Staff Psychologist-Psychosocial Rehabilitation & Recovery Center

Summary

Position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties

• The incumbent is a licensed Staff Psychologist at Battle Creek VAMC who has Clinical Privileges to practice as a psychologist. This psychologist has primarily clinical duties and is assigned to provide psychological services to Veterans in the assigned area, PRRC. Major duties include, but are not limited to: Serves as a treatment provider conducting assessment interviews, composing psychosocial assessment reports, formulating diagnostic impressions, developing treatment plans, providing psychotherapy to patients through individual and group sessions, making referrals for aftercare and placement, and documenting services provided and the course of treatment of patients. Administers/scores or evaluates psychodiagnostic tests. Administers and interprets a variety of psychological/psychodiagnostic group and individual tests selected by the incumbent and composed reports summarizing and interpreting psychological testing results. Conducts interviews, use rating scales, questionnaires or other measurement devices or observes the patient to assess emotional, functional or psychological condition. Based on data gathered during the assessment, plans an appropriate clinical treatment for individual patients. This includes preparation and implementation of treatment plans (using the designated treatment planning software) developed in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team. Plans and conducts group and individual psychotherapy, effectively utilizing one or more of the following therapeutic techniques: cognitive-behavioral, Evidence Based Psychotherapeutic approaches, behavior modification, supportive, analytic, eclectic, biofeedback, hypnosis, meditation, couples or family therapy, treatment of sexual dysfunction, etc. Continually monitors patient's progress using Measurement Based Care principles. Determines when reassessment is appropriate and adjusts treatment plan accordingly. Serves as a member of planning committees for evaluating the effectiveness of the treatment program and modifying it to better serve the needs of the patients, when called upon to do so. Provides advice to other staff professionals to promote and preserve a therapeutic environment for individual patients. Instructs and supervises psychology trainees or interns, medical students, or residents in the assessment and provision of psychological services in the medical center. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 0800-1630; the nature of the role may require being available for emergent situations on evenings and weekends. Telework: Ad-hoc may be available at supervisory discretion. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:94211-0, 94212-0, 91213-0 EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Margaret.Bordner@va.gov , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

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. Education: (1) Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association, the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System , or the Canadian Psychological Association 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. OR (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. AND 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…

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/.