CAREER CENTER

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. Learn more 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 Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. Education Requirement - You must 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 completed a 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 you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for; 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). NOTE: 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 (c)(2)(B) 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. GRADE REQUIREMENT: GS-11 Level - No experience required beyond the basic requirements. GS-12 Level - 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSA's: Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties). 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 Level - At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSA's: Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health. Knowledge of clinical research literature 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). Preferred Experience: References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. 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: The work requires sitting, bending, stooping and walking consistent with the delivery of services in the office, hospital and community. The position may entail lifting of no more than 25 pounds on an occasional basis. Whenever possible, carts and dollies will be utilized as an alternative to lifting. ["Clinical The incumbent provides a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses of mental disorders, for Veterans referred to or enrolled in the Mental Health Clinic. He and/or She provides regular coverage for, and performs screening evaluations, team assignments, and initial treatment planning for Veterans referred to or presenting for care. The incumbent provides education to patients, family members, and significant others. He and/or She provides comprehensive, Evidence-Based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy within the Mental Health Clinic and documents direct Veteran care at a minimum of 80% of the time allotted in the clinician's weekly profile. The incumbent provides consultation to professional staff within Altoona VAMC and to community providers, concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients assigned to various Mental Health related programs. He and/or She develops, implements, and documents psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients within the Mental Health Clinic, including prompt completion of clinical reminders. The incumbent performs measurement based care instrumentation and screenings regularly and routinely when clinically appropriate to the treatment question. He and/or She uses scores and/or interpretive data in a manner that is clinically and ethically appropriate and provides feedback to the Veteran as part of this process. The incumbent works independently with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems. He and/or She possesses a thorough knowledge in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology. The incumbent will facilitate discharge planning through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate discharge plans are executed in a timely manner. He and/or She provides case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care. The incumbent will be able to appropriately utilize principles of human growth and development over the life span and will be able to assist Veterans in coping with the loss and grief experiences from disability and terminal illness. The incumbent provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address causation as well as presenting complaints. He and/or She makes rapid assessments and develop crisis management plans to return Veterans to a state of homeostasis including maintaining Veteran in the home, admission to acute, psychiatric, or short term/long term placements. In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, the incumbent follows the Mental Health Service or facility protocols. The incumbent functions independently as a member of the Altoona VAMC Medical Staff, with full clinical privileges. He and/or She assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation. Administrative The incumbent assists the Supervisory Psychologist on the design, development, and implementation of clinical programs within the Mental Health service. He and/or She adheres to operational policies and procedures established by the medical center and his/her assigned service line. The incumbent facilitates liaisons with other health care programs in order to effectively coordinate care. The incumbent assist the Supervisory Psychologist in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program. The incumbent complies with all CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes) and attends and actively participates in all meetings held by the Facility and Mental Health Leadership teams. Teaching & Training The incumbent provides leadership, guidance and consultation to staff assigned to Mental Health. The incumbent will perform other duties as assigned. Driver's License is Preferred. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Some telework negotiable upon hire Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Psychologist/PD000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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