Staff Psychologist

Summary

The Full Time Psychologist is located in the Mental Health Service Line Addictive Recovery Services (ARS) at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System (1A Complexity).

About the Role

Provides diagnostic interviews - assessments - psychotherapy - and treatment coordination for adult patients with substance use and co-morbid disorders primarily in the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).

Responsibilities

• Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care.
• Performs evaluations for patients with mood disorders - anxiety - substance use - personality disorders - and a range of general mental health issues.
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions including individual - couple/family - and group psychotherapies - psycho-educational groups in an intensive outpatient milieu based program and may include a time limited outpatient substance abuse specialty program.
• Consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues.
• Provides leadership guidance and consultation to staff of units to which May hold faculty appointment at affiliated university such as the University of Minnesota.
• Serves 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 patients.
• May be involved in Psychology Training Program and Training Committee.
• May be involved in the training of psychology practicum students - interns - and postdoctoral residents.
• Oversees the establishment of program evaluation and outcome measurements using a data-driven quality assurance processes.
• Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the healthcare system.
• If applicable - plans and oversees the completion of personal research programs - designed to provide information regarding program planning and relevant treatment approaches.
• Presents outcome data and research results at VA and regional or national scientific or professional meetings.

Requirements

• 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.
• 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:
• The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program.
• The specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.

Qualifications

• Health Profession Trainees 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 Policy.
• Education: 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 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:
• The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program.
• 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.
• Or have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature AND Internship: 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• Licensure: 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.
• Exception: Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment as a ""graduate psychologist"" at the GS-11 or GS-12 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 only under the supervision of a psychologist who is licensed.
• Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment.
• 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.
• Grade Determinations: GS-11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level): Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.
• GS-12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level): Experience: At least 1 year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11).
• GS-13 Staff Psychologist (Full Performance Level): Experience: At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level.
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
• 1 Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.
• 2 Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.
• 3 Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.
• 4 Ability to conduct research activities - such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).
• 5 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 collaboration (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).

Skills

• Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.
• Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.
• Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.
• Ability 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 collaboration (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• When 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 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 only.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.