Staff Psychologist (BHIP) - EDRP/Recruitment/Relocation Approved

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 the 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

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 policy.
• English Language Proficiency – per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed in a direct patient‑care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English.
• Education Requirement:
  • Doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate 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.
  • OR a doctoral degree in any area of psychology **and** a successfully completed re‑specialization program that:
    • was completed in an APA or CPA accredited doctoral program, and
    • has a specialty consistent with the assignment.
  • OR a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally‑accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.

Internship Requirement

• Successful completion of a professional psychology internship accredited by APA or CPA at the time it was completed and consistent with the assignment.
• New VHA psychology internship programs in the process of applying for APA accreditation are acceptable if sanctioned by the VHA Central Office Program Director for Psychology and the VHA Office of Academic Affiliations at the time of the internship.
• VHA facilities that offered full‑time, one‑year pre‑doctoral internships prior to PL 96‑151 (pre‑1979) are acceptable.
• Applicants who completed an internship not accredited by APA or CPA may be eligible only if they are currently board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty consistent with the assignment (board certification must be maintained).
• Applicants with a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 may satisfy the internship requirement with the equivalent of a one‑year supervised internship experience at a site acceptable to the doctoral program, provided a statement from the program verifies the experience.

Licensure

Candidates must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. Non‑licensed applicants who otherwise meet eligibility may receive a temporary appointment as a “graduate psychologist” at the GS‑11 or GS‑12 grade for up to two years, provided they practice only under supervision of a licensed psychologist. Failure to obtain licensure within that period is grounds for termination.

Physical Requirements

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. May qualify based on the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (applicable only to current VHA employees who meet the criteria).

Preferred Experience

• Experience with crisis intervention and risk management
• Experience working with interdisciplinary teams
• Experience with evidence‑based therapies
• Experience working with veteran populations

Grade Determinations

• GS‑11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level): No experience beyond the basic requirements.
• GS‑12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level): At least 1 year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade (GS‑11). Psychologists not licensed must practice under supervision with less intense supervision than at GS‑11.
• GS‑13 Staff Psychologist (Full Performance Level): 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, candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to diverse patient populations.
• Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.
• Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.
• Ability to conduct research activities, including designing and implementing clinical research projects (for staff psychologists with specified research duties).
• Ability to perform basic research tasks within an established research team (participant relations, documentation, data acquisition, maintenance, collaboration).
• For GS‑13: Knowledge of and ability to apply professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations; ability to provide professional advice and consultation; knowledge of clinical research literature.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Provides a full range of psycho‑diagnostic services, including assessment and the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques.
• Performs psychological evaluations for Veterans with a range of psychiatric diagnoses and varying levels of cognitive functioning.
• Conducts psychological, cognitive, and neuropsychological assessments as needed.
• Provides psychoeducation to Veterans, family members, and/or caregivers.
• Delivers comprehensive, evidence‑based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy.
• Provides consultation to professional staff within the El Paso VAHCS and to community providers concerning assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans.
• Develops, implements, and documents psychotherapeutic treatment plans for an assigned caseload of Veterans, including prompt completion of clinical reminders, case notes, and psychological reports.
• Functions independently as a member of the El Paso VAHCS Medical Staff with full clinical privileges and assumes complete professional responsibility for assessment findings, patient‑care decisions, and documentation.
• Provides crisis‑intervention support as needed for urgent mental‑health walk‑ins.

Work Schedule

Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 4:30 PM.

Recruitment Incentives

Authorized recruitment incentives may be offered to full‑time, part‑time, or intermittent individuals in their first appointment as a Federal employee or to a newly appointed former Federal employee with at least a 90‑day break in service.

Pay

Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA (above minimum rate of the grade).

Benefits

• Paid Time Off: 37–50 days of annual paid time off (13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays). Credit toward annual leave accrual may be granted based on prior work or military service.
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full‑time employees with total family income below $144,000 may receive a subsidy up to 25 % of eligible child‑care costs, capped at $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 federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).
• Telework: Ad‑hoc telework may be authorized.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement

Staff Psychologist.