Staff Psychologist - Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP)

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 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: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3jEducation: 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 employedFor 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 skillsCurrently - APA accredits doctoral programs in the specialty areas of clinical psychology - counseling psychology - school psychology - or combinations of two or more of those areasPCSAS accredits doctoral programs in psychological clinical scienceCPA accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology - counseling psychology - clinical neuropsychology - and school psychologyThere are no job assignments in VHA that require the skills of a school psychologisttherefore - an applicant with a degree in the specialty area of school psychology is not eligible for appointmentStrictly 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 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 programand The specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employedOR 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 internshipHave a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in natureInternship: 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 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 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 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.) OR 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 programLicensure: 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 ColumbiaException: 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 licensedFailure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointmentGrade Determinations: GS-11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level): Experience: None beyond the basic requirementsGS-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)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 levelIn addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: 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 collaborationGS-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 levelIn addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: 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/The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this positionQuestions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Duties Psychologists conduct psychological assessments - diagnose mental disorders - treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities (e.g. - individual - family and group psychotherapies and other interventions such as behavioral health and community interventions) - provide adjunctive interventions for the treatment of medical disorders - and provide behavioral health consultation to providers on medical - mental health - and a variety of other patient care issuesPsychologists administer and interpret psychological tests - including but not limited to tests of ability - aptitude - achievement - interests - personality - cognitive functioning - and mental healthMajor duties include - but are not limited to the following: Conducts comprehensive psychological assessments and formulates diagnostic impressions using standardized and clinically appropriate methodsDelivers evidence-based and evidence-informed psychotherapy for mental health - substance use - behavioral - and psychosocial concerns within granted clinical privilegesCompletes all required clinical documentation and charting in accordance with healthcare system timelines - quality standards - and accreditation requirementsProvides clinical supervision to unlicensed staff and trainees - guidance and education to assigned staff in psychological service deliveryServes as a resource to other professional personnel by offering consultation regarding psychological services and treatment planningOffers education to patients - patients' family members - professional staff - and trainees on mental health conditions and treatment approachesPerforms risk assessments for self-harm or harm to others and implements suicide prevention and crisis management proceduresFunctions as a contributing member of multidisciplinary medical and mental health teams in inpatient - outpatient - or specialty care settingsParticipates in performance improvement and quality assurance activities relevant to psychological services and assigned clinical programsAbides by the ethical principles addressed by psychology licensing boardsSupports and/or participates in scientific activityMay serve on internal and external committeesMay have administrative responsibilities of limited scope and complexityTotal Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentiveContact vhavisn23edrp@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistanceLearn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increasesPaid 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 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 VAInsurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual positionFunctional Statement #: 99256/99253/99255 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized