Staff Psychologist

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

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) Psychologist works primarily in an outpatient general mental health setting. The psychologist provides psychodiagnostics assessments, individual therapy, group therapy, crisis intervention, and other psychological services. The individual will function as part of a multi-disciplinary team to include psychiatrists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, social workers, licensed mental health professionals, nurses, psychology technicians and other disciplines. The Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) Psychologist provides same-day behavioral health consultation within Primary Care utilizing the (PC-MHI) model. The psychologist conducts functional assessments and brief treatment related to depression, anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, chronic pain, substance use disorders, health behavior change, adjustment disorders, and other behavioral health concerns commonly treated in Primary Care. This includes collaboration with Primary Care Providers, nursing staff, social workers, pharmacists, care managers, and specialty mental health providers to coordinate Veteran-centered care. Major duties include but not limited to: Clinical Assessment and Treatment Conducts comprehensive psychological and diagnostic assessments for Veterans with complex mental health, substance use, and cooccurring medical conditions. Provides individual and group psychotherapy utilizing evidence-based treatments (e.g., CBT, MI, relapse prevention, trauma-informed care, skills-based interventions). Develops, implements, and updates individualized treatment and plans in collaboration with Veterans and the interdisciplinary team. Provides psychoeducation and skill-building interventions to support recovery, emotional regulation, functional improvement. Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Program Integration Participates actively in interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, case conferences, and care coordination activities. Collaborates with psychiatry, nursing, social work, peer specialists, rehabilitation staff, and other disciplines integrating Veteran-centered care. Provides consultation to team members regarding psychological factors, treatment approaches, and behavioral management strategies. Risk Assessment and Crisis Management Independently conduct suicide risk assessments, violence risk evaluations, and safety planning. Responds to acute clinical situations and provides crisis intervention in a residential care environment. Program Development and Quality Improvement Contributes to program development, implementation, and evaluation of MH services, including structured and flexible programming models. Teaching, Training, and Supervision Provides clinical supervision, consultation, or training to psychology trainees, staff, or interdisciplinary team members as assigned. Supports staff development in evidence-based practices, recovery-oriented care, and behavioral health interventions. Documentation and Compliance Completes timely, accurate clinical documentation in accordance with VA, Joint Commission, and CARF standards. Ensures adherence to ethical standards, professional guidelines, and regulatory requirements. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-4:30PM Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogram@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 appli…

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: 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. 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, counselingpsychology, 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. 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. 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 (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…

Education

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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/.