Senior Psychologist Program Manager

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.

Responsibilities

• Directs all Mental Health activities, including budget and fiscal management, human resource management, strategic planning, clinical end administrative program development, management and evaluation of services and programs, and ensuring that the clinical and administrative functions are integrated in order to provide optimum utilization of resources.
• Participates in management discussions, policy making, provides program direction to other directors, managers, and assigned personnel within Mental Health and makes sound decisions in line with law, federal regulations, and policy.
• Manages a large, diverse service that provides Mental Health care services central to the mission of VAAHCSThe incumbent manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs.
• Provides input, advice, and counsel for system strategic planning, programming, budgeting, general administration, and other areas as appropriate.
• Manages a large clinical program area, with oversight of multiple outpatient programs throughout the healthcare system, an inpatient acute care setting, multiple Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs (RRTP), and within the Mental Health program spectrum of services there are: Primary Mental Health Ambulatory Care Section, Specialty Mental Health sections, Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery, Homeless and Outreach Services, Health Psychology Section, Psychiatry (Research and Education), and the Administrative Section.
• Manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs.
• Provides management oversight of multiple discipline training programs with multiple university affiliates.
• Works in a variety of settings including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs.

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: 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
• 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
• (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
• (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature
• 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
• (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
• (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
• (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)
• (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

Qualifications

• Experience: At least four years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-14 grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
• Skill in managing and directing the work of large - complex organizational units and in applying effective management practices
• Skill in persuasion - negotiation - and motivation to negotiate multiple program policies
• Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees and other managers using advanced consultation and problem solving skills
• Ability to balance responsibilities in a complex environment and to work with great autonomy
• Able to set priorities and delegate tasks - meet multiple deadlines - analyze complex organizational problems and ability to develop and implement effective solutions for those problems
• Ability to assess need for basic and complex services across multiple programmatic contexts
• Ability to coordinate the efforts of multiple program elements across a complex system

Skills

• Knowledge of mental health disorders and treatment options
• Ability to manage and lead a team of mental health professionals
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

Benefits

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

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive

Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance

Learn more about Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases

Learn more about Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional: The incumbent directs all Mental Health activities, to include budget and fiscal management, human resource management, strategic planning, clinical end administrative program development, management and evaluation of services and programs, and ensuring that the clinical and administrative functions are integrated in order to provide optimum utilization of resources. Incumbent participates in management discussions, policy making, provides program direction to other directors, managers, and assigned personnel within Mental Health and makes sound decisions in line with law, federal regulations, and policy. Incumbent actively participates in the development of overall management goals, objectives, and philosophies necessary for the attainment of optimum system efficiency and effectiveness in providing recovery focused holistic health care to the Veteran population. Incumbent provides input, advice, and counsel for system strategic planning, programming, budgeting, general administration, and other areas as appropriate. Incumbent manages a large, diverse service that provides Mental Health care services central to the mission of VAAHCSThe incumbent manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs. Mental Health is a large clinical program area, with oversight of multiple outpatient programs throughout the healthcare system, an inpatient acute care setting, multiple Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs (RRTP), and within the Mental Health program spectrum of services there are: Primary Mental Health Ambulatory Care Section, Specialty Mental Health sections, Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery, Homeless and Outreach Services, Health Psychology Section, Psychiatry (Research and Education), and the Administrative Section. Incumbent manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs. Incumbent manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs. Incumbent manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs. Incumbent manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs. Incumbent manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs. Incumbent manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs. Incumbent manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs. Incumbent manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs. Incumbent manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical center, community outpatient clinics, community resource and referral centers, and community-based staff/programs. Incumbent manages these services across a large geographic catchment area and in all settings across the healthcare system including the main medical