Staff Psychologist - Home Based Primary Care (HBPC)

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.

01Basic 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: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.

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.

02Licensure

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.

NOTE: At the GS-11 and GS-12 levels non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment as a "graduate psychologist" 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 and meet the criteria).

03Grade Determinations

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Staff Psychologist, GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. Staff Psychologist, GS-12 (Developmental Level) 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. 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 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. Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance, Level) 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.

04Preferred Experience

Work with Geriatric populations; Home-based care Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. 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.

05Physical Requirements

The incumbent completes home visits to veterans residing within a 60-mile radius of the respected campus assigned and as assessed required by the Interdisciplinary Treatment team. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially extended periods of walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required.

The incumbent is expected to use proper preventive ergonomic technics to perform duties. The he/she must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. The incumbent may be exposed to homes in poor condition and present potential safety and infection control risks such as unsafe structures and invasive insects.

An ability to recognize safety in the home that includes environmental, physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects is critical. The incumbent may be exposed to animals, both as family pets and non-family pets. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The HBPC psychologist functions as the primary mental health provider of the HBPC team, providing assessment, treatment, management, and professional consultation services. The incumbent diagnoses mental disorders, conducts psychological assessments, treats mental disorders through a variety of modalities, and provides adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders. Among the modalities that may be provided are individual, family, and group psychotherapies.

The incumbent provides Veterans and their family members mental health and/or substance abuse assessments; provides a broad range of intervention therapies, including educational, individual, group, and family or couple's therapies. Ability to diagnose disorders, conduct psychological assessments. Practice is under the close supervision of a licensed psychologist.

Clinical (75% time): The HBPC Psychologist functions as a mental health provider of the HBPC patients, providing mental health prevention, assessment, treatment, management, and professional consultation services. This individual may collaborate with geriatrics and extended care programs. Providing screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of depressive and anxiety-related disorders, as well as other Axis I conditions, with an emphasis on the application of time-limited, evidence-based approaches.

Assessing and providing treatment for subclinical symptoms of dysphoria and anxiety, adjustment difficulties, & excessive use or misuse of alcohol or other drugs. Providing psychological prevention services to patients at significant risk for psychological problems. Administration (15% time): Participating fully in peer review, assessing the quality of professional psychology standards provided in the organization.

Responsible for identification of patient problems requiring consultation with other multi-disciplinary medical center staff and making appropriate referrals. Assuring that appropriate referrals to specialty programs, including community resources, are accomplished. Fully accountable for practice, including documenting patient visits, measuring outcomes to interventions, and meeting productivity standards.

Research (5% time): Participating in research as appropriate through case finding and referral of patients to clinical investigators engaged in research or through participating in research studies, Applying new approaches to patient care through integration of approved investigative and research methods in clinical practice, basing interventions on evidence of effectiveness.

Education (5% time): Providing and, where appropriate, referring patients, families, and significant others for counseling in health maintenance and disease prevention. Promoting patient independence and achievement of optimal health through appropriate psychosocial education and community referrals.

Participating fully in educational development through staff and section meetings, Assuming responsibility for professional development by attending relevant training and regularly reviewing the literature to improve clinical competencies and meeting professional continuing education requirements to maintaining current competence and licensure.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the 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 a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and 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: Ad Hoc - as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: GS-11, 92050A; GS-12, 92051A; GS-13, 92052A. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized