Psychologist Program Manager (120 Day Detail)- Inpatient Mental Health

Summary

This 120-day detail offers a unique leadership development opportunity for an experienced mental health professional to serve as the Inpatient Mental Health Program Manager. The selected employee will gain valuable experience in program administration, staff supervision, strategic planning, and healthcare operations while supporting the delivery of high-quality, Veteran-centered inpatient mental health services.

Duties

The incumbent will serve as the Program Manager for Inpatient Mental Health (IMH), providing leadership and oversight for a multidisciplinary inpatient mental health program. Responsibilities include managing daily program operations, ensuring compliance with VHA and accreditation standards, overseeing admissions, discharges, and transitions of care, and promoting high-quality, Veteran-centered, recovery-oriented treatment services. The detail will involve supervision and coordination of interdisciplinary staff, monitoring program performance and outcomes, evaluating staffing and resource needs, and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to enhance services and improve patient care. The incumbent will support program development initiatives, quality improvement activities, and strategic planning efforts while ensuring safe and effective delivery of inpatient mental health services. In addition to administrative leadership duties, the incumbent will provide professional clinical services, including assessment, consultation, and therapeutic intervention, as needed. The position requires strong leadership, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage complex operations, lead multidisciplinary teams, and implement evidence-based practices to support positive outcomes for Veterans. Key Areas of Focus: Inpatient Mental Health program oversight and administration Staff supervision and workforce management Quality assurance and performance improvement Regulatory and accreditation compliance Resource, budget, and operational management Coordination of admissions, discharges, and transitions of care Collaboration with community and VA partners Delivery and promotion of Veteran-centered, recovery-oriented care Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is Mon-Fri 8:00-4:30pm, however due to the nature of the work there may be a requirement for nights and weekend availability in emergent situations.

Qualifications

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. Education 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. For the purpose of meeting this requirement, the term "specialty area" refers to the specific specialty areas recognized by the accrediting body and not to specific job duties that might require special skills. Currently, APA accredits doctoral programs in the specialty areas of clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, or combinations of two or more of those areas. PCSAS accredits doctoral programs in psychological clinical science. CPA accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and school psychology. There are no job assignments in VHA that require the skills of a school psychologist; therefore, an applicant with a degree in the specialty area of school psychology is not eligible for appointment. Strictly for the purpose of determining eligibility for appointment as a psychologist in VHA, there is no distinction between the specialty areas (with the exception of school psychology). OR (2) 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 (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.] AND Internships (a) 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 (b) 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 (c) 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 (d) 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 (e) 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. License.- 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. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-14: Experience. At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/