Summary You will serve as a licensed-eligible provider with a doctorate in clinical or counseling psychology in the Birmingham VA Medical Center's (BVAMC's) Mental Health Service Line (MHSL). Major duties are to provide professional services to the veteran population seeking MHSL services. Providing a full range of psycho-diagnostic assessment, therapeutic and psycho-educational interventions as well as consultative services within their scope of practice. Responsibilities The incumbent is a license-eligible provider with a doctorate in clinical or counseling psychology who is under the supervision of a licensed psychologist and functions as an essential member of the interdisciplinary treatment team. S/he - performs or arranges for diagnostic and/or psychometric assessment as needed; - conducts an initial assessment of the patient's overall life situation and documents an initial diagnosis and individualized treatment plan, revising them when necessary. - establishes and maintains a therapeutic relationship with patients and provides specialized individual and group-based empirically supported intervention methods for mental health-related conditions; - provides and monitors services to patients with severe stress symptoms, requiring special expertise and continual assessment and clinical documentation of the psychosocial status, treatment status, and rehabilitation progress, including follow-up treatment, crisis intervention when necessary, and serving as a patient advocate when appropriate. - provides consultation regarding patient problems in area of specialized knowledge, including anxiety disorders and the psychological and vocational factors affecting patient care and treatment; - provides behavioral expertise, education, and clinical guidance to MH staff in the management of patients; - assesses and coordinates with providers within the PCT Interdisciplinary team at BVAMC whether other interventions such as psychiatric, medical or palliative care are required; - performs outreach activities and may interface with military organizations, agencies and veterans' service organizations in the communities where veterans live. - is responsible for accurate, timely and appropriate completion of clinical patient care documentation; - routinely searches literature relevant to mental health, chronic pain, other stress related conditions and their treatment, reviews and translates research into practical interventions for improved patient treatment outcomes; - may function as a principal, co-principal, or collaborative investigator, proposing investigations, coordinating their conduct, recruiting subjects, reviewing data, and submitting findings in publishable form. As a member of the professional staff of the Mental Health service line, s/he: - participates in the policy making, goal setting, and treatment service planning processes of the MH program. - provides psychological services, including assessment and intervention, within the scope of his/her clinical privileges and special proficiencies, and determines when consultation for specialized psychological services is required. - maintains and upgrades professional knowledge and skills by involvement in appropriate continuing education activities. - serves on committees and other work groups at the direction or approval of the Mental Health Service Chief. As a journeyman incumbent s/he may participate in one or more of the following activities: - Teaches and/or supervises psychology interns and psychology practicum students as appropriate. - Provides educational experiences including in-service education for psychology staff and trainees. and other Medical Center staff, as appropriate - Designs, conducts, reports, or otherwise supports research activities relevant to area of expertise and the continuum of care within the division. - Designs and/or implements the evaluation of treatment efforts and programs. - Consults with or provides psychological services to treatment programs or services outside of primary duty assignment with the approval of the program manager. - Performs other related duties as assigned by the Supervising Incumbent/Assistant Chief for Chief, Mental Health Service. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, or 7:00 am - 3:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Available to eligible candidates. Telework: Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 51215F, Psychologist, GS-0180-11 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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. 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. 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. OR (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.] AND 2 (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 one- year supervised internship experience was completed in a site acceptable to the doctoral program. NOTE: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the requirements of this qualification standard.] 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. d. Board Certification and Loss of Credential e. Grandfathering Provision. [All persons employed in VHA as a psychologist on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. g. 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. 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: (1) Staff Psychologist, GS-11 (Entry Level) (a) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. (b) Assignment. Staff psychologists at this level diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders, and may conduct research. They may be assigned to any program area. Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the close supervision of a licensed psychologist. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 11 to 11. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
