Job opening: Staff Psychologist (ACHIEVE)
Salary: $120 487 - 156 630 per year
Published at: Jul 28 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
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. 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 selected Staff Clinical or Counseling Psychologist will be assigned to the Acute Clinical/Mental Health Intensive Care Evaluation Team (ACHIEVE). This psychologist reports clinically and administratively to ARMOR Division, Social Work Chief / ARMOR Program Manager and/or their designee. Some of the duties include, but are not limited to;
Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care.
Performs diagnostic evaluations for Veterans with a full range of mental disorders.
Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions. Interventions will be both individually- and milieu-based.
Consults with multidisciplinary Healthcare System staff on a wide variety of patient care issues.
Staff psychologists may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities.
Provides collateral clinical supervisory duties primarily for non-professional staff, although a small number of professional staff may be supervised as well.
May be assigned to any program area and may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities.
Independently provides psychological services at all levels of complexity and consults with peers and supervisors as appropriate.
Assesses and plans treatment with veteran to determine what treatment and modality [face-to-face, WC, phone] of treatment veteran prefers/is most comfortable with.
Provides comprehensive behavioral and mental health services to veterans with complex, acute, and chronic disabling disorders, including severe mental illness [SMI], suicidality, addictions, and other mental illnesses.
Provides screening, measurement-based assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental or psychosocial disorders, as well as other behavioral problems, with an emphasis on the application of time-limited, recovery-oriented, evidence-based interventions.
Evaluates cognitive deficits to address specific functional questions or determine if referral is needed for neuropsychological assessment.
Assesses for and facilitates transition to voluntary or involuntary psychiatric hospitalization or inpatient substance detoxification as needed to secure veteran safety.
Daily, develops and completes case conceptualization of each veteran newly starting service and communicates this in writing with all ACHIEVE team members before the start of the day.
Is involved in the training of medical students, medical and psychiatric residents, nursing students, fellows and other graduate or post-graduate trainees, as appropriate.
Serves as a consultant to other Healthcare System staff and trainees and assist in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients.
Other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: The primary tour of duty will be M-F 8am to 4:30pm. However, the selectee may be required to work or travel between any of the locations within Corporate Orlando, including the Lake Nona campus. The selectee may also be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis, based on patient care needs.
Telework: May be available for highly qualified candidates.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: Staff Psychologist, Mental Health Service, ARMOR Section, ACHIEVE. #6112
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates.
EDRP Authorized: Contact the EDRP Coordinator (
[email protected]) for questions/assistance. Learn more
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicant must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/18/2023.
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: (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. OR (2) Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully complete a respecialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the respecialization program) meeting both of the following conditions: (a) The respecialization 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. AND
Internship: (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.
Licensure: 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.
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.
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). All persons employed in VHA as a psychologist on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education (i.e., degree and internship requirements) and licensure/certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation.
Employees grandfathered under this provision for this revision may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions or beyond the assignment currently held for those being grandfathered to assignments above FPL.
Psychologists who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
Psychologists initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
NOTE: If psychologists who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
Grade Determinations: Staff Psychologist, 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.
Preferred Experience: Those applicants with experience working with Post Discharge Engagement from higher levels of care to Outpatient Mental Health, are highly preferred.
References: VA Handbook 5005/103, Part II, Appendix G18
Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work requires light lifting, under 15 lbs.; Light carrying, under 15 lbs.; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking, Standing; Both legs required; Hearing (aid permitted).
Education
Must have both Doctoral degree and Internship accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
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 Orlando VA Medical Center
13800 Veterans Way
Orlando, FL 32827
US
- Name: Christopher Cacciapaglia
- Phone: (407) 432-5810
- Email: [email protected]
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