Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. First area of consideration is current, permanent federal employees of the VA Mid-Atlantic Healthcare Network - VISN 6. Final area of consideration is current, permanent federal employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VHA).

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VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

This position is located in the catchment area of VISN 6 (within 50 miles of one of the VISN 6 VA facilities). Pay will be determined based on the employee's location. This is not a remote position; the candidate selected must already reside or relocate to a VISN6 catchment area.

Assigned to the VISN, within the Caregiver Support Program (CSP). Although stationed at the VISN-with primary role of CSP clinical eligibility reviewer-may have clinical privileges and credentialing at a VA Medical Center (VAMC). The incumbent may have up to 10% of their time dedicated to a combination of direct clinical care, academic teaching/training, research, and/or program evaluation at a VAMC. This work would be separate from caregiver support. The duties for the incumbent, must be at least 90% administrative and related to the CEAT. The other duties will be determined by the incumbent and their VISN leadership.

Each individual CEAT team member will review the Veteran's medical record summary, most recent History & Physical, findings of recent testing at the facility, caregiver assessment and care team input. The team member will present their respective findings to the inter-professional team. The team will meet and render a multi-disciplinary decision regarding clinical eligibility, based on all eligibility requirements. If deemed eligible, the team will also determine the appropriate level of caregiving required (tier level). Each team will document the findings and determination and communicate the decision with the referring facility or region.

Duties include but are not limited to:

Administrative Responsibilities:

• Reviews dispositions of PCAFC initial eligibility decisions; reassessments; and appeal decisions for clinical eligibility determinations, within 45 days of receipt from facilities and other CSP VISN CEAT. This is done from a psychological perspective.
• Analyzes mental health data obtained from VHA electronic health record and collateral records for use in determining PCAFC clinical eligibility and documents findings in approved CSP PCAFC templated notes.
• Works with inter-professional team members at Regional, VISN, and facility levels to ensure PCAFC eligibility determinations are delivered objectively with strong, consistent inter-rater agreement and with documentation and communication of outcomes in a direct and coordinated manner.
• Utilizes knowledge of PCAFC clinical eligibility to coordinate with other regional CEATs the transfer of appeals for inter-VISN evaluation.
• Conducts Peer Reviews from a psychological standpoint, which may occur at the regional level, to aid in achieving consistency nationally.
• Collaborates with and contributes knowledge to a community of practice across VISN's and Regions with CSP CSCs and CEAT members.

Facility Responsibilities:

• Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services, including the use of psychological testing for non-CSP PCAFC applicants.
• Performs psychological evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations.
• Provide comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy.
• Provides education to patients, family members, significant others, and community members.
• Functions as a member of the assigned mental health or specialty mental health care team. The incumbent assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical findings, patient care decisions, and documentation.
• Provides clinical supervision and instruction for psychology interns and post-doctoral residents.
• May serve as Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator, or Consultant on projects approved by appropriate IRBs.
• Serves on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces.
• Represents Psychology on decision-making committees at the Medical Center or Healthcare System.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.
Telework: ADHOC May be authorized (Employees who Telework on an occasional, episodic, or short-term basis, and have completed the required telework training and telework agreement).
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000

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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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:
  • 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. 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
• 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.
• Internship
  • 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).OR
  • Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature, fulfilling 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.
• 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.

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-13 Experience: At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level. Examples of experience includes: 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.

AND,

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of 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.

Preferred Experience: Primary Care, Mental Health, Geriatric, Compensation & Pension, Caregiver Support Program.

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

This position is the full performance level.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although physical effort will be required. Some lifting, bending and moving of videoconferencing or technical equipment for installation and troubleshooting is required. Occasionally climbs ladders to adjust overhead equipment and lifts or moves objects weighing up to forty pounds; occasionally lifts or moves heavier items with assistance from others. The incumbent must have the ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods of time to interact with the patients and other services.

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.