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

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 Requirement: Per VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Chapter 3 - Section A - Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. - chapter 73 or 74 - to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English
• Education: (1) 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
• For 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 skills
• Currently - APA accredits doctoral programs in the specialty areas of clinical psychology - counseling psychology - school psychology - or combinations of two or more of those areas
• PCSAS accredits doctoral programs in psychological clinical science
• CPA accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology - counseling psychology - clinical neuropsychology - and school psychology
• There are no job assignments in VHA that require the skills of a school psychologist
• therefore - an applicant with a degree in the specialty area of school psychology is not eligible for appointment
• Strictly 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 - (2) 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: (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 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
• [Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards.] OR - (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.] AND - (4) Internships (a) 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 - (b) 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 - (c) 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 - (d) 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 - (e) 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 oneyear 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 GS12 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 4 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 Loss of Credential
• A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation - which may result in termination of employment
• At the discretion of the appointing official - an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Grade Determinations: GS-13 Experience: At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level Preferred Experience: Training in clinical health psychology - experience working in Primary Care as a mental health provider delivering brief mental and behavioral health interventions with Veterans
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1
• Knowledge of - and ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations
• 2
• Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health
• 3
• Knowledge of clinical research literature
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Duties

• This is the full performance level for staff psychologists
• At this level psychologists are licensed at the doctoral level to practice independently in the provision of psychological services consulting with peers - trainees and supervisors as appropriate
• They are assigned to any VHA program and setting including mental health
• The Staff Psychologist for the Newington Primary Mental Health Care Integration Clinic (PMHCI) is in the Mental Health Service Line for the purpose of assessment and collaborative mental health services with primary care and specialty medical clinics
• This position is also the entrée point into mental health services serving the initial assessment - and clinical disposition for Veterans entering the VA mental health system
• Additionally - this position addresses the mental health needs of veterans with a broad-based mental health emphasis covering the range of issues commonly experienced by Veterans including but not limited to depression - anxiety - PTSD - substance abuse - health related issues and serious mental illness
• The Staff Psychologist has broad clinical responsibilities as a licensed clinician
• Some of the core clinical duties include providing screening - assessment - brief treatment - and evidence-based individual and group psychotherapies
• Within the scope of privileges granted - provides a full range of patient care interventions - including individual - family - and group therapy - as well as specialized interventions such as behavior management consultations and systems or environmental interventions
• When appropriate uses newly proven or experimental techniques
• Presents informed reports or educates multi-disciplinary teams on the use of newly proven or evidence-based intervention techniques
• Works as a key team member to promote - create - and maintain a psychotherapeutic atmosphere among the staff
• Educates and trains staff and trainees about substance use disorders - dual diagnostic issues - boundaries - ethics - etc
• Provides advice to other staff professionals in an attempt to promote and preserve a recovery-oriented environment for individual patients
• Stays current with assessment and therapy techniques by reviewing and/or participating in research
• and by promoting - initiating - assisting or engaging in program evaluation and/or other basic and applied research activities
• Functions independently as a member of the VACHS Medical Staff - with full clinical privileges
• Assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings - client care decisions - and documentation
• VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday-Friday from 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact Karen Chapman (karen.chapman@va.gov) - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more Pay: 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 Virtual: This is not a virtual position.