Staff Psychologist

Summary

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

The Staff Psychologist for Palliative Care is in the Mental Health Care Line. The psychologist addresses end-of-life issues, coping, and underlying mental health concerns in the hospice and palliative care settings. The psychologist provides a full range of health behavior services across other geriatric and extended care clinics, where Veterans receive long-term care for chronic and often progressive conditions. Services provided by the staff psychologist will include assessment, consultation, and psychological interventions that incorporate relevant evidence-based practices and that promote health, wellness, and improved coping and self-management of illness. Other Duties Listed: The staff psychologist will provide a full range of psychological services to address end-of-life issues, coping, and underlying mental health concerns in the hospice and palliative care settings. Services provided by the staff psychologist will include assessment, consultation, and psychological interventions that incorporate relevant evidence-based practices. The staff psychologist will provide a full range of health behavior services across other geriatric and extended care clinics, where Veterans receive long-term care for chronic and often progressive conditions (e.g., ALS). Services provided by the staff psychologist will include assessment, consultation, and psychological intervention to promote health, wellness, and improved coping and self management of illness. The staff psychologist will design, implement, and facilitate individual, group, and family-based interventions tailored to the needs of the clinical setting, including but not limited to: assessment and treatment of Axis I disorders including depression and anxiety/PTSD, assistance with coping with chronic disease, bereavement, end-of-life care and support, and facilitating adherence to treatment regimens Maintains standards consistent with guidelines from accrediting bodies such as the Joint Commission. Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assist in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients. Oversees the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements within programs assigned using data-driven quality assurance processes VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule:40 Hours a week, Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm,EST. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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) 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: Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 689-F08667(11),689-F08668 (12),689-F08669 (13) Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. NOTIFICATIONS: The full performance level of this vacancy is a 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. This position is in the Excepted Service. This is a Bargaining Union Position. This occupational series has a Special Salary Rate. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.

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: 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 Requirement: Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English 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). Education: (1) 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. 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 NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship. [Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards. OR, (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. AND, (4) 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