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. 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. 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. 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, NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship.[Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards.[ OR (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.] AND (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. 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. Board Certification and Loss of Credential (1) Board Certification. Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be 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. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education. (2) Loss of Credential. Once board certified, psychologist must maintain a full, valid and unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required board certification 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. 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. (2) Staff Psychologist, GS-12 (Developmental Level) (a) 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. 1. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations. (c) 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. (3) Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance, Level) (a) Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. References: Appendix G18. Psychologist Qualification Standard Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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. ["General Description: The psychologist applies advanced professional psychological diagnostic methods and evidence-based intervention strategies to a full range of patient problems in the work setting. The psychologist has advanced knowledge of psychological assessment, diagnosis, intervention, and behavioral health that qualifies them to provide advice and consultation to professionals representing a variety of disciplines. The primary job functions of psychologists at the GS-12 level include the provision of direct psychological patient care, consultation services on difficult or complex cases, and education of staff. The psychologist for whom this functional statement applies is assigned to Morehead City CBOC in Morehead City, NC. In terms of discipline-specific and other clinical practice issues, the psychologist directly reports to a designated supervisory psychologist within the Mental Health Service Line and, ultimately, the Chief of Psychology (Durham VAHCS) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to the full range of patient populations. 2. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies. 3. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures. Primary (Clinical) Responsibilities: 1. Provides a full range of psychological services at all levels of complexity for patients within the General Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, with service delivery to include intake evaluations, psychological diagnostic assessment, and psychotherapy. 2. Provides evidence-based psychotherapies (e.g., DBT, PE, CPT) in individual, family, couples, and group formats for a wide-range of Veterans with mental health needs. 3. Serves as a member of general mental health team, providing psychological consultation to other professional staff for Veterans mental health care needs. 4. Functions independently as a member of the Durham VA HCS Medical Staff, with full clinical privileges. Assumes complete professional responsibility for his clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation. 5. As relevant and as requested, may provide clinical supervision to Psychology practicum students, interns, or fellows (or unlicensed Psychology staff, as requested). 6. Completes all VA required, mandatory trainings Other Significant Responsibilities: 1. With approval, may serve on Medical Center, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces. 2. May represent Psychology/Mental Health programs in various workgroups and committees at the Medical Center. 3. May actively participate in leadership roles on local, state, and national professional organizations. 4. As assigned, may represent the Medical enter or Psychology/Mental Health at professional organizations/community group events or committees. Supervisory Controls The staff psychologist exercises independent judgment in the practice and provision of psychological services (clinical care, consultation, and education) at this GS-12 position. The psychologist consults with peers, their first line supervisor, the designated Supervisory Psychologist, and the Chief, Mental Health, as needed. The psychologist reports to the Psychology Supervisor (or their designee), as the first line supervisor, who assumes broad oversight responsibility for the structure and functioning of the program to which the psychologist is assigned. The Psychology Supervisor acts as the approving official for the psychologist, to ensure adherence to professional standards of the practice of psychology and credentialing. Customer Service: Meets the needs of customers, while supporting the Medical Center and Service missions. Consistently communicates and treats customers (patients, visitors, volunteers, and all Medical Center staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. Incumbent will ensure productivity is maintained at the established level for the program for which they are assigned. Work Schedule: Mon to Fri. 8am-4:30p Telework: Ad Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

Return to Search Results