The Cincinnati VAMC is currently seeking a Psychologist for the Home Based Primary Care Team (HBPC) this individual will function as the primary mental health provider of the HBPC team, providing mental health prevention, assessment, treatment, management, and professional consultation services.

Duties

Clinical Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Providing screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of depressive and anxiety-related disorders, as well as other mental health conditions, with an emphasis on the application of time-limited, evidence-based, Whole Health approaches. Assessing and providing treatments for subclinical symptoms of dysphoria and anxiety, adjustment difficulties, & excessive use or misuse of alcohol or other drugs (for which the patient may have a lower than normal tolerance due to their medical conditions and the potential for negative interactions with prescribed medication) Providing services to the families/caregivers of Veterans with Neurocognitive Disorders being served by HBPC, when such care is directly related to the overall treatment plan for the Veteran and will allow better care for the Veteran and allow the family to sustain the Veteran in the home environment. Providing clinical services in person and through the use of telemental health/telehome technology. Providing screening for cognitive deficits to address specific functional questions or to determine if a referral for a complete neuropsychological evaluation is needed. Performing capacity/competency assessments when there are questions about a patient's ability to make medical decisions, perform other specific functions, or live independently. Assessing patients' understanding of advanced directives and other forms of consent and assisting staff in determining how to present treatment options and other such material to patients in a format they can understand. Providing individual/group interventions to support patients that are coping with feelings of grief and loss associated with disability and other life transitions. Providing psychoeducational and supportive interventions, in conjunction with the Veteran, for spouses, family members/caregivers, and others that are crucial to supporting Veteran success in the home. Providing effective interventions with couples or families, when appropriate, to address relationship difficulties, provide support to caregivers of Veterans with Neurocognitive Disorders or other significant frailty, and/or promote collaboration with the HBPC team, for the benefit of the Veteran. Providing behavioral medicine interventions to manage pain, disability, address sleep problems, facilitate weight loss, promote smoking cessation, and enhance medical compliance. Promoting communication/interactions between medical team members, patients, and their families/caregivers to facilitate the medical treatment process and Veteran centric goals. Supporting transition and adjustment to new living situations (e.g., nursing home, assisted living facility) and providing seamless intervention services, as appropriate. Staff psychologists may be involved in program evaluation, teaching, training, and research activities. Other duties as assigned by MHCL Special Services Division Director Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Available-Limited at supervisors discretion. Recruitment/Relocation Authorized: Yes Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Offered: Yes Student Loan Repayment/Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP): This position may be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan reimbursement program. To participate in the program, you must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA Policy 1021 and submit your application within four months of appointment. The final award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) is determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services office. EDRP approval is contingent on this occupation and specialty being deemed "hard-to-recruit-and-retain" at the duty location you are interested in. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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. Education. Please see Education section below for the requirements for the Psychologist position. Internships. Applicants must meet one of the below requirements: 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 ORVHA 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, 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. 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. Board Certification: Applicants for this position who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be 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. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education. (Once board certified, psychologist must maintain a full, valid and unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required board certification must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment.) Physical Standards. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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). Grade Determinations: Staff Psychologist, GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. (b) Assignment. Staff psychologists at this level diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders, and may conduct research. They may be assigned to any program area. Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the close supervision of a licensed psychologist. Staff Psychologist, GS-12 (Developmental Level) Experience. At least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the supervision of a licensed psychologist but with less intense supervision than at the GS-11 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties). Ability to perform basic research tasks of scholarship and research execution within the context of an established research team, including research participant relations, research documentation, data acquisition, maintenance, and collaboration GS-13 Staff Psychologist (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 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health. Knowledge of clinical research literature. References: VA Handbook 5005/103, Part II, Appendix G18. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: The work of the HBPC Psychologist is meeting with Veterans in their homes and community. The physical demands of this position involve active listening, reading, observing and evaluating verbal and nonverbal behavior, walking, standing, speaking, documenting, and using office equipment such as computers, telephones, fax machines, and photocopy machines. Driving as well as lifting and carrying of light objects such as a laptop is required. No manual labor is required above ordinary situations. Incumbent must be capable of participating in emergency drills and evacuations. Incumbent must be capable of using a computer given that all clinical charting is electronic. Use of a government vehicle is required in order to provide services at different locations. Incumbent will not transport veterans. Valid state issued driver's license required.

Education

Education Requirements.

Applicants must have one of the following:

• 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,
• 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: (1) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and, (2) 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 OR,
• A doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. (Transcript required to verify your Education.)

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 Cincinnati VA Medical Center 3200 Vine Street Cincinnati, OH 45220 US
• Name: Rhonda McCubbin
• Email: [email protected]