Staff Psychologist

Summary

The staff psychologist will function as the Communications and Education Psychologist for the VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (CESAMH), which is located at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. This is a temporary position - Not to Exceed: 12/31/2026

Duties

VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The staff psychologist will function as the Communications and Education Psychologist for the VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (CESAMH), which is located at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. They report to the CESAMH Director and the Director of Education and Dissemination and provide for the overall management and maintenance of all online information, written materials, social media resources, and internal and external website materials. Duties may include, but are not limited to: Assists the Division Directors or team coordinator in the design, development, and implementation of clinical programs for a team of treatment providers. Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the treatment team, Impact Unit, and MHCL, established by the VASDHS and the Associate Chief of Staff of the Mental Health Care Line. Assists the Division Director or coordinator in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program. Collaborates with other health care programs to effectively coordinate services. Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients. Provides support and expertise to all CESAMH staff in the use of communication and dissemination technologies and tools, manages new media strategy and Section 508 compliance, and maintain all educational materials. Maintains CESAMH's social media venues. Coordinates day-to-day content postings to Center web and social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and others, conducting online outreach to provide accurate scientifically sound information. Provides psychodiagnostic assessment to diagnose mental disorders, perform risk assessment and crisis intervention, administer psychological and/or neuropsychological assessment, and provide a full range of psychological interventions consistent with the psychologist's competencies and needs of the MHCL. Provides psychoeducation to patients, family members, and significant others. Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family and group psychotherapy. Provides consultation on empirically validated treatments as requested. Consults with psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, internists and other physicians, mental health pharmacists, as well as psychology staff and fellows. Provides workshops and seminars on empirically-validated psychological treatments and other areas of expertise, open to professionals in psychiatry, social work, nursing, internal medicine, other medical specialties, and pharmacy. May supervise psychology interns, psychology practicum students, and psychology fellows in identifying and intervening with psychiatric and behavioral disorders using evidence-based treatments. The incumbent conducts program evaluation activities and performance improvement projects to evaluate and enhance psychological services and Veteran service delivery. The incumbent may conduct research to improve the understanding and treatment of mental disorders affecting Veterans and at this level may also have research obligations associated with a university faculty appointment and/or VA research program. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0800-1600. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

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. Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. Licensure. Applicants 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. Education. Applicant 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 applicants are 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; 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. AND Internships. Applicants 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