Staff Psychologist - EDRP and Recruitment/Relocation Incentive Approved

Summary

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.

Duties

• The Primary Purpose of the Position is to serve as a staff psychologist (neuropsychologist) conducting a variety of complex neuropsychological and psychological assessments in a timely manner, consistent with the demands of a fast-paced and high-volume clinic. The incumbent will also use brief, problem focused treatment interventions, including attending to various patient, family, caregivers and medical provider needs. This is a direct patient care position. The knowledge requirements of this professional position involve mastery of the theories, principles, concepts, and methodologies of psychology that is customarily acquired through education and training that meets the requirements for a doctoral degree plus two years of post-doctoral experience in clinical neuropsychology in a service-based setting. The incumbent will conduct complex neuropsychological and psychological assessments related to a wide range of neurological, medical and psychological disorders. The employee demonstrates knowledge regarding a wide variety of psychological, neuropsychological and medical conditions alongside the role and interaction of cognitive, personality, and other psychological factors. The employee diagnoses cognitive and psychological disorders using a variety of assessment techniques including clinical interview, psychological assessment and neuropsychological assessment. While most job duties are related to assessment, therapy may also be used to address behavioral issues, adjustment to illness, or care provider concerns. The ideal candidate will also possess the capability to independently conduct comprehensive neuropsychological assessments. The employee may interact on various levels with the referring sources through direct and indirect communication. The employee is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system, as appropriate. Additionally, the employee provides outcome measurements using a data-driven quality assurance process, as needed and requested. The incumbent provides suicide risk assessment and safety planning as needed. This includes providing triage services for patients at elevated risk of harm to self or others. The incumbent is expected to engage in all team related activities, including attendance of Behavioral Health team meetings, monthly Psychology staff meetings, and main overall compliance with Psychology peer review procedures. As with all Staff Psychologist positions in Mental Health, the incumbent may be called upon to serve on ad hoc workgroups or committees within the service to address problems and concerns of the service. The incumbent regularly consults with medical center staff regarding various patient care issues. The psychologist assumes responsibility for independent professional functioning and regularly works with a variety of complex cases within the assigned areas. The Psychologist is accountable for keeping the supervisor informed of administrative matters, professional activities, significant occurrences, and identifying problem areas that should be brought to the attention of the incumbent's direct supervisor and management. Work will be reviewed by the supervisors through individual conferences, through random record audit and the peer review process. As part of their regular responsibilities, the applicant will be required to provide support to the Bonham CLC. The incumbent assists with coverage of other mental health areas if deemed necessary by Service Leadership. VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN17EDRP2@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Tim…

Qualifications

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: 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: 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. 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. AND 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 psycho…

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. The doctoral degree must be fully accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) https://accreditation.apa.org/accredited-programs, the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) https://www.pcsas.org/, or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) https://cpa.ca/accreditation/cpaaccreditedprograms/ at the time the program was completed. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. 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).