Clarification from the agency

Current permanent employees of the Veterans Administration including permanent Veterans Benefits Administration, National Cemeteries, Veterans Canteen Service employees, current permanent full-time Hybrid Title 38 and permanent full-time Title 38 employees

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The incumbent has responsibilities particularly focused on conducting evidence-based assessment and outpatient psychotherapy services, in individual, couples and group therapy formats for a variety of presenting concerns such as anxiety and depression. The psychologist may also provide supervision to psychology practicum students, interns, and/or postdoctoral fellows who are completing training rotations in outpatient mental health.

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

Clinical responsibilities

• Direct Service Provision
  • Provides a full range of therapeutic services and interventions in the Mental Health Clinic, including psychiatric assessments and individual, and group psychotherapy. Selects and provides the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care, including evidence-based care for substance use disorders and co-occurring psychiatric disorders.
  • Completes intakes and makes appropriate treatment recommendations based on these interviews.
  • Provides clinical supervision and training to psychology trainees.
  • Contributes to clinical service activities (e.g., urgent care, police evaluations, compensation and pension evaluations), as requested.
• Clinical administrative, support, and management functions
  • Attends MH treatment team meetings and serves as a consultant to other treatment providers including those in the specialty programs for veterans with SUD.
  • Completes administrative functions, including report and progress note writing, and attending staff and organizational meetings.
  • Keeps informed regarding treatment and outcome research development in the areas of substance use and mental health (including Affective and Anxiety Disorders) and assists in the implementation or modification of existing treatments based on developments in these areas of practice.
  • Works in compliance with local and national performance measures.

Academic/Teaching/Training

• The psychologist may engage in supervision of interdisciplinary trainees (e.g., psychiatry residents) who conduct direct clinical care.
• Provides direct education to psychology interns or fellows and psychiatry residents through clinical forums and seminars.
• Attends training meetings regarding psychology training.
• Participates in recruitment activities for the psychology internship and fellowship training programs (e.g., application review, interviewing, and applicant selection).
• Serves as a consultant to other medical and mental health staff and trainees on issues related to addiction.

Program Evaluation

• Contributes to the development of innovative clinical services to better meet the needs of veterans served in the Mental Health Programs.
• Assists program managers to assess the efficacy of programming and adjusts programming as necessary to enhance clinical care and outcomes.
• Assists with the preparation and analysis of program outcome data to form appropriate questions for quality improvement projects.

Research

• Will be a regular consumer of research relevant to the conduct of evidence-based evaluation and treatment of patients, as well as supervision of trainees.
• Will supports research programs that are consistent with the mission of the medical center.
• As applicable, presents research results at VA, regional or national scientific or professional meetings.
• May assist in preparation of grant proposals and scholarly work including presentations at national professional conferences and publications in professional journals.
• As applicable, prepares and submits manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals.

Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Compressed/Flexible:Authorized
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Notification:

• This position is in the Excepted Service.
• This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay.
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.
• This position is a AFGE Bargaining Unit position.
• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.
• The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's.
• Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.

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.
• You may be required to serve a trial period.
• 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).

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.
• 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:
  1. 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. For the purpose of meeting this requirement, the term "specialty area" refers to the specific specialty areas recognized by the accrediting body and not to specific job duties that might require special skills. Currently, APA accredits doctoral programs in the specialty areas of clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, or combinations of two or more of those areas. PCSAS accredits doctoral programs in psychological clinical science. CPA accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and school psychology. There are no job assignments in VHA that require the skills of a school psychologist; therefore, an applicant with a degree in the specialty area of school psychology is not eligible for appointment. Strictly for the purpose of determining eligibility for appointment as a psychologist in VHA, there is no distinction between the specialty areas (with the exception of school psychology). OR
  2. 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. NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship. [Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards.] OR
  3. Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.

AND

• Internships
  • (a) 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
  • (b) 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
  • (c) 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
  • (d) 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
  • (e) 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 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.

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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

Staff Psychologist GS-11: Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

Staff Psychologist GS-12:

Experience. At least one 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.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

1. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.
2. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.
3. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.
4. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).
5. 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:

Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.

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

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.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005, PART II APPENDIX G18

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.