Psychology Program Manager has broad program management responsibilities that include coordination and administration of the residential rehabilitation treatment programs so that they provide safe, efficient and effective rehabilitation and recovery based services to Veterans with severe mental illnesses.

Duties

Psychology Program Manager has broad program management responsibilities that include: Administrative Exercising independent judgment and wide-latitude decision making. Strategic planning to ensure the delivery of high quality services for Veterans. Planning, developing and implementing actions to meet short and long term goals and objectives. Developing, coordinating and implementing comprehensive recovery based program. Assignment and allocation of program resources to maximize clinical benefits for Veterans. Tracking and monitoring staffing requirements and levels of all clinical and administrative staff. Program and staff compliance with all requirements established by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Joint Commission and CARF. Monitoring all aspects of the program. Implementing strategies and actions to improve program. Assign clinical responsibilities and duties to the clinical staff. Approval of leave, ensuring coverage of clinical services, personnel actions, performance appraisal standards and evaluations, clinical assignments, management of MHRRTP clinical programs and services, and professional consultation. Coordinating and arranging all clinical services and activities. Coordinating and monitoring all aspects of the referral and admission process. Maximizing bed occupancy. Developing and implementing outreach and education efforts to community and Veterans organizations and events, other VA clinics, medical centers and Vet Centers. Preparing and presenting all reports requested and required by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Joint Commission, CARF and other organizations. Representing the MHRRTPs at VA, JC, CARF and mental health committees and work groups, as well as regular Stakeholders meetings. Serves as liaison between program and accrediting organizations, community agencies, Veterans groups, government organizations, and other VA clinics and groups. Reports all adverse events and significant incidents and program changes to supervisors, VA leadership, and accrediting organizations as required. Serving as the first point of contact for Veterans who wish to convey complaints, concerns or requests regarding any aspect of the overall program. Accordingly, liaisons with the VA patient advocates, Chief of Psychology, and ACOS for Mental Health. Facilitating interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, patient reviews, and DCHV community meetings. Overseeing and monitoring Veterans' adherence with program and medical center rules, regulations and policies. Tracks, monitors and reports on Veterans' participation in therapeutic activities. Conducting and reporting on unit environmental and safety inspections. Initiates and tracks work orders, maintenance requests, and requests for purchases to improve physical environment to maximize a homelike and therapeutic environment for Veterans. Maintains and reports on all aspects of physical environment as appropriate. Developing and implementing all program administrative forms, form letters, data spreadsheets, schedules, tracking forms, logs, attendance, certificates, educational and informational publications, reports, and other program paperwork. Facilitating the interdisciplinary treatment team in providing comprehensive and integrated clinical services. Ensuring that all clinical documentation are completed. Tracks and monitors compliance data and provides feedback to staff and completes all appropriate reports. Monitoring and tracking ongoing professional training and education of staff. Coordinating and working with staff, Veterans and other stakeholders to develop and implement a safe medication management process. Clinical Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services. Works effectively with treatment team to develop coherent treatment services and strategies for patients with psychological problems, particularly severe mental illnesses, SUD, and homelessness. Incorporates new evidence-based and recovery clinical theories and procedures into clinical services. Provides a full range of psychotherapeutic services. Provides professional advice and consultation in areas related to patients with psychological problems. Appropriately documents clinical services and workload. Carries out administrative duties related to clinical services. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm Telework: AD-HOC Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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. Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. 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. 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 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 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 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. 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. Loss of Credential. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists. 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: Psychology Program Manager, GS-14 Experience: At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program. Assignment: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Psychologist program managers have broad program management responsibilities for a specific program or programs that are designed to deliver specialized, complex, highly professional services that are important program components of the facility and that significantly impact the health care provided to Veterans. Programs include but are not limited to addiction, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mental health intensive case management (MHICM), mental health compensation and pension examination (C&P) programs, Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Centers, inpatient mental health, residential rehabilitation, domiciliary, palliative care, neuropsychology, and internship and postdoctoral fellowship training programs; management of an off-campus site; psychology program oversight and coordination throughout the facility and its affiliated clinics as a psychology executive, typically at lower complexity facilities. QUALIFICATIONS CONTINUED IN EDUCATION SECTION

Education

QUALIFICATIONS CONTINUED:

Decisions made by the Program Manager affect staff and other resources associated with the programs managed and are made while exercising wide latitude and independent judgment. The type of program managed and scope of responsibility are critical aspects of the assignment at this level. Responsibilities include operation and management of key clinical, training, research, or administrative programs to include full responsibility for managing the day to day activities of those programs. Responsibility may include supervision of staff but is not required. Psychologist Program Managers are responsible for strategic planning to ensure the provision of high quality services to meet the needs of the Veterans being served and planning, and developing and implementing short- and long-term goals and objectives consistent with the program's strategic plan. They have oversight of administrative and programmatic resources and deploy those resources in support of the program needs. They develop and implement programs, policies, and procedures to meet program goals, VHA policy and external accreditation requirements, and monitor outcomes using data-driven quality assurance processes, and implement strategies for improvement based on data analysis.

Preferred Experience: 1 year management experience, 1 year experience in residential treatment setting and SUD

References: VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14.

Physical Requirements: This work requires light lifting (under 15lbs), near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, both eyes required, and emotional/mental stability. Environmental factors is working in dry atmospheric conditions, working closely with others, and working alone.

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 Anchorage VA Medical Center 1201 North Muldoon Road Anchorage, AK 99504 US
• Name: Rebecca Hanson
• Phone: 509-434-7320
• Email: [email protected]