Social Worker (Program Manager) - Outpatient Mental Health Section

Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP)

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

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship (non‑citizens may be appointed only when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA policy).
• English language proficiency as required by VA Handbook 5005‑Part II‑Chapter 3‑section A‑paragraph 3j.
• Doctoral degree in psychology from a program 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 must be consistent with the assignment (clinical, counseling, or clinical neuropsychology). School‑psychology specialties are not eligible.
• Alternatively, a doctoral degree in any area of psychology plus successful completion of a re‑specialization program (including an APA or CPA‑accredited internship) that matches the assignment.
• Alternatively, a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
• Professional psychology internship accredited by APA or CPA, or a VHA‑sanctioned pre‑accreditation internship, or a pre‑1979 VHA one‑year pre‑doctoral internship. Non‑accredited internships may be acceptable if the applicant is currently board‑certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a consistent specialty.

Licensure

Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. May qualify under the Grandfathering Provision for current VHA employees who meet the criteria.

Grade Determination and Experience

Senior Psychologist Program Manager – GS‑15

• At least four years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS‑14 grade level.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Skill in managing and directing large, complex organizational units and applying effective management practices.
• Skill in persuasion, negotiation, and motivation to negotiate multiple program policies.
• Skill in interpersonal relationships, using advanced consultation and problem‑solving techniques with employees and other managers.
• Skill in applying and analyzing measurement tools to systems issues.
• Ability to balance responsibilities in a complex environment, work with autonomy, set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze complex organizational problems, and develop and implement effective solutions.
• 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.

Duties

• Senior Program Management (30%): Provides broad program‑management responsibility for a clinical care team, leading development, implementation, evaluation, and oversight of a complex outpatient mental‑health program. Leads a multidisciplinary team (psychologists, physicians, physician assistants, social workers, nurses, and trainees). Develops and oversees operational policies and procedures, monitors workload reports, plans work priorities and timelines, and maintains liaisons with other VA health‑care programs.
• Supervisory Responsibilities (20%): Serves as first‑line supervising authority for six Program Managers and four front‑line staff, providing administrative and clinical supervision or consultation as appropriate. Provides oversight and clinical consultation to over 50 interdisciplinary team members and takes disciplinary action for performance problems when necessary.
• Clinical Responsibilities (45%): Delivers psychological assessment and diagnostic services for veterans with diverse psychopathology, educates patients and families, provides evidence‑based individual, family, group psychotherapy, and psychoeducation. Consults with health‑care providers on assessment findings and treatment plans, develops and documents mental‑health treatment plans for an assigned caseload.

Work Schedule

Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.

Pay

Competitive salary with regular salary increases. A higher step rate within the appropriate grade may be awarded after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special VA needs (above the minimum rate of the grade).

Benefits

• Paid time off: 37–50 days per year (13–26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, 11 federal holidays). Credit toward annual leave may be granted based on prior work or military service.
• Parental leave: Up to 12 weeks of paid leave after 12 months of employment for birth, adoption, or foster‑care placement.
• Child‑care subsidy: After 60 days, full‑time employees with family income below $144,000 may receive up to 25 % of eligible child‑care costs, maximum $416.66 per month.
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5‑year vesting) and federal 401(k) with up to 5 % VA contributions.
• Insurance: Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long‑term care coverage (many programs portable into retirement).
• Telework: Ad‑hoc telework may be available.
• Virtual: This position is not virtual.

Physical Requirements

There are no physical requirements for this occupation.