Summary This 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. Responsibilities This position is authorized to provide the right candidate with the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) which has a value of $200,000!! The incumbent serves as a staff psychologist for the Wilkes Barre VAMC within the Pain Service. The incumbent will serve as part of an interdisciplinary team providing care to Veterans, many of whom have complex medical conditions and mental health comorbidities. The incumbent has a high degree of motivation, skill, and dedication to effectively deliver evidence-based psychotherapies for a variety of diagnoses, including chronic pain and co-occurring mental-health and behavioral-health conditions. Duties and Responsibilities: Provides a full range of psychodiagnostics services, emphasizing functional assessments, and uses the most appropriate techniques in providing quality care to Veterans, including services for patients with Chronic Pain Syndrome, often with co-occurring medical and psychiatric conditions, opioid-safety concerns, or complex functional barriers Demonstrates expertise in using contemporary interview and psychometric assessment methods for behavioral health conditions and/or mental disorders Provides education to patients and family members regarding Chronic Pain Syndrome and best practices and treatment approaches Provides evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions as indicated and appropriate for the specific job setting and duties of the psychologist, which may include individual, family, and group psychotherapy and psychoeducation Provides consultation to health care providers about assessment findings and treatment plan for patients to ensure that care is coordinated, collaborative, and integrated within the patient's care team Duties Associated with Mental Health Integration in Pain Clinic Project: Establish and/or expand co-located, collaborative, and integrated Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine service for the purposes of determining beneficial and efficient approaches to providing the following services: Same-day access, initial functional and/or risk assessment for Veterans who are not already connected with general or specialty MH services Brief treatment for MH needs when appropriate, BH treatment/intervention when appropriate (including longitudinally over time, depending on disease course) Support for engagement and coordination with general or specialty MH programs when appropriate Consultation to specialty medicine providers/clinical team members (e.g., effective strategies for managing behavioral issues impacting care) Services are expected to be delivered in support of team-based care and incorporate a Whole Health approach in care delivery Support project objectives which include: Advance capacity to complete (or coordinate to ensure the completion of) suicide risk assessments and provide same-day access for MH & BH needs within Pain Clinics Increase identification and referral and/or treatment of co-occurring MH conditions in Veterans that require more detailed assessment or intervention, such as for cognitive impairment (dementia), MOUD/OUD, PTSD, anxiety, and mood disorders Increase access to MH & BH care either through offering brief MH interventions addressing comorbid MH conditions in Veterans, brief or longitudinal BH interventions, or referral to (and coordination with) specialty MH for more intensive assessment and treatment when appropriate Conducts initial and comprehensive psychosocial assessments of Veterans referred by the above noted specialty medicine staff Reviews all data, subjective and objective, and makes a clinical assessment, identifying needs and strengths Fully accountable for practice, including Veteran visits, measuring outcomes to interventions, and meeting productivity standards Participates in research as appropriate through case finding and referral of patients to clinical investigators engaged in research or through participating in research studies Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8am to 430pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Only Ad Hoc telework will be available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 03919-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Learn more 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. 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 Basic Requirements: Language: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens) Education: 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. Licensure: You 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. 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. Grade Determinations GS-13: Specialized Experience: At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. 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 KSAs must be Demonstrated in Your Resume Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The nature of this work is sedentary and does not require any special physical requirements Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted 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/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.