Staff Psychologist - Intensive Outpatient Program

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Child care subsidy

Federal health/vision/dental insurance

Retirement benefits

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Seattle, WA, is seeking a Staff Psychologist responsible for conducting psychological assessments and providing treatment for veterans. Candidates must possess a doctoral degree in psychology, have completed an accredited internship, and be licensed to practice. This role offers a full-time schedule from Monday to Friday, providing essential care to those with a range of mental health issues. Competitive salary, and benefits include paid time off and retirement plans.

Qualifications

• Hold a doctoral degree in psychology from an accredited program.
• Successful completion of an APA or CPA accredited internship.
• License to practice psychology in any U.S. state.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive psychological assessments for veterans.
• Develop, implement, and document mental health treatment plans.
• Consult with healthcare providers regarding assessments and treatment.

Skills

Psychological assessment

Diagnostic services

Clinical intervention

Patient education

Collaborative care

Education

Doctoral degree in psychology

Completion of internship

Full, current psychology license

Job description

Summary

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2026. All eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred to the hiring manager at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as‑needed basis.

Qualifications

• 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 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 VHA job assignments 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: (1) The re‑specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; (2) 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 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.
• 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.
• Provide copy of licensure.
• 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 for a period not to exceed two years.
• English Language Proficiency: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• GRADE DETERMINATIONS
  1. GS‑11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level) – Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.
  2. 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) which includes diagnosing disorders, conducting psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treating mental disorders through a variety of modalities, providing adjunctive interventions for medical disorders – and may include research. 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.
  3. GS‑13 Staff Psychologist (Full Performance) – 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
  1. For all grade levels: 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 participant relations, documentation, data acquisition, and collaboration.
  2. GS‑12 and GS‑13: Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health; knowledge of clinical research literature.
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard – please visit the VA qualifications standards website.
• 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.
• Physical Requirements: Light lifting and carrying under 15 pounds; use of fingers; mental and emotional stability; environmental factors include working closely with others.
• Functional Statement #: 000000. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Duties

• Recruitment Incentive may be authorized.
• Clinical Responsibilities – Provide comprehensive psychological assessment and diagnostic services for Veterans with a broad range of psychopathology receiving care within the Intensive Outpatient Program – including services for patients with complex psychopathology requiring advanced psycho‑diagnostic skills. Demonstrate expertise in using contemporary interview and psychometric assessment methods for mental disorders and/or behavioral health conditions. Provide education to patients and family members regarding mental disorders and best practice approaches to treatment. Provide evidence‑based psychotherapeutic interventions as indicated and appropriate for the specific job setting and duties of the psychologist – including individual, family, and group psychotherapy and psychoeducation. Provide consultation to health care providers about assessment findings and treatment plan for patients to ensure that care is coordinated, collaborative, and integrated within the Medical Center. Develop, implement, and document the mental health treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients – as indicated and appropriate for the specific job setting and duties of the psychologist. Comply with all Service Line documentation requirements – including standards for timely completion of CPRS patient contact notes, use of required documentation templates, clinical reminders, treatment plans, and risk assessment protocols. Adhere to all Facility and Service Line policies and practices for delivering clinical care – including but not limited to risk assessment and reduction practices for potentially dangerous behavior (suicide and violence), timeliness of care and access standards, professional conduct requirements, and CPRS documentation conventions. Achieve minimal clinical workload expectations as established by the Service Line.
• Administrative Responsibilities – Assist the Team Leader and/or Program Director in the design, development, and implementation of clinical assessment and/or intervention programs. Adhere to operational policies and procedures for the treatment team – established by the affiliated Team Leader, Program Director, and/or Service Line Leader. Assist the Team Leader and/or Program Director in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data‑driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program. Facilitate liaisons with other health care programs in order to effectively coordinate services. Comply with national and local performance measures and facilitate organizational success on these measures at the team level. Comply with all Facility and Service Line policies and expectations concerning administrative practices – including but not limited to leave authorization, responding to suspense items, and completing TMS educational requirements. Protect printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with provisions of Federal privacy acts and confidentiality statutes. Follow regulations and instructions regarding release of sensitive or protected patient or employee information.
• Total Rewards – Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: 8:00 am–4:30 pm, Monday – Friday.
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign‑on Bonus): May be 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. 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). 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 401(k) 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: Ad‑Hoc Virtual – This is not a virtual position.