Clarification from the agency

This announcement is only open to current, permanent West Palm Beach Medical Center and CBOC employees. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

The VA Clinic Delray Beach is seeking a dedicated Staff Psychologist to provide high-quality, direct patient care within our Mental Health Outpatient Clinic. In this role, you will deliver comprehensive psychological services tailored to the unique clinical, developmental, and age-specific needs of our Veteran population, spanning from young adulthood through late maturity.

This position offers a clear career trajectory across multiple grade levels. Entry-level clinicians (GS-11) work under the close supervision of a licensed psychologist to build their clinical foundation. As you advance to the developmental (GS-12) and full performance (GS-13) levels, you will exercise independent clinical judgment to design, implement, and manage complex treatment plans. Across all levels, you will function as a vital multi-disciplinary team member, collaborating with staff, providing clinical supervision to trainees as needed, and contributing to the continuous improvement of our care models.

Primary Duties

• Direct Patient Care: Perform comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, mental disorder diagnoses, and psychological assessments for Veterans. Deliver a full range of individual, group, and family psychotherapeutic interventions utilizing evidence-based practices.
• Consultation & Collaboration: Collaborate with medical center staff on complex patient care issues and handle customer conflicts or problems constructively.
• Age-Specific Interventions: Assess, interpret, and provide care tailored to the cognitive, emotional, and physical maturation needs of diverse Veteran age groups (ages 18 to end-of-life).
• Teaching & Training: Provide clinical instruction and supervision to psychology practicum students and interns as required.
• Research & Evaluation: Participate in program evaluation, research initiatives, and assist in preparing RFPs or grant proposals.
• Data Security: Maintain strict compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974 by protecting sensitive electronic and printed patient files from unauthorized access or alteration.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00AM - 4:30PM (Ad-hoc)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 41004F, 41842F, & 41843F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact V8_EDRP_WPB@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

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

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:

• United States 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 VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g.
• 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. -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; -AND-,
    • 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.
• 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-
  • 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 (2) 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.

Applicants may qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Psychologist Qualification Standard - GS-0180 (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Please see the referenced qualification standard for specific details regarding this Grandfathering Provision.

GRADE REQUIREMENTS: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met to qualify at the following Grade Levels:

• Staff Psychologist - GS-11 (Entry Level)
  • Experience - None beyond basic requirements
  • Psychologists who are NOT licensed must practice under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.
• Staff Psychologist - GS-12 (Developmental Level)
  • Experience - At least one (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 (KSAs) - 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.
• Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance Level)
  • Experience - At least two (2) years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one (1) year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.
  • Licensed to practice independently.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) - 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.

PLEASE NOTE: Psychological work experience (paid or non-paid employment) must have occurred AFTER the doctoral degree was obtained and must have required the use of KSA's and other characteristics associated with current professional psychology practice.

References: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ and access the VA Psychologist Qualification Standard - GS-0180.

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 GS-11 to GS-13.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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.