Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current, permanent employees of the Department of Veteran Affairs only. You are also encouraged to apply to announcement: CAZM-13050138-26-ARR NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The Mental Health Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (SHIP) Assistant Director is responsible for collaborating with and assisting the Director SHIP with operations of the Mental Health (MH) SHIP Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS). The incumbent collaborates with and assist the Director SHIP with planning, establishing, and implementing standard operating procedures (SOP) for the MH SHIP. There are five BHIPs located across VANTHCS service area. Each SHIP has one to four teamlets comprised of prescribers, therapists, mental health nurses, and a Mental Health Treatment Coordinator.

The Organizational Location of the Position is:

VA North Texas Health Care System, Mental Health Division, location in Fort Worth.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provides substantial and continuous service to Veterans served by BHIP, which can cross MH Division and discipline lines which positively influence VANTHCS mission.
• Assists with supervising BHIP management staff as directed by the Director BHIP.
• Assists the Director BHIP with providing administrative and technical supervision necessary for BHIP to accomplish work.
• Assists with preparing and managing processes associated with accreditation reviews and site survey visits, with the management, oversight, and guidance of BHIP services, monitoring of administrative operations and clinical processes within BHIP, and oversight of resources for BHIP.
• Works across VANTHCS services sites to collaboratively work with site specific leadership as directed by the Director BHIP.
• Clinical duties for this position include providing care in accordance with the full range of licensure and credentialing for the incumbent, which can include crisis management, SI/HI risk assessment, safety planning, individual/group/couples counseling, and psychological assessment.
• Clinical duties also include consultation with staff on Veteran specific needs, review and disposition of consults, responding to PATS complaints, and service recovery with Veterans.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 55937-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
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).
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).

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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/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: You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.

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: To be qualified for a GS-0180 Psychologist you must possess 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.

Internship Requirement - You must 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). NOTE: 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: 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.

Grade Determination GS-14:

Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least 3 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 level.

In addition to the experience above, you must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
1. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools.
2. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
3. Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines.
4. Ability to supervise and manage subordinate employees effectively.
5. Skill in interpersonal relationships, including conflict resolution.
6. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards..

Assignment. Examples of experience: Psychologist 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. Duties include but are not limited to resolving staff conflicts which might interfere with the delivery of services, identifying continuing education and training needs, and other clinical and administrative responsibilities to ensure that the mission of the service and the medical center has been satisfied. They may interview candidates for positions, recommend appointments, advancements, or disciplinary actions when appropriate. They may develop position descriptions and functional statements and are responsible for professional and administrative management of an assigned area. They may make selections, assign personnel, and serve as a mentor to help employees develop their full potential. The Psychologist maintains interdepartmental relations with other services to accomplish medical center goals and fosters and maintains community contacts. They may develop and initiate new treatment programs and may develop policies and procedures. Psychologist independently provide psychological services at all levels of complexity and consult with peers and supervisors as appropriate.


Preferred Experience:

• Mental Health Practice
• Supervising Staff
• Managing a Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program
• Managing a Mental Health Outpatient Program
• Managing Multiple Mental Health Programs

References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II APPENDIX G18. PSYCHOLOGIST QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-0180.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14.

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.