The VA Central California Health Care System is recruiting for a full time Psychology Program Manager, Substance Use Disorder Program (SUDP), in the Mental Health Service. 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. OR, have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully completed a respecialization program meeting both of the following conditions: a) the respecialization 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; OR, have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. 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. Psychology Program Manager, GS-14 Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following: GS-14 Level: at least three (3) years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1. Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines. 2. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools. 3. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view. 4. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives. 5. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations. 6. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards. 7. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program. *Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: Light lifting (under 15 lbs), light carrying (under 15 lbs), use of fingers, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other, hearing (aid permitted), emotional stability, mental stability, working closely with others, and working alone. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. ["The VACCHS Substance Use Disorder Program (SUPD) Manager is part of the Mental Health Services Department at VACCHCS. All programs under The SUDP offer services to Veterans with addictions to various substances with or without co-occurring mental health disorders. The primary goal is recovery and restoration of functioning for Veterans whose lives have been consumed or controlled by the miss use of mood-altering substances. The SUDP services are comprised of 16 Direct care staff including two Psychiatrists, Two Psychologists, Four Licensed Clinical Social Workers, a Recreation Therapist, a Registered Nurse, a supervisor Addiction Therapist, and five Addiction Therapists. The primary treatment modalities within SUDP are programming based. There are currently over forty groups running within the service per week. This includes treatment tracts for the Outpatient Programs (two tracts), Intensive Outpatient Programs (2 tracts), Co-occurring Treatment (one tract) and Aftercare Programs (five tracts). The SUDP Program Managers roll will be to oversee the licensed clinical therapy staff within the service. This includes the Psychologist, Recreation Therapist, and four Licensed Clinical Social Workers. The SUDP Psychologist Program Manager has overall responsibility for the operation and management of all SUDP programs. In addition to this there is a need to maintain continuous working relationships with contracted programs that offer residential treatment for addiction, a level of care that is not available within the VACCHCS. The work of this position is highly complex, involving program management skills, supervisory skills, and clinical skills, all of which require the exercise of mature independent judgment and flexible use of a wide range of professional abilities. The incumbent directly or indirectly supervises the providers listed above in the system. The incumbent advises the SUDP Medical Director, Chief of Mental Health Services, facility leadership, program managers, and staff concerning SUDP services at the individual patient level and for the facility and the Veteran community. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized for a highly qualified candidate. EDRP Authorized: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.