Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens, but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.

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The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Team (PCT) staff psychologist provides psychological care to Veterans in the outpatient PCT at the West 10th Street location of Veterans Health Indiana and at other locations as required.

• A full range of psychodiagnostic services including assessment, and using the most appropriate, evidence-based psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care for Veteran diagnosed with PTSD and related disorders
• May participate in telemental health or similar activities in order to provide service for Veterans located a prohibitive distance from VA facilities
• Provide evidence-based therapies, including but not limited to Cognitive Processing Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Written Exposure Therapy, and dual diagnosis treatment options. For all clinical duties, the incumbent works in the PCT team, participates in interdisciplinary team dispositions of patients
• Provides ethical individual and group mental health services to eligible Veterans diagnosed with PTSD and trauma-related disorders General duties include, assessment and referral services, design and preparation of diagnostic assessments, formulating and providing individual and group treatments, preparing initial and updated treatment plans, and planning for follow-up care after completion of treatment
• Operate independently in all areas, consulting with peers and supervisors when warranted
• 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
• Work some early morning/evening hours and/or work variable tours of duty to possibly include weekend treatment delivery to accommodate needs of Veterans

Clinical Responsibilities

• Ability to diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological and/or neuropsychological assessments, with special emphasis on, and awareness of the mental health, social, and medical need of individuals diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Ability to treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders in veterans and their families. Specialized knowledge and awareness of stress-related disorders and their effects on individuals and their families, is necessary
• The provision of mental health services via Telehealth technologies
• Provides a full range of psychotherapeutic services including assessment and using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care to veterans and their families
• Performs evaluations for all routine psychological testing and neuropsychological screening, with special emphasis on the various means for diagnosing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder in their many forms, and the ability to differentiate these disorders from other diagnoses, including malingering
• Consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues, but with specific emphasis on the identification, diagnosis and treatment of individuals diagnosed with PTSD, and the service needs of their family members
• Staff psychologists may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities

Enriching Elements

• Provide clinical supervision to trainees (e.g. graduate and postgraduate students, externs, and interns) and unlicensed FTE in accordance with VHA Handbook Policy 1400.04.
• Participates in monthly psychologist and weekly PCT meetings. Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assists in their conceptualization of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding patients
• Required to participate regularly in OPPE clinical reviews and submitting these results in a timely manner to the Senior Psychologist Program Manager
• Responsible for timely completion of all clinical documentation as required by medical center policy, timely completion of required reviews, and compliance with internal and external continuing education requirements.

Work Schedule: Full Time, 0730-1600 or 0800-1630
Telework: In accordance with VA Policy and at supervisors discretion
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Functional Statements: 92804-A, 92805-A, 92806-A
EDRP Authorized: Contact VISN10HREDRPSLRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Psychologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/
Total-Rewards-of-a-Psychology-Career-Flyer.pdf

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 evaluation.
• 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
• English Language Proficiency
• Education - Must 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 completed are specialization program meeting both of the following conditions:
    • a) specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and
    • b) specialty in which you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for;
  • OR, have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.***See Education below
• Licensure: Candidates must 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.
• 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.
• Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above:
  • GS-11 Level: no additional experience beyond the basic requirement
  • GS-12 Level: at least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-11 level
    • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
      • Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.
      • Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.
      • Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.
      • Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).
      • 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.
• • GS-13 Level: At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. 1) active professional practice that was paid/non-paid employment and/or 2) a full, current and unrestricted license.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
    • Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations.
    • Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
    • Knowledge of clinical research literature.

*Experience is only creditable for the Psychologist if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed.

Preferred Experience: Incumbent should have experience providing trauma-focused psychotherapy to adult patients.

The full performance level of this position if selected as Psychologist is GS 13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS 11 to GS 13.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

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

Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the position involve standard office requirements such as using the telephone, retrieving files, writing reports, data entry and maintenance of computer databases, etc. Work is typically performed sitting at a desk and using a computer. This position may require occasional travel. The position requires periods of walking, standing, sitting and bending.

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.

• NOTE: You must include qualifying specialized experience employment periods in mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy format on your resume and indicate Full-Time or Part-Time (if Part-time, must include # of hours worked per week). AND, if you have held a Government position, that position's grade level MUST be listed on your resume; Failure to include all requirements in your resume will result in disqualification.
• Please refer to USAJOBS Help Center - What should I include in my federal resume? for additional information on resume requirements.

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.