Staff Psychologist-Home Based Primary Care (HBPC)
What you'd do
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.
Major duties
Conducts comprehensive psychological assessments and formulates diagnostic impressions using standardized and clinically appropriate methods. Delivers evidence-based and evidence-informed psychotherapy for mental health, substance use, behavioral, and psychosocial concerns within granted clinical privileges. Completes all required clinical documentation and charting in accordance with healthcare system timelines, quality standards, and accreditation requirements. Provides clinical supervision, guidance, and education to assigned staff and trainees involved in psychological service delivery. Serves as a resource to other professional personnel by offering consultation regarding psychological services and treatment planning. Offers education to patients, patients' family members, professional staff, and trainees on mental health conditions and treatment approaches. Performs risk assessments for self-harm or harm to others and implements suicide prevention and crisis management procedures. Functions as a contributing member of multidisciplinary medical and mental health teams in inpatient, outpatient, or specialty care settings. Participates in performance improvement and quality assurance activities relevant to psychological services and assigned clinical programs. Abides by the ethical principles addressed by psychology licensing boards. Supports and/or participates in scientific activity. May serve on internal and external committees. Works with Veterans and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems utilizing evidence-based treatments in an individual, group, and family capacity. Engages in information gathering, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning, implementation, evaluation, and follow-up. Fully utilizes the current DSM in making diagnoses, formulating treatment goals, and applying appropriate clinical interventions using professional counseling practices. Makes professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendations for treatment planning and implementation. Conducts psychological and/or neuropsychological assessments. Provides screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of cognitive deficits to address specific questions or to determine is a referral for a complete neuropsychological evaluation or dementia assessment is needed. Performs assessments when there are questions about a Veteran's ability to make medical decisions, perform other specific functions, or live independently. Assesses the understanding of advance directives and other forms of consent and assists staff in determining how to present options and other such material in a format they can understand. Treats modalities including individual, family, and group psychotherapies, and other interventions they are competent to provide. They consult with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues related to disability, medical conditions, and other life transitions. Provides psychological prevention services to Veterans at significant risk for psychological problems. Delivers services both in person and via VTel. Utilizes a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions. Work Schedule: M-F 7:30am-4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Available 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 [email protected], the EDRP Program Office 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: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 99256,99255,99253 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
*** This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT & will remain open until September 23, 2026, or until the position is filled. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be August 13, 2026. 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. *** 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. OR (2) Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology &, 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 (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 & 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. 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 & 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 & 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 (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 & 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. Licensure. Hold a full, current, & 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. English Language Proficiency. Psychologists must be proficient in spoken & written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005. Driver's License Requirement: A current, Valid State issued Driver's License is required for this position. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a psychologist prior to the effective date of the qualification standard (2/7/2018) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, & grade held, including positive education & licensure/certification that are part of the basic requirements of the position. Grade Determinations: Staff Psychologist, GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements Staff Psychologist, GS-12 (Developmental Level)Experience. At least 1 year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of & 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 & research execution within the context of an established research team, including research participant relations, research documentation, data acquisition, maintenance, & collaboration. 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, & may conduct research. Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance Level) Experience. At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least 1 year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of, & ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations. Ability to provide professional advice & consultation in areas related to professional psychology & behavioral health. Knowledge of clinical research literature. Preferred Experience: Doctoral degree in psychology with completion of an internship program or Doctoral degree in psychology with 1+ years of experience. Experience with geriatric patients preferred but not required. 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.
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