Staff Psychologist - Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) - EDRP Authorized

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Balcones Heights (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

37-50 days annual paid time off

Retirement plans including a federal pension

Child care subsidy for eligible employees

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Staff Psychologist for the Balcones Heights VA Clinic in Texas. This position involves conducting diagnostic interviews, assessments, and providing various psychotherapies. The role requires a doctoral degree in psychology and a current license to practice. Competitive salary, comprehensive benefits including paid time off, retirement plans, and childcare subsidies are offered. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, with no virtual option available.

Qualifications

• Must have a doctoral degree in psychology.
• Need to be licensed to practice psychology.
• Experience with evidence-based psychotherapies preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct diagnostic interviews and psychological evaluations.
• Develop and implement treatment plans for patients.
• Provide individual and group therapy.

Skills

Knowledge of psychological treatments

Ability to design treatment strategies

Excellent communication skills

Experience with diverse populations

Education

Doctoral degree in psychology

Completed internship program

Licensed to practice psychology

Job description

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) – a student‑loan payment reimbursement program. Applicants must meet specific eligibility requirements under VHA policy and submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program approval (award amount up to $200,000 and eligibility period of one to five years) is determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after a complete review of the application.

Qualifications

Applicants pending 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 Requirement – as stated in VA Handbook 5005, Part II.
• Education Requirement – you must have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program accredited by the APA (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.
• Or have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully completed a re‑specialization program meeting both: a) the program must be completed in an APA or CPA accredited doctoral program; b) the specialty in which you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are applying for.
• Or have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally‑accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
• Internship Requirement – you must have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program 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 in the process of applying for APA accreditation are acceptable if 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 are considered acceptable.
• Or applicants who completed an internship that was not accredited by APA or CPA at the time may be considered eligible only if they are currently board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty area consistent with the assignment.
• Once board certified, the employee is required to maintain certification.
• 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.
• Licensure – candidates 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).
• 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 §38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2)(B) for up to two years, provided they practice only under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.
• Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment.
• 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).
• Physical Requirements – Light lifting under 15 pounds; Light carrying under 15 pounds; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Hearing (aid may be permitted); Ability to perform privileges; Ability to independently perform physical exam; Emotional & mental stability.
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard – please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/

Grades & Experience

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 at a level equivalent to GS‑11. Must also demonstrate the following KSAs:

• 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.

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 level. Must also demonstrate the following KSAs:

• 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.
• Experience is only creditable if it is post‑doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed.

Preferred Experience

• GS‑12: Working on interdisciplinary teams or in a large medical center; experience working with veteran and diverse populations; experience/training in evidence‑based psychotherapies.
• GS‑13: Working on interdisciplinary teams or in a large medical center; experience working with veteran and diverse populations; experience/training in evidence‑based psychotherapies; completion of an APA‑accredited postdoctoral fellowship; administrative or process improvement experience.

Full Performance Level

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

GS‑11 Staff Psychologist (BHIP)

Major Duties: Conducts diagnostic interviews, psychological evaluations, and suicide risk assessments for veterans; provides brief, evidence‑based individual, group, and family interventions within BHIP; applies structured clinical methods to support diagnostic clarification and treatment planning; delivers consultation to interdisciplinary team members on behavioral health conditions and interventions; provides services via telehealth when clinically indicated; educates patients and families on conditions, treatments, and self‑management; documents clinical care in accordance with VA standards.

Administrative / Program Role: Participates in interdisciplinary team meetings, treatment planning, and care coordination; completes clinical documentation and workload capture per performance requirements; engages in training, supervision, and professional development; supports BHIP program operations and assigned initiatives.

GS‑12 Staff Psychologist (BHIP)

Major Duties: Independently conducts comprehensive psychological evaluations for diagnostic clarification and treatment planning; provides a full range of evidence‑based psychotherapies, including individual, group, and family interventions; integrates assessment data, clinical interviews, and medical history into treatment recommendations; serves as a consultant on complex behavioral health presentations; delivers care via in‑person and telehealth modalities; provides supervision and training to trainees and students as assigned; develops and delivers education on behavioral health treatment and best practices.

Administrative / Program Role: Supports program implementation, evaluation, and quality improvement initiatives; monitors outcomes and contributes to performance improvement efforts; coordinates care across disciplines and levels of care; participates in program development and service‑level initiatives.

GS‑13 Staff Psychologist (BHIP)

Major Duties: Provides advanced evaluation and treatment of complex and high‑risk behavioral health conditions; delivers a full spectrum of evidence‑based psychotherapies across modalities; leads consultation across interdisciplinary teams as a behavioral health subject matter expert; provides supervision to psychologists, trainees, and multidisciplinary staff; develops, implements, and evaluates BHIP or related clinical programs; designs and delivers training and contributes to staff development; participates in and may lead research aligned with program goals.

Administrative / Program Role: Leads program operations – including planning, implementation, and evaluation; oversees quality improvement and performance measures; coordinates across service lines to ensure continuity of care; represents Psychology Service in committees and workgroups; contributes to policy, clinical standards, and service improvements.

Other Details

• Location: Balcones Heights VA Clinic – 4522 Fredricksburg Road – San Antonio, TX 78201‑6521.
• Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
• 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: [e-mail] – the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA.
• Paid Time Off: 37–50 days of annual paid time off offer per year (13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays).
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment – up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• 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 eligible childcare costs (max $416.66 per month).
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% contributions by VA.
• Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long‑term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).
• Telework: Available ad‑hoc only as determined by agency policy.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Functional Statement #: PD51671 – PD51672 – PD51673.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.