Staff Psychologist

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

• A member of the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) team located at the Springfield Community Based Outpatient Clinic
• Provides general mental health outpatient services for veterans
• Provides direct clinical services including consultation, diagnostic assessment, risk assessment, evidence-based individual and group psychotherapy, and treatment planning
• Supervises and trains students as needed
• Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely screening and documentation requirements
• Attends BHIP treatment team meetings and serves as a consultant to other treatment providers including those in other specialty programs and/or primary care
• Completes administrative functions, including report and progress note writing, and attending staff and organizational meetings
• Answers clinic consults, coordinates patient care, and assists with tracking clinic data
• Timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by local and national guidelines
• 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
• Performs additional duties as assigned

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

Qualifications

• 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
• 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 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
• 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
• 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
• Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations
• Design and implement effective treatment strategies
• Incorporate new clinical procedures
• Conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties)
• 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
• Knowledge of - and ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations
• Provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health
• Knowledge of clinical research literature

Skills

Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations

Design and implement effective treatment strategies

Incorporate new clinical procedures

Conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties)

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

Knowledge of - and ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations

Provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health

Knowledge of clinical research literature

Benefits

Competitive salary and regular salary increases

Higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)

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)

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience

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 for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework: Ad-hoc may be available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized