Staff Psychologist (ICMHR-RANGE) - EDRP, Recruitment/Relocation Incentive Authorized

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.

Qualifications:

HPT's 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.

Applicants pending certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected as Graduate Psychologists pending licensure.

Basic Requirements:
United States Citizenship: You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
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: To be qualified for a GS-0180 Psychologist you must possess 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, 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. OR
• Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
• Internship Requirement - You must 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.
• Licensure: Candidates 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-11 or GS-12 grade under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 (a)(1)(D) 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.

• 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:
  
  GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.
  GS-12 (Developmental Level) Experience: At least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). 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.
  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.
  
  Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's): In addition to the requirements listed above, candidates must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) listed below.
  
  GS-11: None beyond basic requirements
  
  GS-12:
  1. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations. 2. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.
  3. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.
  4. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).
  5. 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:
  1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations.
  2. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
  3. Knowledge of clinical research literature.
  
  References: VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard GS-0180
  
  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. Moderate lifting/carrying (15-44 lbs), Use of fingers, Walking 5 hours, Standing 3 hours, Operation of a crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle, Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Both eyes required, Depth Perception, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Hearing (aid permitted)

Preferred Experience:

• Full independent license as a clinical psychologist
• no less than one year of clinical experience with individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness
• no less than one year providing community-based care management clinical services
• clear documentation of experience providing experience- based clinical practices (IE cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis, social skills training, DBT, etc...)
• No less than one year working with an integrated interdisciplinary mental health clinical team

Responsibilities:

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 Intensive Community Mental HealthRecovery Rural Access network for Growth Enhancement (ICMHR-RANGE) Staff Psychologist is directly responsible to the Recovery Services Program Manager and ultimately to the Chief of Psychology and Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health (ACOS MH).

ICMHR-RANGE is a complex program with a current maximum capacity of 110 Veterans with severe functional impairments who have chronic severe and persistent mental illness. The program is characterized by high staff to patient ratios, service delivery in the community, practical problem solving approaches, and a high degree of continuity of care. The program utilizes and interdisciplinary team treatment approach and ICMHR-RANGE clinicians serve as the primary outpatient mental health providers for the Veterans they serve.

The ICMHR-RANGE Staff Psychologist

• May be assigned direct clinical program management responsibilities for the ICMHR-RANGE services as indicated by ICMHR Program Coordinator, Recovery Services Program Manager, or Chief of Psychology.
• May serve as clinical supervisor for employees in lower grades.
• May be selected by the ICMHR Program Lead, Recovery Services Program Manager or Chief of Psychology to serve as the psychology service representative on various Psychology Service, Mental Health Service Line, System-level, or VISN administrative committees or work groups.
• May coordinate programming with various mental health and primary care programs in coordination with managers of such programs as well as with discipline supervisors of affected staff assigned to these programs.
• May be involved in research activities, especially as related to program evaluation responsibilities.
• May have responsibility for and oversight of the administrative and programmatic resources of various clinical programs that are specialized/complex and significantly impact the delivery of health care service to Veterans in the VATVCBHCS.
• May manage the work of various clinical programs and their staff, ensuring that work is assigned in a systematic way and meets facility and VA guidelines/standards.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized
Recruitment Incentives. Recruitment incentives may be authorized to full-time, part time[,] or intermittent individuals in their first appointment as a Federal employee or to a newly appointed former Federal employee with at least a 90-day break in service
Relocation Incentives. Relocation incentives may be authorized to full-time Federal employees who must change worksite[s] and physically relocate to a different geographic area when the approving official determines that without the incentive, it would be difficult to fill the position with a high-quality candidate.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance at VISN17EDRP2@va.gov. 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 existing pay, 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 be authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Salary : $81,888