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.
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 (1) 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 (2) 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. [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 (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.] AND (4) Internships (a) 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 (b) 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 (c) 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 (d) 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 (e) 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. 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). Grade Determinations: Senior Psychologist, GS-15 (Service Chief) (a) Experience. At least four years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-14 level. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1. Ability to supervise and manage a large group of professional staff effectively. 2. Skill in interpersonal relationships, including conflict resolution and ability to work collaboratively with supervisors from other units. 3. Ability to accurately apply the qualification standards, assesses the potential of current and prospective employees, and promotes their professional development. 4. Ability to develop appropriate productivity standards for professional staff, often across multiple program lines. 5. Knowledge of the goals and objectives of the medical center and VISN and ability to communicate these to subordinates. Preferred Experience: ???????Four years of experience in specialty; three years of experience in leadership 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-15. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-15 to GS-15. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Psychologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Psychology-Career-Flyer.pdf The Chief, Behavioral Health Service Line has responsibility, accountability and oversight for programs and personnel under his/her supervision including the provision of quality care which complies with accepted standards of clinical practice. The incumbent is responsible for performance improvement, customer service/patient satisfaction, patient and employee safety, recruitment and retention, employee relations, standards of care and practice, the work environment, and accreditation and regulatory standards. He/She actively develops and manages collaborative partnerships. He/She works in partnership with the union and adheres to EEO principles. The incumbent supports facility and service initiatives, including cultural transformation and patient centered care. The duties and responsibilities of the Chief, Behavioral Health Service Line include by are not limited to the following: - Collaborates with supervisors, managers and coordinators within the BHSL and other clinical and administrative service lines to achieve and maintain high standards of performance. The incumbent may delegate authority to subordinate supervisors and hold them responsible for the performance of their specific units. In this regard, the incumbent is administratively responsible for all subordinate supervisors and managers and is the approving official of all goals, policies and procedures established by each. - Participates in organizational planning to include strategic, operational, programmatic and other plans and policies to achieve the mission and vision of the Medical Center. - Contributes in the development of long and short-term goals for the Service Line and the organization. - Participates on Medical Center committees, workgroups and systems redesign projects. - Contributes to the development and implementation of policies and procedures that guide and support the provision of services to patients. - Facilitates compliance with standards established by oversight and regulatory entities such as Joint Commission, CARF, OSHA, CAP, OIG, etc, compliance with VHA guidelines. - Participates in the resource's allocation process of the Service Line to include provision of sufficient number of qualified and competent persons to provide patient care, as well as, recommending acquisition of necessary equipment and supplies and adequate space to provide such services. - Assists with overseeing the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements for the Service Line and using data driven quality assurance processes in these monitors and measurements. - Ensures timely completion of all program evaluations and documents required by the Medical Center, VISN, and VACO. - Facilitates compliance with standards established by oversight and regulatory entities such as Joint Commission, CARF, OSHA, CAP, OIG, etc, compliance with VHA guidelines. - Assists with holding staff meetings to provide information and discuss implementation of Medical Center, VISN or VACO initiatives and directives. - Supports the preparation of budget proposals and grant proposals, as needed. - Develops and participates in Service Line and facility performance improvement activities designed to improve the effectiveness of quality of care and resource consumption and the efficiency of the respective Service Line and facility. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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) 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)