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. Program 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.

Duties

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 The Urgent Care Mental Health Integration (UCMHI) Psychologist is administratively within the Mental Health Service Line, with primary assignment to the Urgent Care Clinic and as part of multidisciplinary Urgent Care teams, and delivers brief, consultation-based services to Veterans within that setting. The focus is on general service delivery for a wide range of concerns and resolving problems within the Urgent Care service context. Behavioral health visits are brief (generally 20-30 minutes), limited in number (1-6 visits), and are provided in the Urgent care practice area, structured so that the Veteran views meeting with the behavioral health provider as a routine Urgent care service. The UCMHI Psychologist functions within fast-paced Urgent Care teams and can expect to consult with 8-10 patients per day with the primary goals of assisting Urgent Care team members with identification, treatment, and management of mental health and behavioral medicine conditions in the enrolled population. Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the close supervision of a licensed psychologist. The UCMHI Psychologist: May have limited responsibilities for and oversight of the administrative and programmatic tasks of various clinical programs within the VATVCBHCS. Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including rapid assessment of suicidality, psychosis, delirium, and intoxication, such as might present in an Urgent Care clinical setting. Performs psychological evaluations for individual 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 contract when available, as well as objective, and cognitive tests when indicated. Provides a range of psychological therapeutic interventions, including group and individual formats, with individuals with mental health and medical disorders utilizing empirically supported modalities when indicated. Services may be delivered in a face-to-face and/or telehealth format. Consults with and serves as resource for other professional personnel concerning the needs for, evaluation of, and development of psychological services in VATVCBHCS. Deals effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view. May be asked to assist in the selection, training, and supervision staff at lower grade within assigned program area, Psychology Service, or VATVCHCS. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM Recruitment Incentives. Recruitment incentives may be authorized to full-time, part time[,] or intermittent individuals 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 Relocation Incentives. Relocation incentives may be authorized to full-time Federal employees who must change worksite[s] and physically relocate to a different geographic area when the approving official determines that without the incentive, it would be difficult to fill the position with a high-quality candidate. EDRP Authorized: Contact the EDRP Coordinator at [email protected] for questions/assistance. Learn more

Requirements

Qualifications

Health Profession Trainees (HPT)'s pending the completion of educational certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Applicants pending licensure may be referred and given a temporary exception. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job 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: To be qualified for a GS-0180 Psychologist you must possess 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:(a) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and,(b) 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 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). 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. 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 (a)(1)(D) 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 and if a placement opportunity exists. 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience: None beyond the basic requirements. 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. 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. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's): In addition to the requirements listed above, candidates must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) listed below. GS-11: None beyond basic requirements GS-12: 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: 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard GS-0180 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. Preferred Experience: Licensed within discipline Experience with PCMHI, Urgent Care, or Primary Care Settings Experience with rapid assessment of risk and mental status Experience triaging and coordinating level of care required Physical Requirements: There are no set physical requirements for this position.

Education

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

Accreditation Information: The 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). Verification of accreditation may be made obtained from https://accreditation.apa.org/accreditedrogramshttps://www.pcsas.org/accreditation/accredited-programs/ orhttps://cpa.ca/accreditation/cpaaccreditedprograms/

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 American Psychological Association (APA), the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS), or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the

APA Accreditation - Home

,

CPA Accredited Programs - Canadian Psychological Association

, or

Accredited Programs - PCSAS

website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

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

.

Contacts

• Address VA TX Valley Coastal Bend HCS 2601 Veterans Drive Harlingen, TX 78550 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]