Staff Psychologist (PAIN)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Long Beach seeks a Psychologist specializing in Pain Management within the PM&R Healthcare Group. The incumbent provides comprehensive psychological services, including assessment, diagnosis, and evidence-based therapy for complex cases.

This role supports inter-disciplinary collaboration and program development. Applicants must meet APA/CPA/PCSAS educational standards, maintain licensure, and may pursue board certification.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in psychology from APA/PCSAS/CPA accredited program or equivalent.
• Licensure as psychologist in U.S. state/territory/DC; board certification preferred for some pathways.
• Eligibility for VA internship/re-specialization requirements may apply.
• Experience with pain management or PM&R psychology is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide full range of psychological assessment and diagnoses.
• Deliver evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions (individual, family, group).
• Consult with professional staff and coordinate care across teams.

Job description

Summary

The incumbent serves as a Pain Management Psychologist with the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Healthcare Group at Long Beach. ***This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP). See "Duties section" for additional information.***

Summary

The incumbent serves as a Pain Management Psychologist with the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Healthcare Group at Long Beach. ***This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP). See "Duties section" for additional information.***

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
• The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below: 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Applicants 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-12 grade level 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 4 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
• 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)
• 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: GS-12 Graduate Psychologist Experience
• In addition to the basic requirements - candidates must possess at least one year of creditable experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) AND can demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: 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 Experience
• In addition to the basic requirements - candidates must possess at least two years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level AND can demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: 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
• Grandfathering Provision
• 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)
• Preferred Experience: Pain management experience focusing on treating the cognitive - emotional - and behavioral aspects of chronic pain through evidence based techniques
• 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-12 to GS-13
• Physical Requirements: The position will require walking - standing - and/or sitting for periods of up to or beyond 10-12 hours each day
• In addition - the incumbent will need to bend - lift and turn as well as use fingers (both hands required)
• The position requires walking/standing/kneeling intermittently during shift (10 hours or beyond)
• ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously.

Duties

• Provides a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses mental disorders - particularly for complex or unusually psychologically complex patients
• Provides education to patients - family members - and significant others
• Provides comprehensive - evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions - including individual - family - and group psychotherapy
• Provides consultation to professional staff within the LBVA HCS and to community providers - concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients
• Develops - implements - and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients - including prompt completion of clinical reminders
• Functions independently as a member of the LBVA HCS Medical Staff - with full clinical privileges
• Assumes complete professional responsibility for their clinical assessment findings - patient care decisions - and documentation Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the assigned treatment team or clinic - established bythe PM&R Healthcare Group Chief and/or PM&R Healthcare Group Deputy Chief
• Assist the PM&R Healthcare Group Chief and/or PM&R Healthcare Group Deputy Chief in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program
• Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs in order to effectively coordinate services
• Complies with national and local performance measures - including timely health care screening and completion of relevant clinical reminders for all patients
• Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures - including timeliness standards for documentation and for completing encounters (e.g. - entering diagnostic and procedure codes)
• Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the Chief PM&R HCG - and IPC team leadership
• Complies with Psychology Service peer review procedures
• Completes all required TMS training courses in a timely manner
• Provides clinical supervision and instruction for assigned psychology trainees
• To serve as a primary supervisor for interns - California State licensure is required along with biannual training in supervision
• Completes all required written training documents including initial training contracts and supervisory evaluation forms
• Attends regular supervision and training meetings as convened by the Psychology Training Director
• Complies with all training requirements and standards for pre-doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship training programs as established by the American Psychological Association Committee on Accreditation
• VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck 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
• Work Schedule: 0800-1630 - Monday-Friday Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): May or may not be authorized
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases he 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: Ad hoc telework may or may not be authorized Functional Statement #: 000000