Staff Psychologist-Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs (MHRRTP)

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

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:

• -Citizenship Be a citizen of the United States
• -English Language Proficiency Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English
• -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 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
• AND -Internships 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
• Grade Determinations: Staff Psychologist, GS-11 -Experience None beyond the basic requirements
• Staff Psychologist, GS-12 -Experience At least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11)
• Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the supervision of a licensed psychologist but with less intense supervision than at the GS-11 grade level
• AND -Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) In addition to the experience above, the candidate 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, 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
• Staff Psychologist, 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
• AND -Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) 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 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: Familiarity with residential programming; Experience in working with PTSD, Substance Use Disorders, Co-occurring mental health disorders, and Serious Mental Illness; Able to work with an interdisciplinary team (medical providers, psychiatrists, nursing staff, case managers), and Selective Training in Evidence Based Psychotherapies (EBP)
• References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18 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
• Physical Requirements: This position provides direct services to patients and their families through casework
• Incumbents must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others
• Normal work of the position requires visual acuity (with the ability to read typewritten characters without strain, corrective lenses are permitted), keen hearing (aid permitted), clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity
• This position requires potentially moderate levels of lifting and carrying (15-44 pounds)
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs
• Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment.

Duties

"***This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until May 3, 2024.
The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be September 05, 2023.
Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.*** Clinical Responsibilities Responsible for the in-depth psychosocial assessment as part of the overall assessment of the patient.
Identifies problems/needs from the assessment to be treated and develops the individual treatment plan.
Provides individual professional input and addresses the social aspect of the patient's situation with the treatment team.
Assists Veterans and the treatment team in navigating problems in the residential milieu.
Handles all case management as assigned for the duration of the Veteran's admission through post-discharge follow up.
Conducts therapeutic counseling in accordance with specific guidelines and handles crises, regularly with minimal supervision.
Develops and conducts lectures and educational presentations for patients related to various specialty aspects of general mental health, substance use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or Serious Mental Illness (SMI).
Educates the veteran, their families, and the team of all the options available to them and will collaborate with the veteran and family on the preferred option.
Develops, organizes, and implements a wide variety of outpatient aftercare treatment for patients and their collaterals.
Transports veterans to assist them in assessing resources or taking care of essential business on occasion.
Worker must know the patient and be comfortable in providing the needed transportation.
Government vehicle will be used as well as all processes, trainings, and requirements related to Government vehicle use.
Serves as subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources.
Substitutes for other clinicians when needed or assigned.
Administrative Responsibilities Enters all veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate/approved formats and templates.
This information must be entered in a complete, confidential, and professional manner to ensure information on the patient is shared with other VA staff.
Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies.
Attends all appropriate staff meetings, team meetings, committee meetings, or group meetings and perform other duties as required.
Collaborates in the performance improvement process and complies with performance measures as required by the appropriate program offices and local policies.
Provide coverage responsibilities in the absence of other clinicians to ensure timely access and coordination of care.
Completes the continuing education hours needed for maintaining Professional Licensure.
Demonstrates professional behavior that conforms to VA regulations and policy, State and Federal laws, and ethical codes of appropriate professional accrediting organizations.
Participate in activities that obtain feedback from clients and work to enhance services as needed.
Enriching Elements May provide clinical supervision to various disciplines and levels of training, including trainees seeking licensure.
Provides leadership guidance and consultation to staffs of units to which assigned.
Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assists in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate Offers consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in specialty areas, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective clinical practice skills.
Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications.
May serve on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces as assigned or requested.
May be assigned represent the Medical Center or Healthcare System at professional/program community group/events and committees.
Work Schedule: M-F, 07:30am-4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Available; Discussed with service when required for clinical programming needs.
Telework: Ad-hoc as needed Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 51233-A, 51234-A, 51235-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact Linda Orchard, linda.orchard@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator, for questions/assistance.
Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required."