Career Center

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. Learn more 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. NOTE: This applies to the past, current, and upcoming VA Health Professional Trainees (HPT) only. HPT is an individual appointed to temporary positions in one or more VHA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experiences to satisfy program or degree requirements or receiving VA Health Professional Scholarship Program. HPTs can be either VA-paid or Without Compensation (WOC). 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: Candidates must meet one of the following: 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 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, OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. Internships: Candidates must meet one of the following: 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 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. 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 GS-12 grade for a period not to exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that such a psychologist provide care 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. 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-11: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-12 Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent equivalent to the GS-11 level. Experience includes diagnosing mental disorders, conducting psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treating mental disorders through a variety of modalities, providing adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders, and conducting research. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties). Ability to perform basic research tasks of scholarship and research execution within the context of an established research team, including research participant relations, research documentation, data acquisition, maintenance, and collaboration. GS-13 Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level to include experience diagnosing mental disorders, conducting psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treating mental disorders through a variety of modalities, providing adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders, and may also include research. A two year post-doctoral fellowship or residency may substitute two years of specialize experience. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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. Preferred Experience: Working with combat veterans in providing family counseling services. Working with veterans who were sexually traumatized/harassed while in the military. Conducting psycho-social assessments and the provision of processing psychotherapy for trauma related conditions. Implement treatment plans for combat Veterans/and their families. References: VA Handbook 5005/103, Part II, Appendix G18, dated February 7, 2018. Physical Requirements: Primarily sedentary position, but will require lift lifting, sitting, and walking. Environmental factors: outside and inside, electrical energy, working closely with others, protracted or irregular hours of work, and repetitive computer use. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13. ["The Vet Center Psychologist is responsible providing professional clinical services to eligible veterans and family members. The incumbent is under the direct administrative supervision of the Director of the Vet Center and is expected to provide clinical services under the accepted APA guidelines for Psychologists. Duties Include: Provides direct service to Vet Center clients and their families. Establishes and maintains therapeutic relationships and exercise professional judgment in the treatment of Vet Center clients and their families. Functions with a minimum of clinical oversight and is expected to make autonomous decisions regarding clinical issues. Provides all psychological services to clients presenting with complex clinical problems and family members of clients. Assesses and provides treatment fort of complex cases, to include veteran's families and PTSD as it relates to family issues. Provides clinical supervision to other clinicians on the team, as necessary, if instructed by the Vet Center Director or the District Director's Office. Provides psychodiagnostic testing and psychological assessment to those clients in the outreach program who display severe or unusual psychological or neuropsychological disturbances. Evaluates all industrial and state disability claims for his/her own clients and for the clients of entire staff, since such evaluations may only be performed by a licensed physician or licensed psychologist. Collaborates on individual cases with appropriate programs and professional treatment staff at the Medical Center (e.g. Day Hospital, Inpatient Psychiatry, etc.) which evaluate and treat a substantial number of veterans and interacts with these multidisciplinary staff and/or conducts evaluations of treatment in these programs. Participates with the Director of the Vet Center to select clients and course of group counseling. Provides Vet Center staff with in-service professional training to enhance clinical skills. Provides direct supervision to, Psychology, Psy.D., and Ph.D. candidate interns assigned to the Vet Center. Participates in the Psychology Service's regularly scheduled seminar and research meetings in order to share information with other psychologists which may be helpful in treatment of veterans, and to bring such new information to Vet Center staff. Initiates research and conducts these activities both alone and in collaboration with colleagues in area which may lead to additional information useful to treatment of veterans. Participates in continuing research projects at the Vet Center and the Medical Center which have relevance to increased understanding and treatment of the veteran. Contributes to the general knowledge base about military combat related trauma and its treatment via program evaluation literature review and observational inquiry. Work Schedule: Non-traditional work schedule, which will combine day shifts with two mandatory evening shifts. The evening shifts will be either 11 am - 8:30 pm or 12 noon to 8:30 pm. Work schedule is subject to change due to the needs of the service.\nCompressed/Flexible: Available\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 00000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nEDRP Authorized: Contact Annalyn Mears at Annalyn.mears@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]