Psychologist (Assistant Chief)

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 Assistant Chief for Behavioral Health works closely with the Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Behavioral Health to support the service's strategic, clinical, and operational functions. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Program Planning, Analytics, and Resource Management Plans, implements, and tracks action plans and analytics-based improvement initiatives on behalf of the ACOS for Behavioral Health. Monitors, trends, and responds to Mental Health Same Day Service "easy button" data; alerts PCMHI leadership to workflow delays. - Maintains awareness of Bookability, Utilization, Productivity, and new-patient wait times to identify patterns indicating need for additional resources; prepares and submits data-driven FTE requests. Monitors performance improvement metrics and prepares or oversees corrective action plans for review by the Behavioral Health Oversight Council. Reviews labor mapping bi-weekly to ensure accuracy and alignment with operational requirements. Clinical & Administrative Oversight Provides clinical and administrative oversight for Behavioral Health service activities, including staffing, budget, equipment, and supply requirements. Ensures compliance with accreditation, regulatory requirements, and performance standards; may monitor staff performance and develop programs based on Veteran needs and current research. Oversees chart audits for non-OPPE staff to ensure timely completion. Oversees the bi-annual scope-of-practice process for non-privileged staff, coordinating with discipline leads. Maintains extensive knowledge of all Behavioral Health and RRTP MCPs and SOPs; updates policies and provides training to staff. Leadership, Supervision, and Workforce Development Provides guidance to staff and may serve as a direct administrative supervisor for interdisciplinary Behavioral Health personnel. Participates in candidate selection processes and recommends appointments, advancements, or disciplinary actions as appropriate. Develops position descriptions and functional statements as needed; assigns personnel and serves as a mentor to support employee development. Resolves staff conflicts impacting service delivery and promotes service recovery through timely response to PATS-R inquiries. Identifies training and continuing education needs to strengthen staff competencies. Serves as Acting Service Chief during absences and shares delegated managerial responsibilities with the ACOS Regulatory Communication & Reporting Develops responses to controlled correspondence at the facility, VISN, and VACO levels, including inquiries from elected representatives and OIG Hotline submissions. Assists with the preparation of the annual Management Briefing and ensures Behavioral Health sections provide the required information. Interdepartmental & Facility-Level Coordination Consults with other service lines and facility leadership on behavioral health service development and programmatic needs. Maintains interdepartmental relationships and collaborates with community partners to support medical center goals. Assists the ACOS and RRTP Chief in coordinating behavioral health responses during critical incidents, violence events, disasters, or mass-casualty situations. Coordinates psychological first aid training for VA SORC. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Auhtorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in con…

Qualifications

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. 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, 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). 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, OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. 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 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. 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 D…

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/.