Clinical Psychologist - Center for Behavioral Health

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. 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:

Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States
(Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.g, this part.) Education: You must 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 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 completed a 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 program; and b) the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed
OR, Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature
Internship Requirement: You must 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
OR, 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 intern; OR, 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; OR, 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 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: Candidates must 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
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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance Level) Experience
At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to a 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
References: VA HANDBOOK 5005, PART II, APPENDIX G18The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13
Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary and requires sitting, standing, bending and carrying light items (15 lbs.) such as charts, papers and books
Occasional lifting of heavier loads, as in assisting the moving of a patient from a wheelchair to a chair is required
A significant amount of standing and walking up to 4 hours per day is also required
Must perform rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously.

Duties

'Major Duties include but are not limited to: Clinical Responsibilities: Provides a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses mental disorders, particularly for complex or unusually difficult patients.
Provides education to patients, family members, and significant others.
Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy.
Provides consultation to professional staff within the facility and to community providers, concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients.
Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients, including prompt completion of clinical reminders.
If licensed, functions independently as a member of the Butler VAMC medical staff, with full clinical privileges.
Assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation.
Performs other professional duties and committees as assigned, to support Behavioral Health Strategic Plan and medical center mission.
If unlicensed, practice is under the close supervision of a licensed psychologist and must meet the standards of supervision required by the Department of Veterans Affairs and state psychology licensure.
Accomplishes suicide risk screenings, risk assessments, safety plans, behavior reports, and other processes relevant to suicide prevention standards.
Provides case management for identified populations as indicated.
Administrative Responsibilities: Assists the program director or coordinator in the design, development, and implementation of clinical programs for a team of treatment providers.
Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the treatment team, established by the affiliated PCL manager and/or Service Line Director.
Assist the program director or coordinator in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program.
Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs in order to effectively coordinate services.
Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients.
Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes).
Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the Service Line Director (or designee) and facility Director.
Attends regular Psychology Service staff meetings, Medical Staff meetings, and complies with Psychology Service peer review procedures.
Performs other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm; Minimum of 1 evening required.
Weekend hours as assigned Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May Be Authorized for Highly Qualified Candidates EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.
Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required'