Job opening: Psychologist -Substance Use Disorder Program
Salary: $86 701 - 160 642 per year
Published at: Aug 17 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
A relocation incentive may be approved for highly qualified candidates.
This full-time psychologist position is located in the Mental Health Service Outpatient Substance Use Disorders Program (SUDP) as a mental health provider with expertise in the treatment of Substance Use Disorders and other mental health conditions. This position reports administratively and clinically to the NWI Health Care System, SUD Program Coordinator, and Chief Psychology Service.
Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:
Provides services to veterans with substance use and other mental health conditions needing specialized services, through the provision of evaluations and psychotherapy using the most appropriate evidence-based modalities.
Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions including assessment, individual, and group psychotherapy, psychoeducational groups (i.e., coping skills, anger management), and case management with veterans having a variety of diagnoses, including substance use disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and PTSD.
Facilitates veterans' timely referral to specialty mental health or substance abuse treatment as appropriate.
Provides administrative duties in support of clinical service provision including:
Scheduling of veterans and related issues
Returning veteran's phone calls
Report writing
Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the medical center or healthcare system, as appropriate.
As a member of the SUDP treatment team participates in developing treatment plans, developing policies, and addressing patient care issues. May provide substance abuse assessments.
Is involved in program evaluation and quality assurance activities.
Provides support for the program coordinator of SUDP.
Provides a full range of evidence-based therapeutic interventions including individual, and group psychotherapy, psycho-educational groups, and case management.
Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services for veterans with a range of mental disorders including assessment and use of the most appropriate evidence-based psychotherapeutic modalities in providing quality care. Provides neuropsychological screening assessments for veterans.
Provides clinical supervision to various disciplines and levels of training, including psychology trainees, medical students, psychiatric residents, social work students, and nursing students.
Serves as a consultant to other Hospital staff and trainees and assists in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients.
Conducts and/or facilitates program evaluation and/or research activities as needed for the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinic and/or Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Department
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm, 7:30am-4:00pm, or four 10-hour shifts a week.
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact
[email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
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.
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
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.
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.
Exception: Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment as a "graduate psychologist" at the GS-11 or GS-12 grade under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 [(c)(2)(B)] for a period not to exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that such a psychologist provide care only under the supervision of a psychologist who is licensed. Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment.
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:
GS-11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level):
Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.
GS-12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level):
Experience: At least 1 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
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 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations.
Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
Knowledge of clinical research literature.
All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications.
References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G18.
The full performance level of this vacancy is 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.
Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
Education
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.
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 VA Nebraska-Western Iowa HCS - Omaha
4101 Woolworth Avenue
Omaha, NE 68105
US
- Name: Kira Kuhn
- Phone: 3193380581 X636737
- Email: [email protected]
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