Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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FUNCTION AND SCOPE OF DUTIES: CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Provide a full range of psycho-diagnostic services, including assessment, and using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care.
- Provides initial behavioral assessments, individual and group psychotherapy, treatment planning, consultation/referral, and crisis intervention for Veterans in the outpatient mental health clinic.
- Provides education to Veterans, family members, and significant others.
- Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual and family psychotherapy for Veterans enrolled in the BHIP level of care.
- Provides consultation to professional staff within VAPHS and to community providers concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for Veterans assigned to BHIP.
- Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of Veterans in BHIP, including prompt completion of clinical reminders, notes, and Mental Health Treatment Plans, per service line policy.
- Functions independently as a member of the VAPHS medical staff, with clinical privileges designated through a detailed Scope of Practice. Assumes professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings, Veteran care decisions, and documentation, under the supervision of a BHIP program manager.

ENRICHING ELEMENTS: ACADEMIC/TEACHING/TRAINING:
- Assists the BHIP Program Managers in the design, development and implementation of psychological services and programs within BHIP and coordinates these services with the assigned team or treatment providers.
- Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the treatment team, in accordance with national BHIP and MHTC 2.0 policy guidance.
- Assists the BHIP Program Managers in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program.
- Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all Veterans, inclusive of appropriate documentation of suicide risk
- Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper Veteran check out procedures (e.g. entering diagnostic and procedure codes).
- Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings as required by the Behavioral Health Service Line ACOS, Psychology Chief, BHIP Program Manager, and Facility Director.
- Attends monthly Psychology Clinical Training Committee meetings and intern supervisory staff meetings as required, upon acceptance of invitation to join the CTC.
- May provide clinical supervision to various disciplines and levels of training, including trainees seeking licensure in psychology. a) Graduate students b) Predoctoral interns c) Postdoctoral trainees
- May be involved in Psychology Training Program and Training Committee.
- Provides leadership guidance and consultation to staff of units to which assigned.
- May be involved in the training of medical center staff, medical students, medical and psychiatric residents, nursing students, fellows and other graduate or post-graduate trainees, as appropriate.
- Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assists in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs to effectively coordinate services.
- Provides leadership guidance and consultation to staff assigned to BHIP, particularly in the area of diagnosis and treatment of Veterans with behavioral health disorders.
- Serves as a consultant to other BHIP staff and trainees and assists in their formulation of diagnoses and treatment plans, and appropriate treatment expectations regarding Veterans.
- Serves on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces.
- Represents Psychology on decision-making committees at the Medical Center or Healthcare System.
- Actively participates in leadership roles on local, state, and national professional organizations.


Work Schedule: M-F 8:00am-4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible:Maybe Available based on availability
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Telework: Maybe Eligible
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: GS-0180-13
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency Requirement: Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English.
• Education Requirement: You 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 a 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 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.
• 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.

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: GS-13

Experience: At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least 1-year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level as a licensed psychologist.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

At the GS 13 level, the following KSAs are required:

• Knowledge of, and ability to apply, advanced professional psychological theories and techniques to the full range of Veteran populations.
• Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
• Knowledge of clinical research literature.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary, but requires use of fingers; both hands required; walking (up to 4 hours); sitting (up to 8 hours); near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; hearing (aid permitted); light lifting (under 15 pounds); mental and emotional stability. Use of motor vehicle; state-issued driver license is required.

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.