Staff Psychologist- Home Based Primary Care

About the role

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) — a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per 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 review of the EDRP application.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements

• Citizenship: United States citizenship required. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA policy.
• Education: Must meet one of the following:
  • (1) 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 of completion. Specialty area must be consistent with the assignment (clinical psychology, counseling psychology, or combinations; school psychology is not eligible for VHA appointments).
  • (2) Doctoral degree in any area of psychology plus successful completion of a re-specialization program (including an approved internship) in an APA- or CPA-accredited doctoral program, with the re-training specialty consistent with the assignment. Official transcript/certificate documenting completion required.
  • (3) Doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
• Internship: Must meet one of the following:
  • (a) Completed a professional psychology internship accredited by APA or CPA at the time of completion, consistent with the assignment.
  • (b) New VHA psychology internship programs in the process of applying for APA accreditation, sanctioned by VHA Central Office Program Director for Psychology and VHA Office of Academic Affiliations at the time of internship.
  • (c) VHA facilities that offered full-time, one-year pre-doctoral internships prior to PL 96-151 (pre-1979).
  • (d) Internship not accredited by APA/CPA, but applicant is currently board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty consistent with the assignment.
  • (e) For degrees awarded 1951–1978: equivalent of a one-year supervised internship experience at a site acceptable to the doctoral program.
• Licensure: Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. Exception: non-licensed applicants may receive a temporary appointment as a "graduate psychologist" at GS-11 or GS-12 for up to two years under 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2)(B), providing care only under supervision of a licensed psychologist; failure to obtain licensure within that period justifies termination.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.

Grade Requirements

• Staff Psychologist — GS-11 (Entry Level): No experience beyond basic requirements.
• Staff Psychologist — GS-12 (Developmental Level): At least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to GS-11. Non-licensed psychologists practice under supervision with less intense supervision than at GS-11. 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 populations.
  • Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.
  • Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.
  • Ability to conduct research activities (e.g., designing and implementing clinical research projects) for staff psychologists with specified research duties.
  • Ability to perform basic research tasks of scholarship and research execution within an established research team, including participant relations, documentation, data acquisition, maintenance, and collaboration.
• Staff Psychologist — GS-13 (Full Performance Level): At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to GS-12. Must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge of and ability to apply professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations.
  • Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
  • Knowledge of clinical research literature.

Reference: VA Qualification Standards for Psychologists. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13; the actual grade at selection may range from GS-11 to GS-13.

Application Timeline

Open continuous announcement until December 28, 2026. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. Initial cutoff date to review applicants: October 15, 2026. Applicants pending completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Responsibilities

• Independently work with Veterans and families experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems utilizing evidence-based treatments in individual, group, and family modalities.
• Engage in information gathering, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning, implementation, evaluation, and follow-up.
• Fully utilize the current DSM in making diagnoses, formulating treatment goals, and applying appropriate clinical interventions using professional counseling practices.
• Make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendations for treatment planning and implementation.
• Conduct psychological and/or neuropsychological assessments.
• Provide screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of cognitive deficits to address specific questions or determine need for referral for complete neuropsychological evaluation or dementia assessment.
• Perform capacity/competency assessments when questions arise about a Veteran's ability to make medical decisions, perform specific functions, or live independently.
• Assess understanding of advance directives and other consent forms; assist staff in presenting options in an understandable format.
• Provide psychological prevention services to Veterans at significant risk for psychological problems.
• Deliver services both