Career Center

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 Requirement - 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
• Transcripts Required 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 you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for
• Transcripts Required OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature
• Transcripts Required OR Be on track to complete 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)
• Transcript Required
• 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)
• NOTE: 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
• 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 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 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
• Grade Determinations: Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above - you must have the following:GS-11 Level: no additional experience beyond the basic requirement.GS-12 Level: at least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-11 level - and are able to demonstrate the following knowledge - skills and abilities: Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health
• 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 Level: at least 2 addition years of experience - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level - as a professional psychologist that was obtained through employment as a psychologist or through participating in a supervised post-doctoral psychology training program that demonstrates 1) active professional practice that was paid/non-paid employment and/or 2) a full - current and unrestricted license
• To be creditable - the experience must have required the use of knowledge - skills - abilities and other characteristics associated with current psychology practice: 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
• *Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• 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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service - paragraph 2.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Staff Psychologist serves as a full-time staff psychologist in the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic within the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center's Mental Health Service Line (MHSL) - and is assigned to the Adam Benjamin - Jr
• Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Crown Point - Indiana
• In the role - the Staff Psychologist works within a Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) team and provides a full spectrum of high-quality - patient-centered - recovery-oriented - and evidence-based psychological services - including assessment
• psychoeducation
• psychotherapy
• and consultation to other programs and disciplines
• Major Duties: Provides a full range of high quality - patient-centered - recovery-oriented - and evidenced-based psychological services - including but not limited to clinical assessment
• psychoeducation
• episodes of efficient - evidence-based therapeutic services to individuals - couples - family members - and groups
• and clinical consultation
• Services are provided in-person and through telehealth technologies - as appropriate based on clinical considerations and patient preference
• Provides clinical supervision to psychology trainees - medical students - residents - nursing students - fellows - other graduate or post-graduate trainees - and early career psychology staff - as appropriate
• Assumes responsibility for professional development by attending recommended education and training offerings - regularly reviewing the scientific literature to improve clinical competencies - and meeting professional continuing education requirements to maintain competence and licensure
• Participates in the Psychology Training Program and the Psychology Training Committee Meeting and fulfills all obligations to trainees per Training Program requirements
• Serves as a consultant to other hospital staff and trainees and assist in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients
• Attends and participates in staff meetings (including Outpatient Mental Health - Psychology Service - and Mental Health Service Line) - and other relevant meetings - as necessary
• Performs other related professional duties as assigned by the supervisor - e.g. - participating in program audits - site visits - tracers - environment of care rounds to facilitate internal or external reviews by inspectors - accrediting bodies and/or regulatory agencies
• 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 ELRS Program Support - 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
• Functional Statement #: 04491F - 04487F - 04485F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized