CAREER CENTER

This position is located in the Mental Health Service at the George E. Wahlen VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, Utah. Specifically, the incumbent provides psychological services to Veteran patients admitted to the Critical Time Intervention program within the Homeless and Justice Clinical Recovery Program. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship. English Language Proficiency. Psychologists who serve in a direct patient-care capacity must be proficient in written and spoken English. Education. Possess 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); OR possess 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; OR possess a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. Internship. 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. 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 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.] GS-11: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-12: At least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) AND demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities [KSAs]: 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: At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level AND demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities [KSAs]: 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. References: VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G18. Psychologist Qualification Standard, GS-180. 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: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Psychologist must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the Psychologist or others. Psychologist must be able to pass VA requirements for operation of a government vehicle. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. ["PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Clinical Responsibilities (80% of time): 1. Diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological and/or neuropsychological assessments of Veterans served by the Grant & Per Diem/Critical Time Intervention (CTI) and the Homeless and Justice Clinical Recovery Programs. 2. Treat Veterans in the assigned programs for mental disorders through a variety of modalities, including individual and group psychotherapies. 3. Independently identify high-risk Veterans and provide clinical case management treatment services to participants in the CTI Program. 4. Provide crisis intervention services to homeless Veterans, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint. 5. Demonstrates working knowledge and experience in the use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, which include acute, chronic and traumatic illness/injury, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology. 6. Perform case-finding functions and outreach for potential CTI participants, identifying and screening Veterans for appropriateness for CTI admission and psychosocial needs. 7. Develop treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team and appropriate community partners. Provides psychosocial interventions and measures intervention outcomes. Academic/Teaching/Training: (10% of time) 1. Provides clinical supervision to Psychology Postdoctoral Fellows, interns and practicum students training in the HJCR Program. 2. Is involved in the training of medical students, psychiatric residents, and nursing students who train in the HJCR Program. Administrative/Program Evaluation/Outcome Measurement/Research (10% of time) 1. Participates in the monitoring of performance measures that pertain to Mental Health Service, HJCR, and CTI. 2. Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by Mental Health Service and the VASLCHCS. 3. Participates in program-wide outcome evaluation studies. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm Financial Disclosure Report: Not required EDRP Authorized: Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance 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"]

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