Staff Psychologist

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties

Major Duties and Responsibilities:This position is located within the Behavioral VA Care Line, with primary assignment to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Services located at the Batavia VA Medical Center. The psychologist functions as part of an interdisciplinary team, providing comprehensive outpatient and/or residential assessment and treatment to Veterans, as well as clinical and systemic consultation to allied health clinicians and administrators. Incumbent has knowledge of the principles and theoretical concepts of psychology as well as the administrative mechanisms appropriate to Veterans' care. Position requires the ability to select the most appropriate and pertinent techniques for addressing patient care needs. Incumbent possesses the ability to use fact-finding techniques and has basic knowledge of program objectives. Knowledge and skill in Evidence Based Practices for the treatment of PTSD is preferred. Best practices, practice guidelines, and evidence-based treatment protocols are utilized, as appropriate, in therapeutic interventions. Conducts psychosocial and lethality assessments. Develops treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and the interdisciplinary treatment team. Incumbent possesses the skills to offer psychological assessments and interventions, utilizing measurement-based care, when appropriate, to assess patient progress and outcomes. Incumbent is responsible for the development of individualized recovery plans. Provides individual, group, and (when requested and appropriate) family therapy to Veterans diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the outpatient and/or residential treatment settings. Incumbent provides these clinical services to the Veteran within the policies of the assigned clinical setting. Identifies high-risk patients and provides appropriate interventions, including crisis intervention services. Has working knowledge and experience in the use of mental health diagnoses and treatment modalities. Preferably Veteran has an understanding of general medical terminology and psychopharmacology. Engage in outreach activities as needed to promote awareness of PTSD services. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday-Friday, 800am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Relocation Incentive: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Authorized Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 21Y62-O Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). 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) 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

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 Qualifications: The basic requirements for employment as a VHA psychologist are prescribed by Public Law 96-151 codified in 38 U.S.C. § 7402. To qualify for appointment, all applicants for the position of psychologist in VHA must meet the following: Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.g, this part.) 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. TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED TO VERIFY EDUCATION 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. Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. AND 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 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. NOTE: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the requirements of this qualification standard. Licensure: