Psychologist
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 eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount up to $200,000 & eligibility period one to five years are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.
Major duties
The Staff Psychologist - Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) serves as a core member of the interdisciplinary HBPC team within the Mental Health & Behavioral Sciences Service (MH&BSS). The psychologist provides a full range of evidence-based psychological services to medically complex, chronically ill, and geriatric Veterans in their homes, including psychological assessment, cognitive and capacity evaluations, psychotherapy, prevention-focused interventions, and behavioral medicine strategies that support treatment adherence and improved health outcomes. The psychologist functions as an independent, privileged provider and offers ongoing consultation to HBPC team members to support high-quality, patient-centered care. Major Duties, but not limited too: - Provide comprehensive psychological assessments and diagnose mental disorders, including for complex or unusually difficult patients. - Deliver evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy. - Conduct psychological, cognitive, and capacity assessments for older adults and chronically ill Veterans enrolled in HBPC. - Provide neuropsychological screening and cognitive testing to evaluate functioning and determine the need for specialized assessment. - Develop, implement, and document individual treatment plans, including timely completion of clinical reminders and CPRS documentation. - Offer prevention-oriented services and behavioral medicine interventions to help Veterans manage chronic health conditions and improve medical compliance. - Serve as a consultant and resource for HBPC team members and other professionals regarding psychological services and patient care needs. - Function independently with full clinical privileges, assuming responsibility for clinical assessments, patient care decisions, and documentation. - Assist in designing, developing, and implementing clinical activities within HBPC, MH&BSS, and the Extended Care Program. - Participate in program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement initiatives. - Adhere to operational policies and documentation standards. - Attend and participate in required administrative meetings at the service, program, and medical center levels. - Serve on committees or task forces at the facility, VISN, or national VA level, and participate in outreach activities as assigned. - Provide clinical supervision and instruction for psychology practicum students, interns, and residents when assigned. - Participate in program evaluation and research activities, including assistance with RFPs and grant proposals as assigned. - Demonstrate sensitivity to age-related, developmental, and cultural needs of all patients served, ensuring appropriate care for young adults, middle-aged adults, and older Veterans. - Comply with computer security requirements and protect sensitive data per VA policy. - Perform physical requirements of the position, which are generally sedentary with occasional light lifting and routine movement throughout the facility. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Adhoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 41866F, 41867F, & 40834F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
What you need to qualify
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: 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 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 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: The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and, the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. Internship 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.) OR 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: 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. 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 meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. Staff Psychologist GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience: None beyond the basic requirements. Staff Psychologist GS-12 (Developmental Level) Experience: At least one (1) 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. Staff Psychologist GS-13 (Full Performance Level) Experience: At least two (2) years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one (1) year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. The incumbent must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams.
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