Clinical Psychologist (PTSD)

About the role

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Responsibilities

• Provides a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses mental disorders, particularly for complex patients in the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Care Team (PCT).
• Provides education to patients, family members, and significant others.
• Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy appropriate to patient needs and desires, (e.g., Motivational Interviewing (Ml), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Written Exposure Therapy (WET), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Behavioral therapy for Insomnia (CBT-1), etc.) as indicated.
• Provides consultation to professional staff within Lt. Col. Luke Weathers Jr., VAMC and to community providers, concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients including objective and measurable goals.
• Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients, including prompt completion of clinical reminders.
• Functions independently as a member of the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers Jr., VA Medical Center Medical Staff, with full clinical privileges. Assumes complete professional responsibility for own clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation.
• Assists the PCT supervisor in the design, development, and implementation of clinical programs addressing the needs of Veterans with PTSD.
• Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the PCT established by the Chief of Mental Health Service.
• Assists the PCT supervisor in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program.
• Facilitates liaisons with other medical center programs to effectively coordinate services to Veteran with PTSD.
• Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients.
• Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes).
• Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the PCT Supervisor, Chief of Mental Health Service, Chief of Staff (or designee) and Medical Center Director.
• Attends regular Psychology Section staff meetings, Mental Health Service staff meetings, Medical Staff meetings, and complies with Psychology Section peer review procedures.
• Provides teaching on selected mental health topics for Mental Health Grand Rounds, staff meetings, or community organizations.

Requirements

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 - (1) 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, (2) 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, (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
• 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.
• Board Certification and Loss of Credential:(1) Board Certification. Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be 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. The board certificate must be current, non-restricted, and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education. (2) Loss of Credential. Once board certified, psyc...