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Psychology Technician

Department of Justice
Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/23/2025 to 08/13/2025
Salary
$58,953 to - $80,492 per year
Pay scale & grade
GL 06 - 07
Location
Seatac, WA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required for training and/or work related issues.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
07
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
SET-2025-0039
Control number
841383800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

• BOP Employees nationwide • DOJ Surplus and Displaced (CTAP) Employees in the local commuting area. • Duty Location: FDC SeaTac, WA

Duties

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Responsible for performing secretarial and technical duties to include, but not limited to, the administration and mechanical or computerized scoring of a variety of psychological tests; management and daily operation of the facility’s Psychology Data System (PDS); assisting and coordinating with Psychologists in special projects, (e.g., Suicide Prevention Program); scheduling of appointments; record/file keeping; and a variety of other clerical/secretarial duties.

Under the supervision of a Psychologist, is responsible for the administration, mechanical or computerized scoring and distribution (or storage) of a variety of psychological tests, including Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory.

Responsible for the implementation of the Bureau of Prison’s (BOP) automated/computerized psychology data entry system including initial implementation of Psychology Data System (PDS), training of all psychology staff, routine data entry and retrieval, automated test scoring and reconciling discrepancies in the files.

Types, duplicates and distributes letters, memos, agendas, forms, certificates, meeting minutes, and reports for the Chief Psychologist.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and is performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is Required.
  • See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP eligibility, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: Click Here

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following:

Basic Requirements:

Applicants must have one-year specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. (For positions at GL-4 and above): experience that involved the observation of and assistance in the application of techniques relating to behavior, capacities, traits, interests, and activities of either humans or, under laboratory conditions, animals. Experience may have been gained in connection with a program of research or direct services in psychology that gave a practical understanding of some of the principles, methods, and techniques of psychology needed to assist professional psychologists.

OR

Education:

GL-06: Nine semester hours or 13.5 quarter hours of graduate education in the related field of the position.

GL-07: One year of graduate education or 27 quarter hours of graduate education in the related field of the position.

NOTE: Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position.

Experience:

Some examples of the qualifying experience are:

GL-06:

  • Experience in composing complex but non-technical correspondence, locating and assembling information for various reports, briefings, conferences, etc., designing and organizing filing systems, and organizing the flow of clerical processes in the office.
  • Experience in performing notarial services for staff and inmates.
  • Experience in maintaining tracking logs for various programs such as monthly contracts, monthly psychotropic compliance, suicide watch monitoring, requests for services, etc.
  • Experience submitting court ordered psychological evaluations, and responding to request for inmates records.
  • Experience in being a credit card holder for the department, including verifying that obligated expenditures do not exceed yearly budget allotments.

GL-07:

  • Experience in administering, scoring, distributing, and storing a variety of psychological tests.
  • Experience assisting in researching, interpreting, and applying a variety of complex regulations, rules and laws regarding psychological procedures and practices.
  • Experience in implementation of the BOP's automated/computerized psychology data entry system including initial implementation of PDS, training of all psychology staff, routine data entry and retrieval, automated test scoring and reconciling discrepancies in the files.
  • Experience in obligating expenditures, preparing purchase orders, requisitions, and maintaining accounting of department expenditures and adjustments.
  • Experience in providing security escort for volunteers, guest speakers, and visitors including running NCIC background checks and preparing paperwork for volunteers, guest speakers and visitors.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience:

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels and positions for which both education and experience are acceptable.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable.

ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.

Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

Additional information

This position IS included in the bargaining unit.

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for initial appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution.

The representative rate for this position is $69,258 per annum ($33.19 per hour).

Special Conditions of Employment Section: 

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.  All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks.

All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm.

The Core Value Assessment (CVA) is an in-person assessment that must be facilitated at a Bureau of Prisons Human Resource Servicing office. On the day of the scheduled interview, a CVA will be administered. The applicant assessment must be completed within a 70 minute time period and a passing score must be obtained. Further employment consideration will not be extended if the applicant fails to complete the examination or fails to achieve a passing score.  Note: The Core Value Assessment will not be administered to current BOP employees.

Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required.

The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application.  You may be required to provide proof of residence.

Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

If your composite score exceeds the average score for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your online assessment questionnaire responses and utilized to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you rate yourself higher than what is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application:

  • Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile;
  • Your responses to the eligibility questions;
  • Your responses to the online assessment questionnaire;
  • Your supporting documentation, if required.

Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements for consideration. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

If you applied to more than one grade level, BE ADVISED that you may be selected at ANY grade level for which you applied and are found qualified (i.e., if the job is announced at the 9/11 grade levels and you apply for the GS/GL-9 and the GS-11,and you are found qualified at BOTH grade levels, you may be selected at either grade level).

What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?

The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:

GL-06 and GL-07:

  • Ability to communicate orally.
  • Ability to interpret and apply policy/guidelines.
  • Ability to work with data on a computer.
  • Ability to organize the workflow of clerical and administrative support functions.
  • Ability to organize and maintain record and filing systems.

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