Clinical Psychologist

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; North Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a psychologist to provide comprehensive assessment and evidence-based psychotherapy as part of the Mental Health Service Line.

The role requires doctoral-level training in psychology, licensure or supervisor-eligible status, and strong collaboration across clinical teams. The incumbent will diagnose mental disorders, deliver individual/family/group therapies, and contribute to treatment planning, documentation, and program development within VA

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in psychology from an APA/PCSAS/CPA-accredited program.
• Eligibility for licensure or supervised practice under VA policy.
• Internship and pre/post-doctoral requirements met per VA qualification standards.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive psychological assessments and diagnoses.
• Provide evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions (individual, family, group).
• Educate patients, families, and staff on treatment plans and outcomes.
• Collaborate with VAMC staff and community providers for coordinated care.
• Develop, implement, and document treatment plans for assigned caseload.

Skills

Clinical psychology

Psychological assessment

Psychotherapy

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

APA/CPA/PCSAS doctoral program

APA/CPA accreditation internship

Job description

Summary

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.

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
• 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
• Strictly for the purpose of determining eligibility for appointment as a psychologist in VHA - there is no distinction between the specialty areas (with the exception of school psychology)
• 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 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 (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 (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
• (1) 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
• (2) 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
• 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: Staff Psychologist - GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience
• None beyond the basic requirements
• 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
• (b) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1 Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations
• 2
• Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies
• 3
• Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures
• 4
• Ability to conduct research activities - such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties)
• 5
• Ability to perform basic research tasks of scholarship and research execution within the context of an established research team - including research participant relations - research documentation - data acquisition - maintenance - and collaboration
• Staff Psychologist - GS-13 (Full Performance - Level) Experience
• At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1
• Knowledge of - and ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations
• 2
• Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health
• 3
• Knowledge of clinical research literature
• Preferred Experience: Substance Use Disorder Experience
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is 13
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 11 to 13
  

Duties

• VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Clinical Responsibilities 1
• Provides a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses mental disorders and behavioral health conditions
• 2
• Provides education to patients - family members and significant others
• 3
• Provides comprehensive - evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions - including individual - family and group psychotherapy 4
• Provides consultation to professional staff within VAMC - and to community providers - concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients
• 5
• Develops - implements - and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients - including prompt completion of clinical reminders
• 6
• Functions independently as a member of the VAMC Medical Staff - with full clinical privileges
• Assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings - patient care decisions and documentation
• Administrative Responsibilities 1
• Assists the Service Line Director or Program Director in the design - development and implementation of clinical programs for a team of treatment providers
• 2
• Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the treatment team - established by the Service Line Director 3
• Assist Service Line Manager - program director or coordinator in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program 4
• Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs in order to effectively coordinate services
• 5
• Complies with national and local performance measures - including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients
• 6
• Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures - including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patients check out procedures (e.g. - entering diagnostic and procedure codes)
• 7
• Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the Service Line Director (or designee) and facility Director
• 8
• Attends regular Mental Health Service Line staff meetings - Medical Staff meetings and complies with Mental Health Service peer review procedures
• SUPERVISORY CONTROLS The psychologist exercises independent judgment in the practice and provision of psychological services (clinical care - consultation - and education)
• S/he consults with peers
• his/her first line supervisor (STAR Section Chief) - the ACOS for Mental Health (or designee) as needed
• S/he reports to the STAR Section Chief who assumes broad oversight responsibility for the structure and functioning of the program to which the psychologist is assigned
• The STAR Section Chief and the Chief Psychologist act as the approving official for the psychologist to ensure adherence to professional standards of the practice of psychology as well as fulfillment of responsibilities for training psychology interns
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00 a.m
• to 4:30 p.m
• Recruitment/Relocation