Readjustment Counselors are multi-disciplinary and can be filled by: Social Worker, Psychologist, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, and Marriage & Family Therapist. Each discipline is announced separately, and applicants must apply to the announcement for which they are qualified.
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: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. 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. 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: 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. ~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. ~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. Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to psychologist positions in the GS-0180 series in VHA 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. Grade Determinations: GS-13 (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. ~AND~ 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. ~AND~ Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of 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. Preferred Experience: At least 3 years of independent clinical experience facilitating individual, group, family and couples counseling. Experience working in the VHA or large medical hospital systems, trained in evidence based practice i.e. EMDR, BSP, CPT, DBT; strong clinical skills and thorough clinical documentation. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The work does not inherently include physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with a workplace accommodation.
The incumbent will be responsible for providing the following Vet Center services to eligible individuals who are experiencing a variety of military related psychological and psychosocial problems. Incumbents must possess the knowledge and experience to independently implement psychotherapeutic modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to enhance the readjustment of Veterans, active duty Service members, and their families. Duties of this position include, but are not limited to: Counseling Planning/Goal Setting: Design and implement effective treatment strategies. Develop and periodically update an individualized readjustment counseling service plan that reflects a course of therapeutic and psychosocial interventions, inclusive of outcome measurements. Direct Counseling Service Provision: Will implement the individualized counseling plan through an appropriate course of individual, group, couple and/or family readjustment counseling with location (in-person and/or virtual) being based on client preference. Risk Assessment and Crisis Intervention: Will apply risk assessment procedures during the initial assessment and periodically throughout the planned course of readjustment counseling as required and appropriate. Care Coordination: Will link the Veteran or service member with other community services, resources, and opportunities to maximize their independence, health, and well-being. Outreach: Will maintain active coordination with Vet Center outreach specialists to ensure seamless referral to Vet Center services for those individuals engaged in the community at outreach events that may require follow-up readjustment counseling. Team Cohesion and Coordination: Under the supervision of the Vet Center Director, will actively participate in Vet Center staff meetings designed to promote team building and staff development through conjoint planning and problem solving, staff discussion of problematic cases, coaching and mentoring new Vet Center staff hires, and addressing issues of staff self-care. Documentation/Administrative Responsibilities/Consultation: Will document all clinical interactions with eligible individuals and episodes of care coordination on their behalf as required by RCS policy. Responsiveness to Other Duties as Assigned: Will proactively address all other duties as assigned and directed by the Vet Center Director. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 10:00a-6:30p; Evenings are required based on the needs of the Vet Center. 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. 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: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 63065A