This position is located in the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at the Jamaica Plain Campus of the VA Boston Healthcare System. The position acts as a research assistant for projects related to the treatment of PTSD including the basic mechanisms of post-traumatic adjustment, genetic and personality factor development; effectiveness and efficiency of treatment for PTSD for Veterans and their families.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Planning, scheduling and coordinating recruitment efforts with staff, clinics or programs; Developing and maintaining cordial and effective relationships with existing referral sources, attending research meetings and conference calls; Coordinating and implementing ongoing research subject recruitment, including making clinical judgments regarding appropriate subject placement; Screening prospective research participants for various studies to insure appropriateness for participation, including conducting diagnostic interviewing and appropriate chart review and consultation to determine precise diagnosis and current level of functioning; and Collecting and managing data including organizing and maintaining orderly participant files, monitoring files for completeness, identifying and resolving file discrepancies and providing study progress summaries. Performing other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed 2 years). Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration. Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan coverage. Term appointments may be extended without further competition.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must first meet the following Basic Education Requirement. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT Bachelor's degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university with a major in an appropriate social or biological science, which included or was supplemented by 12 semester hours in Psychology. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED - If you do not submit a copy of your transcript, your application may not be processed.) - AND - In addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirement, to qualify for the GS-6, you must also meet at least one of the following Minimum Qualifications requirements. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE for the GS-6: Six (6) months of technical work under the direction of a professional psychologist in a program of professional services, training or research. Technical duties include experience with one or more of the following: (1) Assisting in research as in systematic collection of psychology research data, recording and collecting data, preparing tabular or graphic presentation of data, in accordance with a predetermined research plan; (2) Assisting counseling psychologists in contacting potential employers for the purpose of making vocation placement, providing follow-up consultation, administering and scoring of interest, achievement and aptitude tests, securing work history and other relevant vocational information; (3) Assisting neuropsychologists in administering and scoring of selected tests of neuropsychology battery in accordance with clearly defined procedures; or (4) Assisting psychologists in completing behavior rating scales or in conducting behavior modification. - OR - SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE for the GS-6: One half year (9 semester hours) of graduate study in Psychology at an accredited college or university which may be substituted for experience at the GS-6 level. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one year of full-time study; if that number cannot be obtained from the transcript, 18 semester hours will be considered as one full academic. (Transcripts required.) - OR - COMBINATION OF EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE for the GS-6: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for the GS-6. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. (Transcripts required.) - AND - In addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirement, to qualify for the GS-7, you must also meet at least one of the following Minimum Qualifications requirements. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE for the GS-7: One (1) year of technical work under the direction of a professional psychologist in a program of professional services, training or research. Technical duties include experience with one or more of the following: (1) Assisting in research as in systematic collection of psychology research data, recording and collecting data, preparing tabular or graphic presentation of data, in accordance with a predetermined research plan; (2) Assisting counseling psychologists in contacting potential employers for the purpose of making vocation placement, providing follow-up consultation, administering and scoring of interest, achievement and aptitude tests, securing work history and other relevant vocational information; (3) Assisting neuropsychologists in administering and scoring of selected tests of neuropsychology battery in accordance with clearly defined procedures; or (4) Assisting psychologists in completing behavior rating scales or in conducting behavior modification. - OR - SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE for the GS-7: One full year of graduate study (usually 18 semester hours) in Psychology at an accredited college or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) - OR - COMBINATION OF EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE for the GS-7: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for the GS-7. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. (Transcripts required.) - OR - SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT for the GS-7 Superior Academic Achievement in one of the following ways: graduated in the top third of your class; or graduated with a Grade-point average of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0; or graduated with a grade-point average of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on courses required for your major; or are a member of the national scholastic honor society. - AND - And, finally, in addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirement and at least one of the Minimum Qualifications Requirements, you must also meet the following Language Proficiency ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: CommunicationManages and Organizes InformationPsychological AssessmentPsychology IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Physical Requirements: Applicants must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing, or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant for appointment. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation may also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to: the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

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 Boston Healthcare System 940 Belmont Street Brockton, MA 02301 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]