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. 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. 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. 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: 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. 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 (pre1979) 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. 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. Loss of Credential. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists. Board Certification and Loss of Credential 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. Loss of Credential. Once board certified, psychologist must maintain a full, valid and unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required board certification must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. 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). Qualification information continued under Additional Information. ["A Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified individual Duties include, but are not limited to: Program Management Exhibiting leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups served through assigned program(s) that cross service and discipline lines and influence organizational mission and health care. Providing administrative, technical and clinical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of assigned program(s). Assisting with performance measure monitoring, evaluation and action plans for program improvement/enhancement as well as accreditation reviews and pertinent site visits. Guiding and overseeing services for assigned program(s), determining staffing requirements and assignments in conjunction with members of treatment teams and staff areas where individual skills are best utilized. These duties include development of functional statements and performance standards with service personnel as well as function as the professional expert relative to program practice issues. Assisting with directing operation and management of all clinical, training and administrative programs within assigned program(s). Providing oversight of administrative and programmatic resources for assigned program(s), delivering specialized, complex and highly professional mental health services that are integrated within the primary care setting, are important to program components and significantly impact the health care provided to Veterans. Working with all local medical center, health care center and community-based outpatient clinic leadership to meet site specific administrative and operational goals and may assume local leadership functions as necessary and as approved by the Assistant Chief, BHS. Responsible and accountable for assisting the Assistant Chief, BHS, ACOS- BH, the Chief of Staff and the Director in planning, organizing and coordinating all BHS programs. May be called on to act for service-level Program Managers including serving as the Acting ACOS-BH. Supervisory Establishing guidelines and performance expectations for staff, which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system. Observing employee performance and conducting work performance critiques in accordance with performance expectations, which include FPPEs and OPPEs. Providing informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance formally. Exercising supervisory authorities and responsibilities involving work assignment. Reviewing the administrative and personnel management functions relative to the staff supervised. Recommending awards and changes in position classification to the Assistant Chief, BHS and approving expenses such as within-grade increases, compensatory time and employee travel. Enforcing disciplinary measures as appropriate to delegated authority and in coordination with Human Resource Management Service and appropriate Union representatives. Hearing and resolving complaints voiced by staff and patients and working to resolve issues involving staff, including committee chairs, supervisors and managers within the appropriate services. Clinical Responsible for the assessment, identification, facilitation, referral and linkage to appropriate medical, psychotherapeutic, and psychiatric services for Veterans identified as eligible for services. Conducting brief behaviorally focused individual, group and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of substance abuse, psychiatric illness and social needs as treatment issues. Professional judgment, including the knowledge of normal and abnormal behavior, is a competency applied in daily interactions with Veterans. Determining appropriate treatment referrals. Ensuring immediate expert behavioral health consultation to the entire primary care and medical care service lines and continued collaboration and integration of services. Providing early identification (psychological and psychiatric screening and assessment) and intervention for the full spectrum of behavioral health problems, chronic diseases and health interfering behaviors while eliminating common barriers to behavioral health care. Teaching/Academic Responsible for assisting in and supporting the training programs within BHS. Maintaining a faculty appointment with an affiliated university in support of BHS training programs. Work Schedule: Fulltime, Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 50142 Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for a highly qualified individual EDRP Authorized: Contact VISN17EDRP2@va.gov., the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Not a Bargaining Unit position"]

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