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 Psychology Program Manager Substance Abuse Treatment Services (SATS) Coordinator develops policies and procedures for program operation, prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN and national use. This position manages and controls the use of data related to the program regarding day-to-day functioning and program evaluation while also ensuring the program is in compliance with VHA directives and care is rendered pursuant to the guidance of Clinical Practice Guidelines. Clinical Functions Psychosocial Assessments: Interviews Veteran and their family members/significant others to establish facts about their presenting problems and their causes, and the impact of such problems as it relates to their functioning and health as part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment. Reviews all data, subjective and objective, and makes a clinical assessment, identifying needs and strengths. Effectively uses professional skill, objectivity, and insight. Uses advanced clinical training, insight, and experience to interpret data and to identify viable treatment options. The Psychologist assesses high risk factors, acuity and need for services as outlined above. Psychosocial Treatment: The Psychologist performs specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. The SATS Program Manager Psychologist incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges. The Psychologist is able to provide Psychological testing, individual, group, and family psychotherapy interventions used in the treatment of Veterans with whom may have the following: Substance Use Disorder, Polytrauma injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, other serious disorders, and psychosocial problems in living. Promotes communication and interactions among medical, nursing, and Psychologist, Psychiatry and Social Work team members, patients and their families and caregivers to facilitate the treatment process. Coordination of Care: The Psychologist is responsible for the screening and consultation of eligible Veterans. This Psychologist will identify community resources within the Buffalo VA service area such SCI treatment and rehabilitation, prosthetic services, local peer counseling programs or groups, community services for the disabled, and other staff to effectively coordinate and manage care. The PM provides consultation to other staff professionals to promote and preserve a therapeutic environment for individual patients. Demonstrates the ability to evaluate their own practice through professional peer review, case conferences, supervision, and other organizational means. Administrative Functions The Program Manager serves as the Point of Contact (POC) for multiple SATS Programs, including the oversight of the residential services (SUD-DOM), Outpatient Substance abuse clinic, SUD expansion, and Buprenorphine/opioid treatment. The Coordinator is also involved with Medication Assisted Treatment with guidance and oversight from Chief of Psychiatry. The incumbent provides administrative oversight including planning, establishing, and implementing policies and procedures, developing program goals and objectives, and monitoring, operating, and evaluating the functioning of the program. Oversees the daily operation of the programs, develop policies and procedures for program operation, and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. Provides analysis and evaluation of clinical program data and computerized programs to identify system-wide trends and needs to enhance the quality of service. Program Evaluation & Consultation: Develops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of Psychologist practice and services in specialty areas, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. The Psychologist is able to demonstrate the ability to design changes based on empirical findings. Responsible for, or contribute to, the program's resource and fiscal management, monitoring control points developing the annual budget, operating within that budget, and accounting for appropriated funds. Provide leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for staff. Initiate and conduct a variety of program or service audits and complete designated clinical practice audits and reports, including productivity assessments. Responsible for SATS Performance Measures and Monitors and associated benchmarks. Regular reporting to be provided to leadership through local committee structure. Will perform other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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 United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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. OR Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully complete a respecialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the respecialization 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 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. 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. Grandfathering Provision. Current VA Employees may meet Basic Requirements through the Grandfathering Provision. 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. 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). GS-14 GRADE DETERMINATION Experience: At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 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. Preferred Experience: At least 3 years of management/supervisory experience. Significant experience in provision of SUD treatment to Veterans. VA evidenced based treatment certification is desired. References: VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 Psychologist The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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 VA Western New York Healthcare System 3495 Bailey Avenue Buffalo, NY 14215 US
• Name: Crystal Collier
• Email: [email protected]