The El Paso VA Health Care System (EPVAHCS) Assistant Chief of Behavioral Health (BH) Functions as the primary advisor to the Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS of BH) Chief of BH, Chief of Staff, and Medical Center Director on all Behavioral Health programs. In this capacity, the Assistant Chief of BH has responsibility for the effective and efficient management of all Behavioral Health programs and services such as Psychology, Psychiatry and Social Work.

Duties

The El Paso VA Health Care System (EPVAHCS) Assistant Chief, of Behavioral Health (BH) functions as the primary advisor to the Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) of Behavioral Health, Chief of Staff and Medical Center Director on all Behavioral Health programs. In this capacity, the Assistant Chief of BH has responsibility for the effective and efficient management of all Behavioral Health programs and services such as Psychology, Psychiatry and Social Work. The Assistant Chief of BH ensures timely delivery of patient driven care that includes quality assessment, diagnosis and management (including pharmacotherapy) of inpatient and outpatient Behavioral Health care. - Exercise administrative, programmatic, clinical and academic oversight of all Behavioral Health programs to ensure delivery of quality services in coordination with the ACOS of BH, Chief of Staff or ADPCS where appropriate. - Coordinates and integrates the programs into a comprehensive package of services that meet the evolving needs of the Veteran population that comply with the Uniform Mental Health Services handbook (VHA Handbook 1160.01), the Inpatient Mental Health Services Handbook (VHA Handbook 1160.06) and VHA's Mental Health Operating Plan. - Serves as the alternate spokesperson and advocate for Behavioral Health programs and patients within the health care system, as determined by the ACOS of BH. - Directs patient care needs assessments; identifies gaps in services and supports strategic planning and program development to meet those needs. Within the local planning process, develops short and long range goals and objectives for provision of Behavioral Health - Coordinates and develops requests for programs such as but not limited to both human and budget resources, space, staffing, equipment and supplies. - Develops and implements appropriate policies, procedures, plans and professional standards that guide and support all Behavioral Health programs. - Develops program review and evaluation to ensure that the access, quality of care, customer service, patient satisfaction and utilization management, efficiency dimensions of care are continuously evaluated and improved. - Ensures compliances with all functions and standards of accreditation entities such as The Joint Commission (TJC) and the Commission of Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) that are applicable to Behavioral Health programs (assessment of the patient; care of the patient; patient rights, organizational ethics; continuum of care, etc.). - Coordinates and integrates interdepartmental and intradepartmental services especially in evaluation of the clinical delivery of care relevant to the ACOS of BH, Chief of Staff or ADPACS. - Actively promotes and effectively manages a culturally diverse workforce which embraces the values and needs of all individuals. This must be accomplished through long-term commitments, strategic and business planning, education and experience which broadens the mindset and by fully managing human resources. - In collaboration with Social Work, Psychology, Nursing and Psychiatry; recruits and selects employees who provide services as part of Behavioral Health Product Line programs and teams. - Coordinates orientation and in cooperation with the Office of Education, promotes staff development and training. - Develops criteria for clinical privileges in collaboration with the respective Chiefs of Psychiatry and Psychology Services. Determines the qualifications and competence of personnel who are not licensed independent practitioners and who provide patient care and recommend scopes of practice for them. - Continuously reviews the professional performance of all individuals with clinical privileges. - Utilizes the Evidence Based Practice Coordinator, the Local Recovery Coordinator and Suicide Prevention Coordinator and Suicide Prevention Coordinator to foster integration of all Uniform Mental Health Services Package elements into Mental Health Service. - Provide clinical consultation to various disciplines and levels of training. - Oversees, develops, coordinates and evaluates academic programs within the BH Product Line. - Involved in the training of students as appropriate. - Provide leadership, guidance and consultation on staff education and development. - Orients, teaches and serves as a consultant to other Medical Center staff and trainees and assists in the formulation of psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment. - Conducts reviews of manuscripts submitted to scholarly journals. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Recruitment/Relocation Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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 Requirement: You must 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, have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully completed a 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 you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for; OR, have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. Internship Requirement - You must 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). NOTE: 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: Candidates 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. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Grade Determinations: GS-14 Psychologist (Assistant Chief) Experience: At least 3 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 level. 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 Assistant Chiefs serve as full assistant to a Service Chief, share the full scope of delegated managerial responsibilities, and serve as the Acting Service Chief in the absence of the Service Chief. They make decisions that affect staff and other resources with wide latitude of control and independent judgment. They may be delegated full administrative and clinical responsibility for planning and directing the staff assignments in a variety of clinical settings. They encourage professional development, create an environment of learning, and serve as a mentor to staff. May be assigned to specific program areas and may be involved in program evaluation and research activities. Psychologist Assistant Chiefs are responsible for the supervision, administrative management, and direction of the program services assigned to them. The Psychologist Assistant Chief may assure compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements, may monitor staff performance, and may develop and implement programs based upon Veterans' needs and current research findings. Duties include but are not limited to resolving staff conflicts which might interfere with the delivery of services, identifying continuing education and training needs, and other clinical and administrative responsibilities to ensure that the mission of the service and the medical center has been satisfied. They may interview candidates for positions, recommend appointments, advancements, or disciplinary actions when appropriate. They may develop position descriptions and functional statements and are responsible for professional and administrative management of an assigned area. They may make selections, assign personnel, and serve as a mentor to help employees develop their full potential. The Psychologist Assistant Chief maintains interdepartmental relations with other services to accomplish medical center goals and fosters and maintains community contacts. They may develop and initiate new treatment programs and may develop policies and procedures. Psychologist Assistant Chiefs independently provide psychological services at all levels of complexity and consult with peers and supervisors as appropriate. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools. 2. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health. 3. Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meets multiple deadlines. 4. Ability to supervise and manage subordinate employees effectively. 5. Skill in interpersonal relationships, including conflict resolution. 6. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards. Preferred Experience: Five or more years of administrative/supervisory experience in managing a behavioral health service that consists of multi-disciplinary staff. Demonstrated experience with disciplinary actions Experience working in multi-disciplinary teams with privileges at an outpatient clinic or hospital. Must possess experience in overseeing, developing, coordinating and evaluating academic programs within the behavioral health field. References: VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 February 7, 2018 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Accreditation Information: You must have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) https://accreditation.apa.org/accredited-programs, the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) https://www.pcsas.org/accreditation/accredited-programs/, or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) https://cpa.ca/accreditation/CPAaccreditedprograms/ 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 completed a 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 you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for; OR, have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Note: If your school was accredited by APA or CPA at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

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 El Paso VA Clinic 5001 North Piedras Street El Paso, TX 79930 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]