Staff Psychologist (BHIP)

Company: Department of Veterans Affairs
Location: Laredo
Posted on: June 12, 2021

Job Description:

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Duties

Summary

A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a Highly Qualified Individual.

This position has been approved for the Education Debt Reduction Program. Please refer to the "Duties Section below" for more information.

This vacancy will remain open until filled. The first cut-off date is 1/15/2021. Additional applications will be referred as needed. Applicants will be referred based on location as vacancies are identified.

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Responsibilities

NOTE: This vacancy is being recruited for as Psychologist, Senior Social Worker, and Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor. Please see "How You Will Be Evaluated" section for details on all occupations being considered for this recruitment effort.

• NOTE: Applicant Expiration: Applicants will remain active for 3 months after their initial application is received and/or updated. After that time you must update your application through your USAJobs account if you would like to be made active again for possible consideration during the open period.

The Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) Psychologist, is administratively within Psychology Service Line within the Mental Health Service Line. The incumbent functions as part of a multidisciplinary general mental health team, diagnoses and treats mental disorders, conducts psychological and cognitive assessments, and provides consultation to other providers regarding mental disorders. The core of the incumbent's duties is general service delivery for a wide range of mental and emotional concerns, especially treatment of, and consultation on, disorders considered to be serious mental illnesses (e.g., mood disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders); whereas, mental disorders of mood, anxiety, and trauma-adjustment of mild to moderate severity, can often be treated within Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI). The Incumbent is expected to conduct treatment sessions that are generally 30 to 45 minutes in length and can span in number from 12 to 20 visits for most concerns. Overall treatment duration of personality disorders can span from between 12 to 24 months. The BHIP Psychologist can expect to treat 6-8 patients per day and will coordinate with providers of various disciplines for completion of intakes and treatment plans with patients.

Administrative Responsibilities:

1. May have limited responsibility for and oversight of the administrative and programmatic resources of various clinical programs within the VATVCBHCS.

2. May assist in coordinating programming within the various mental health programs with psychology Program Managers as well as with discipline supervisors of affected staff assigned to these programs.

3. May serve as the representative for Psychology Service on various Psychology Service, Mental Health Service Line, System, or VISN administrative committees or work groups.

Clinical Responsibilities:

1. Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including the use of psychological testing for major and secondary psychological disorders for patients within VATVCBHCS in areas of special interest/expertise.

2. Performs psychological evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations. These evaluations employ a comprehensive diagnostic interview, review of available records, collateral contact when available, as well as objective and cognitive tests when indicated.

3. Provides a range of psychological therapeutic interventions with individuals with mental health and medical disorders with an emphasis on the application of time-limited, evidence-based treatments for common disorders.

4. Consults with and serves as a resource for other professional personnel concerning the need for, evaluation of, and development of psychological services in VATVCBHCS.

5. May be asked to assist in the selection, training, and supervision staff at lower grade within assigned program area, Psychology Service, or VATVCBHCS

.Academic/Teaching/Research Activities:

1. May serve as a clinical supervisor for psychology pre-doctoral interns, postdoctoral fellows, and doctoral level graduate practicum students in psychology and other related disciplines.

2. May prepare and teach seminars/workshops for VATVCBHCS trainees/staff on topics within interest/competency areas.

3. May serve as a member of various VATVCBHCS Mental Health, VATVCBHCS, and/or VISN committees.

4. May choose to conduct approved psychological research that supports the mission of VATVCBHCS alone or in collaboration with other professional in VATVCBHCS or affiliated academic institutions.

5. May choose to apply for a faculty appointment at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan reimbursement program within VHA. If selected for this position, you must meet specific individual eligibility criteria in accordance with VHA policy 1021 and apply for EDRP within four (4) months of appointment. Final award amount and program start date is determined after review of a complete EDRP application and supporting documentation by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services office. If selected for this position, please contact the facility EDRP Coordinator.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

13

• Job family (Series)

0180 Psychology

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• Requirements

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

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. *HPTs who are on track to graduate/complete the requirements should respond as if they have met the requirements. Provide details in the narrative sections of the assessment.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/11/2021.

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.

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).

Preferred Experience:

• VA or DOD experience.
• Psychological assessment experience.
• Experience incorporating outcomes measures into treatment.
• Experience with evidence-based psychotherapies.
• Experience in outpatient general mental health clinics.
• Full, unrestricted license.

Grade Determinations:

GS-11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level): Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level): Experience. At least 1 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.

2. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.

3. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.

4. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).

5. 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 Staff Psychologist (Full Performance Level): Experience. At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations.

2. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.

3. Knowledge of clinical research literature.

• Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed. Post-Doctoral Degree Fellowships. Postdoctoral fellowships or residencies are training programs in an advanced area of clinical practice. Training as a fellow or resident is considered to be creditable experience on a year-for-year basis.

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: Light Lifting/Carrying under 15 pounds; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking/standing (up to 1 hour); far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other; both eyes required; depth perception; hearing (aid permitted); mental and emotional stability; cognitive stability.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

The doctoral degree must be fully accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) https://accreditation.apa.org/accredited-programs, the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) https://www.pcsas.org/, or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) https://cpa.ca/accreditation/cpaaccreditedprograms/ at the time the program was completed.

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Keywords: Department of Veterans Affairs, Laredo , Staff Psychologist (BHIP), Other , Laredo, Texas