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

The incumbent functions as a staff Psychologist on a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Team (PCT) in the Mental Health Service Line (MHSL) at the Cheyenne VA Health Care System (CVAHCS). Major duties and responsibilities of the position include: Treatment: Primary functions include but are not limited to trauma assessment and diagnosis and delivery of evidence-based trauma-focused psychotherapies such as Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, and/or Written Exposure Therapy. A. Conducts the appropriate treatment modalities for patients with PTSD and other co-occurring mental health diagnoses. B. Develops treatment plans, progress notes and other forms of clinical documentation; participates in clinical staffing sessions wherein specific cases are presented and discussed. C. Makes case presentations to the Interdisciplinary Treatment Teams (IDTT's) when deemed necessary to gain the benefit of specialized expertise involving other highly qualified staff assigned to the MHSL. D. Plans and carries out a wide range of treatment modalities wherein therapeutic objectives are often multi-faceted, and the procedures involved require the applications of highly specialized skills and knowledge relative to trauma, substance abuse and other co-occurring disorders. E. Is always cognizant of and makes allowances for the appropriate application of therapeutic techniques in situations where the client has special needs such as would be the case with cognitive deficits, illiteracy, racial, ethnic or gender specificity, LGBTQ considerations, and age-related factors or limitations. F. Conducts assessments and evaluations through the use of standardized assessment instrument, makes diagnoses of PTSD, and produces reports relative to such diagnoses. G. The incumbent functions as a member of a multidisciplinary treatment team, providing services to patients and families on an outpatient basis. Mature judgment and knowledge of treatment methods to be used are essential for the employee in this position. A close relationship between other programs serving the Veteran is important in this role. Accurate communication of Veteran needs is an integral part of being a member on the multidisciplinary teams. Referral to Service Providers: Seeks out or responds to requests from eligible Veterans, ascertains their need for PTSD treatment services through a clearly defined assessment process, and informs them of treatment options available to them at the Cheyenne VA Health Care System. Facilitates access to and provides outpatient services including individual, group, and family therapy; and outreach services as needed. Program Development: Assists the Supervisor in monitoring Veteran progress throughout the outpatient PTSD program as well as tracking additional programs the Veteran is involved with. Crisis Intervention: A. Interview patients, family, and significant others to obtain pertinent clinical crisis/triage information. B. Review and summarize pertinent psychosocial information for mental health team members. C. Record appropriate information in Veteran's chart. D. Provide supportive counseling in the development and utilization of community resources. The incumbent will be experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans. The incumbent has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis. In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, staff will follow the protocol of the mental health clinic at the VAHCS. Provides crisis intervention when indicated including evaluation, assessment, triage, initiation of/support in Emergency procedures, and disposition of patients experiencing behavioral health emergencies. Community Liaison: The incumbent may engage in a variety of community-based outreach activities designed to promote the services provided by the MHSL of this Medical Center. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible:Available Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PD58102A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not 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

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: Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Basic 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. 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. 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. Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards. OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. AND Internships 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. NOTE: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the requirements of this qualification standard. 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 Grade Determinations: Staff Psychologist GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience: None beyond the basic requirements. 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. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate 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. Staff Psychologist GS-13 (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. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/103, PART II, APPENDIX G18 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13. Physical Requirements: This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking; standing; sitting, bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts; or driving an automobile; etc. Use of fingers, both hands required, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16", hearing (aid permitted), clear distinctive speech.

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 Cheyenne VA Medical Center 2360 East Pershing Boulevard Cheyenne, WY 82001 US
• Name: Tiffany Mansell
• Phone: 407-631-8640
• Email: [email protected]