Staff Psychologist

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EDRP program

Telework option

Federal benefits

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a psychologist to provide a range of psycho-diagnostic services and psychotherapy within outpatient Mental Health. Responsibilities include evaluations, treatment planning, and education for patients and families.

The role supports the Veterans Health Administration and includes EDRP participation with a comprehensive benefits package. Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in psychology from an APA/PCSAS/CPA-accredited program and meet licensure

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in psychology from APA/PCSAS/CPA accredited program.
• Current, or eligible for, in-state licensure to practice psychology.
• Ability to perform psychopathological evaluations and provide evidence-based treatments.

Responsibilities

• Provide psycho-diagnostic services for outpatient and related settings.
• Perform psychological evaluations for diagnostic clarification and treatment planning.
• Deliver individual, family, and group psychotherapy.
• Provide education to patients, families, and staff; collaborate with the mental health team.

Skills

Psychotherapy

Psychological testing

Clinical assessment

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Doctoral degree in psychology

Tools

CPRS-MH Suite

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
• English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English
• 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
• 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~ 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
• NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program - which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship
• Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards
• ~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: 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
• Grade Determinations: GS-11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level) Experience: None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level) 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
• Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs in their resume: Knowledge of and 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 and research execution within the context of an established research team - including research participant relations - research documentation - data acquisition - maintenance - and collaboration
• GS-13 Staff Psychologist (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
• Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs in their resume: Knowledge of - and ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations
• Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health
• Knowledge of clinical research literature
• Preferred Experience: None 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.

Duties

• Total Rewards: Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include - but not limited to: Provides a range of psycho-diagnostic services including use of psychological testing for patients in Outpatient Services
• Performs psychological evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations
• These evaluations employ a comprehensive diagnostic interview - review of available records - collateral contact when available - as well as objective - and cognitive tests when indicated
• Provides comprehensive - evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions - including individual - family - and group psychotherapy
• Provides education to patients - family members - significant others - and community members
• Provides consultation to professional staff within the WJB Dom VAMC or CBOC and to community providers concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients
• Functions as a member of the Outpatient Mental Health Team and WJB Dom VAMC Medical Staff
• The incumbent assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical findings - patient care decisions - and documentation
• May serve as the representative for outpatient programs as assigned by the Supervising Psychologist
• Collaborates with the program lead and begins to initiate an ongoing education plan for providers - Veterans - families - and members of the community on recovery model of care
• Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the Mental Health Service as established by the Mental Health Leads
• Assists with and begins to initiate ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program
• Provides training and teaching to all staff during New Employee Orientation on Recovery and Patient Focused Care initiatives
• Provides training to staff on Recovery Model implementation and Patient Focused Care initiatives to include CPRS-MH Suite templates - Safety Plans - Treatment Plans - Suicide Risk Reduction initiatives and other high risk patient needs
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact [e-mail] - the EDRP Coordinator 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: Available - 1-2 days per pay period Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 63034F - 63035F & 63036F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized