Staff Psychologist

Summary 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. 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 PolicyEnglish 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 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)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 completedThe specialty area of the degree must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employedOR - (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 programand -(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[Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standardsOR - (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in natureAND - (4) 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 employedOR - (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 internOR - (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 requirementOR - (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 employedOR - (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 programIf 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 programLicensureHold 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 ColumbiaExceptionNon-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment as a ""graduate psychologist"" at the GS-11 or GS12 grade under the authority of 38 U.S.C.7405 [(c)(2)(B)] for a period not to exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that such a psychologist provide care 4 only under the supervision of a psychologist who is licensedFailure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointmentLoss of CredentialA psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation - which may result in termination of employmentAt the discretion of the appointing official - an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity existsMay 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Staff Psychologist - GS-11 (Entry Level) ExperienceNone beyond the basic requirementsStaff Psychologist - GS-12 (Developmental Level) ExperienceAt least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11)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 levelDemonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and AbilitiesIn addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populationsAbility to design and implement effective treatment strategiesAbility to incorporate new clinical proceduresAbility to conduct research activities - such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties)Ability to 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 collaborationStaff Psychologist - GS-13 (Full Performance Level) ExperienceAt least two years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade levelDemonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and AbilitiesIn addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of - and ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populationsAbility to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral healthKnowledge of clinical research literatureReference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/Preferred Experience: Experience providing inpatient and outpatient clinical services to patients in palliative care or with serious illness is desiredAdditionally experience working as a member of an interdisciplinary team and providing supervision to psychology interns and residents preferred. Duties The Staff Psychologist for Palliative Care is in the Mental Health Care LineThe psychologist addresses end-of-life issues - coping - and underlying mental health concerns in the hospice and palliative care settingsThe psychologist provides a full range of health behavior services across other geriatric and extended care clinics - where Veterans receive long-term care for chronic and often progressive conditionsServices provided by the staff psychologist will include assessment - consultation - and psychological interventions that incorporate relevant evidence-based practices and that promote health - wellness - and improved coping and self-management of illnessOther Duties Listed: The staff psychologist will provide a full range of psychological services to address end-of-life issues - coping - and underlying mental health concerns in the hospice and palliative care settingsServices provided by the staff psychologist will include assessment - consultation - and psychological interventions that incorporate relevant evidence-based practicesThe staff psychologist will provide a full range of health behavior services across other geriatric and extended care clinics - where Veterans receive long-term care for chronic and often progressive conditions (e.g. - ALS)Services provided by the staff psychologist will include assessment - consultation - and psychological intervention to promote health - wellness - and improved coping and self management of illnessThe staff psychologist will design - implement - and facilitate individual - group - and family-based interventions tailored to the needs of the clinical setting - including but not limited to: assessment and treatment of Axis I disorders including depression and anxiety/PTSD - assistance with coping with chronic disease - bereavement - end-of-life care and support - and facilitating adherence to treatment regimens Maintains standards consistent with guidelines from accrediting bodies such as the Joint CommissionServes as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assist in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patientsOversees the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements within programs assigned using data-driven quality assurance processes VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule:40 Hours a week - Monday-Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm -ESTRecruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not AuthorizedPermanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not AuthorizedEDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentiveContact Hannah.Neilson@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistanceLearn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increasesWhen setting pay - a 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 experienceParental 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 childChild 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 $416.66Retirement: 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: AvailableVirtual: This is not a virtual positionFunctional Statement #: 689-F08667(11) -689-F08668 (12) -689-F08669 (13) Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not AuthorizedNOTIFICATIONS: The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-13The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13This position is in the Excepted ServiceThis is a Bargaining Union PositionThis occupational series has a Special Salary RateCurrent and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 - (Notice of Personnel Action)The SF-50 must identify the position title - series - grade - step - tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted)In some cases - more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.