specialized, complex, highly professional services that are important program components of the facility and that significantly impact the health care provided to Veterans. Programs include but are not limited to addiction, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mental health intensive case management (MHICM), mental health compensation and pension examination (C&P) programs, Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Centers, inpatient mental health, residential rehabilitation, domiciliary, palliative care, neuropsychology, and internship and postdoctoral fellowship training programs; management of an off- campus site; psychology program oversight and coordination throughout the facility and its affiliated clinics as a psychology executive, typically at lower complexity facilities. Decisions made by the Program Manager affect staff and other resources associated with the programs managed and are made while exercising wide latitude and independent judgment. The type of program managed and scope of responsibility are critical aspects of the assignment at this level. Responsibilities include operation and management of key clinical, training, research, or administrative programs to include full responsibility for managing the day to day activities of those programs. Responsibility may include supervision of staff but is not required. Psychologist Program Managers are responsible for strategic planning to ensure the provision of high quality services to meet the needs of the Veterans being served and planning, and developing and implementing short- and long-term goals and objectives consistent with the program's strategic plan. They have oversight of administrative and programmatic resources and deploy those resources in support of the program needs. They develop and implement programs, policies, and procedures to meet program goals, VHA policy and external accreditation requirements, and monitor outcomes using data-driven quality assurance processes, and implement strategies for improvement based on data analysis.

Preferred Experience: VA experience preferred

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The position is generally involving activities normally associated office based mental health practices. No unusual physical demands are placed on the incumbent. The work requires extreme patience and control of emotions in a multi-disciplinary work setting.

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.