Psychologist (Assistant Chief)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Marion (IL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EDRP program

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a psychologist at the GS-14 level to provide professional psychology services and clinical oversight within a complex behavioral health program.

The role requires leadership, supervision of multidisciplinary staff, and adherence to established clinical practice guidelines to ensure high-quality patient care. Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in psychology, be licensed in the United States, and demonstrate experience with evidence-based practices,

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Proficient in English (spoken and written).
• Doctoral degree in psychology per APA/CPA/PCSAS eligibility.
• Full, current psychology license in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional psychology services and clinical oversight for programs.
• Guide staff using evidence-based practices and guidelines.
• Organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, meet deadlines.
• Supervise and manage subordinate clinicians effectively.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical supervision

Regulatory knowledge

Evidence-based practice

Education

Doctoral degree in psychology (APA/CPA/PCSAS)

Job description

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.

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: Must be proficient in both spoken and written English.
• Education: Must possess one of the following: 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
• 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; AND
• Internships
  • 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: You 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

• 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

Grade Determinations

Psychology (Assistant Chief), GS-14

• Experience: At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 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 utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools.
  2. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
  3. Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meets multiple deadlines.
  4. Ability to supervise and manage subordinate employees effectively.
  5. Skill in interpersonal relationships, including conflict resolution.
  6. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards.

Preferred Experience

Preference will be given to applicants whose leadership background is in clinical behavioral health/mental health programs and settings. Demonstrated experience and competency providing clinical oversight of mental health programs, including monitoring of clinical quality, program fidelity, and use of evidence-based practices. Leadership experience supervising and supporting multidisciplinary mental health clinicians (e.g., psychologists, social workers, LPMHCs, psychiatrists, NPs, PAs and addiction specialists) and directing clinical operations across multiple behavioral health programs and sites. Proven ability to oversee diagnostic assessments, psychotherapy services, crisis intervention practices, and comprehensive behavioral health care delivery within a complex healthcare system. Experience implementing and assuring compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and safety standards relevant to behavioral health, such as those used by healthcare accrediting bodies (e.g., The Joint Commission, CARF, or similar organizations). Success leading initiatives to enhance access, efficiency, and quality within behavioral health programs, including developing workflows, improving patient outcomes, and supporting staff development.

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-14.

Physical Requirements

Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupations and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.