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

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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
• Education: 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 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 program
• and - 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: 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: 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
• 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
• 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: Psychology Program Manager - GS-14 Experience: At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to organize work - set priorities - delegate tasks - and meet multiple deadlines
• Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools
• Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups
• Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives
• Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations
• Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards
• Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program
• Assignment: For all assignments above the full performance level - the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope - complexity (difficulty) - and variety - and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• Psychologist program managers have broad program management responsibilities for a specific program or programs that are designed to deliver specialized - complex - highly professional services that are important program components of the facility and that significantly impact the health care provided to Veterans
• Programs include but are not limited to addiction - posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - mental health intensive case management (MHICM) - mental health compensation and pension examination (C&P) programs - Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Centers - inpatient mental health - residential rehabilitation - domiciliary - palliative care - neuropsychology - and internship and postdoctoral fellowship training programs
• management of an off- campus site
• psychology program oversight and coordination throughout the facility and its affiliated clinics as a psychology executive - typically at lower complexity facilities
• Qualification Continued in Education Section

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The psychologist serves as a Program Manager for the Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) team at assigned Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) within the VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS)
• Functions: Program Management Responsibilities Provides broad program management responsibilities of a clinical care team
• The psychologist leads a multidisciplinary team that may include psychologists - physicians - social workers - nurses - and other health care professionals and trainees
• The manager of this program directly supervises the following personnel: 2.0 physicians - 8.0 psychologists - and 3.0 clinical social workers
• Additionally - the manager provides administrative oversight and consultation to 4.0 Nurse Care Managers and 3.0 trainees
• Responsible for the development - implementation - and oversight of operational policies and procedures for the treatment team - with the approval of the affiliated Program Director and/or Service Line Leader
• Conducts ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects that monitor the effectiveness of clinical operations within their respective program(s)
• Organizes and leads team meetings in order to facilitate case disposition - care management - effective delivery of clinical interventions - and the adherence to administrative demands
• Monitors and distributes provider-specific workload reports to team members and ensures provider adherence to workload standards
• Plans work to be accomplished by team members - including establishing priorities - timelines for completion - and necessary adjustments therein
• Supervisory Responsibilities The psychologist has direct or indirect (through subordinate supervision) administrative and professional supervision of subordinates
• Functions as the first line supervising authority (i.e. - rater) for up to 13 employees
• For these individuals - the incumbent provides administrative - as well as clinical - supervision and/or consultation as appropriate
• Provides administrative oversight and clinical consultation to up to 7 other interdisciplinary team members for whom the incumbent is not the designated first line rating authority
• Provides clinical supervision to psychology interns and other trainees as appropriate
• Clinical Responsibilities Independently provides consultation to PACT - functional assessments and diagnostic services for Veterans with a broad range of psychopathology and receiving care within the PCMHI team Demonstrates expertise in using and teaching others about functional assessments - brief evaluation and interventions for Veterans presenting with the full range of mental and behavioral health conditions in PACT
• Provides education to both patients and family members regarding relevant mental health concerns
• Provides comprehensive - evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions - including individual - family - and group psychotherapy and psychoeducation
• Provides consultation to health care providers about assessment findings and treatment plan for patients to ensure that care is coordinated - collaborative - and integrated within the Medical Center
• Develops - implements - and documents the mental health treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov 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: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized