Staff Psychologist-Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC)

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-Documentation Submitted 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.

OR Have 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: The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and, the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.

OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. Internship 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.) 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.

02Licensure

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. 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 meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance, Level): (a) Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. (b) 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

Experience working in PRRC program or providing group therapy and case management to individuals diagnosed with a serious mental illness. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

05Physical Requirements

Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

A recruitment/relocation incentive may be offered to highly qualified candidate(s). The psychologist is assigned to the Mental Health Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) at the Lake Baldwin, Viera or the Daytona Beach facility.

The Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) is a structured and supportive treatment program designed to address the needs of Veterans diagnosed with Chronic (Seriously Mental Illness) conditions, primarily psychotic disorders, bipolar disorders and chronic PTSD. The PRRC relies heavily on group therapy experiences and on in-vivo experiences to practice learned skills.

PRRC Psychologists are expected to manage a caseload, perform individual and group psychotherapy and assist with the community outings. PRRC Psychologists provide a wide range of individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, couples/family psychotherapy, assessment, psychological testing and case management duties for a panel of Veterans assigned to the Team.

The psychologist is expected to demonstrate the ability to diagnose mental disorders; perform initial assessments; conduct psychological assessments; treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities; and provide adjunctive interventions for the treatment of medical disorders. The psychologist is expected to have a knowledge of, and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological theories and assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.

S/he is expected to have the ability to develop coherent treatment strategies, and to incorporate new clinical procedures. Serves as the psychologist for an inter-disciplinary team with an emphasis upon psychosocial rehabilitation, recovery, and accomplishment of individualized Veteran goals.

As a full clinical member of the program, provides a full range of diagnostic and evaluation services appropriate to a psychosocial rehabilitation setting, especially in the areas of general psychological evaluation of serious mental illness, functional impairment, and emotional, behavioral, or cognitive problems. Provides a full range of psychological interventions consistent with training and expertise, with special emphasis upon psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery found to be effective in a PRRC program.

Facilitates patient and family education appropriate to a psychosocial rehabilitation program and the specific presenting mental or behavioral health issues. Provides consultative services to other primary care or mental health providers to maximize the inter-disciplinary nature of intervention effectiveness in reducing symptoms of serious mental illness, with a significant emphasis upon individual recovery.

Provides education and support to the treatment team, when deemed necessary, to support programmatic goals and objectives. Remains involved in continual program evaluation and/or research activities. S/he is responsible for the timely completion of all charting and documentation required by the Health Care System.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 08:00am - 04:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc/Situational-Occasional, Non-routine Virtual: This is not a virtual position Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized - As determined by Facility/Agency Functional Statement #: 80009F EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more