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. 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. Responsibilities Recruitment Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified individual This vacancy will remain open until filled. First cut-off date is 02/22/2024. Additional applicants will be referred as needed. VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Psychologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Psychology-Career-Flyer.pdf Duties Administrative May have clinical program management responsibilities, including operation & management of various psychology or mental health (MH) programs within VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (VATVCBHCS) May serve as clinical supervisor for employees in lower grades May have responsibility for & oversight of administrative & programmatic resources of various clinical programs that are specialized/complex & significantly impact delivery of health care service to veterans May coordinate programming within various MH programs with managers of other programs in MH & with discipline supervisors of affected staff assigned to these programs May manage the work of various clinical programs & their staff, ensuring that work is assigned in a systematic way & meets facility & VA guidelines/standards Clinical Diagnosing all mental disorders using the nomenclature of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DMS-5) Providing an assessment of each Veteran using the system as set forth in DSM-5 Determining when clinician-administered psychometric testing is necessary & integrating the results of such testing into the report of exam Providing a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including use of psychological testing for patients within VATVCBHCS in areas of special interest/expertise Performing psychological evaluations for individuals with MH & medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification & treatment planning recommendations. Evaluations employ a comprehensive diagnostic interview, review of available records, collateral contact when available and objective & cognitive tests when indicated Providing a range of psychological therapeutic interventions with individuals with MH & medical disorders utilizing empirically supported modalities when indicated Providing evidence-based interventions for PTSD, including CPT &/or PE Academic/Teaching/Training May be asked to serve as a clinical supervisor for psychology pre-doctoral interns, postdoctoral fellows & doctoral level graduate practicum students in psychology & other related disciplines May be asked to prepare & teach seminars/workshops for VATVCBHCS trainees/staff on topics within interest/competency areas May be asked to serves as a member of various VATVCBHCS MH, VATVCBHCS &/or VISN committees Work Schedule: Fulltime, Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm; flexible tours may be available Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified individual Recruitment Incentive. Recruitment incentives may be authorized to full-time, part time or intermittent individual in their first appointment as a Federal employee or to a newly appointed former Federal employee with at least a 90-day break in service EDRP Authorized: Contact VISN17EDRP2@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Pay: Competitive salary & regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to monthly maximum of $416.66 Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) & federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Bargaining Unit position Physical Requirements: light lifting & carrying (under 15 pounds), use of fingers, both hands required, walking & standing (1 hour), operation of crane, truck, tractor or motor vehicle, ability for rapid mental & muscular coordination simultaneously, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 & to 20/40 in the other, both eyes required, depth perception, ability to distinguish basic colors & hearing (aid permitted). Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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: Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by American Psychological Association (APA), Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) or 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 Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology & 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: The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or CPA accredited doctoral program & 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 &/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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & 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. NOTE: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision & who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the requirements of this qualification standard. Licensure. Hold a full, current & unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or 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. Loss of Credential. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified & if a placement opportunity exists. Board Certification and Loss of Credential Board Certification. Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be 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. The board certificate must be current & the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education. Loss of Credential. Once board certified, psychologist must maintain a full, valid & unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required board certification must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified & if a placement opportunity exists. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 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 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). Grade Determinations: GS-11 Experience. None beyond the basic requirements GS-12 Experience. 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. Qualifications continued under Additional Information Education IMPORTANT: A transcript will be accepted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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/. Accreditation Information: You must have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) https://accreditation.apa.org/accredited-programs, the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) https://www.pcsas.org/accreditation/accredited-programs/, or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) https://cpa.ca/ accreditation/CPAaccreditedprograms/ 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, 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. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. NOTE: If your school was accredited by APA or CPA at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. Additional Information Qualifications Continued Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills & Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of & ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations Ability to design & implement effective treatment strategies Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing & implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties) Ability to perform basic research tasks of scholarship & research execution within the context of an established research team, including research participant relations, research documentation, data acquisition, maintenance & collaboration GS-13 Experience. 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 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 Preferred Experience: Licensed within discipline Experience providing both of the following psychotherapies: Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure with trauma populations Experience with differential diagnosis of Trauma and Stressor related disorders, anxiety disorders, personality and mood disorders Experience as a therapist in the VA Experience providing additional trauma therapies including Written Exposure Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Experience with personality assessment References: VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard GS-0180 Veterans Health Administration February 7, 2018. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.