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

Clinical Responsibilities (50% time) 1. Maintains a clinical caseload of patients with focus on health behavior interventions (e.g. chronic pain, adjustment to chronic illness, cardiac rehabilitation, etc.) under direction of supervisor. 2. Performs specialty health psychology assessment/intervention (e.g., pre-bariatric surgery, spinal cord stimulator, pre-organ transplant, hormone evaluations). 3. Able to provide full range of diagnostic, assessment and treatment services to veterans presenting with psychological, emotional and behavioral problems, with special emphasis on brief and evidence-based interventions appropriate to the Health Psychology treatment setting. 4. Provides consultation services for Primary Care and other MH providers to maximize the effectiveness of their interventions. 5. Facilitates patient and family education as appropriate. Administrative/Program Evaluation/Outcome Measurement/Research (40% time) 1. Plans, develops, adapts, implements and assesses efficacy of health behavior interventions for the promotion of general health and to address health risk behaviors as part of disease prevention and chronic disease management (e.g., weight loss and maintenance, tobacco use cessation, promoting patient self-management interventions targeting issues such as increasing participation in regular exercise, healthy eating, sleep hygiene) in close collaboration with the Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Manager and others. 2. Contributes to training of primary care team and others in evidence-based methodologies to effectively communicate with, motivate, coach, and support patients in being aware of relevant health risks, assisting patients in clarifying personal goals for health promotion and disease prevention programs, and developing individualized patient self-management plans. 3. Works with Primary Care and Nursing leadership to provide specific training, guidance, and mentoring of Primary Care Nurses and others to facilitate effective coaching (i.e., healthy lifestyle coaching to support patient self-management). 4. Provides primary direction for tobacco use cessation programs. 5. Contributes to behavioral health programs such as MOVE! 6. Remains involved in program evaluation and/or research activities. 7. Assumes responsibility for team-building across a variety of clinical settings. 8. Provides leadership and guidance in carrying out program planning, outcome evaluation, and staff development activities. 9. Oversees the establishment of program monitors and outcome and other local data source measurements if/when these become required for the clinical performance and other outcome assessment or best practice guidelines, using a data-driven quality assurance process. 10. Monitors and establishes procedures to contribute to the improvement of population preventive health outcomes for Veteran patients. 11. Assumes responsibility for developing and implementing procedures so that the minimum structural and process requirements stipulated by VACO for the Health Promotion/Preventive Medicine programs are satisfied. 12. Participates in program-wide outcome evaluation studies. Academic/Teaching/Training (5% time) 1. Develops programs together with other Health Promotion/Disease Prevention, Tobacco Use Cessation, and Patient Health Education staff members for teaching and/or improving Primary Care Physician and other healthcare professionals' core behavioral health skills. 2. Supervises pre-doctoral and post-doctoral Psychology trainees, and may participate in the supervision of trainees in other disciplines, including medical, nursing, pharmacy, and psychiatric trainees assigned to the Primary Care Service for rotations. 3. Develops and/or makes available relevant education and training programs for all Primary Care and other Service Line providers to ensure that culturally competent care is provided. 4. Is involved in the development and on-going improvement of the Psychology Training Programs and actively participates in the Psychology Training Committee meetings. Other Significant Responsibilities (5% time) 1. May serve on Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces specifically relating to assessment, and/or intervention issues associated with the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (e.g. facility pain committee). 2. Represents Psychology, Primary Care, or Prevention on decision-making committees within the Healthcare System. 3. Actively participates in leadership roles on local, state and/or national professional organizations specific to psychology or prevention. Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentive: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected] for EDRP questions/assistance. Learn more 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. English Language Proficiency Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. 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. 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. Grade Requirements:GS-13 Staff Psychologist 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. 1.Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations. 2. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health. 3. Knowledge of clinical research literature. Assignment. This is the full performance level for staff psychologists. At this level, psychologists are licensed to practice independently in the provision of psychological services, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. They may be assigned to any VHA program and setting, such as inpatient or outpatient medicine, primary care, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, Compensation and Pension, Vet Centers, and the VHA National Center for Organization Development. Psychologists diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders. Among the modalities provided are individual, family, and group psychotherapies and other interventions such as behavioral health and community interventions. Psychologists consult with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues. Staff psychologists may be involved in program evaluation, teaching, training, and research activities. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: Position is primarily sedentary in a Medical Office setting.

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 Carl Vinson VA Medical Center 1826 Veterans Boulevard Dublin, GA 31021 US
• Name: Jenna McCarthy
• Email: [email protected]