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

Incumbent is a psychologist assigned to the Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) team. Must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of Veterans. Responsibilities include the assessment of psychosocial problems often at a time when the Veteran is experiencing crisis and include the provision of short-term, solution focused counseling with Veterans and/or their families. Referrals typically originate from Primary Care Providers (PCPs), Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACTs), Veterans and/or their family members/care givers, or members of the interdisciplinary PC-MHI team. The incumbent must complete thorough assessments to determine the presenting problem, to determine in-home factors impacting the problem, and to determine obstacles to treatment and/or follow through with recommended treatments. Case management with members of the PC-MHI team and the Veteran's PACT or PCP, is provided in order to coordinate a collaborative effort to meet the goals for a Veteran's treatment needs and include liaison with community professionals regarding needed services for Veterans and/or their families. The focus for CCC is on general service delivery for a wide range of concerns and resolving problems within the primary care service context. Duties of Position: Clinical Functions: The PC-MHI psychologist provides functional assessment, triage, brief intervention, education and consultative services regarding a wide range of mental health and behavioral medicine concerns, on referral from primary care providers and allied PACT members. The PC-MHI psychologist uses population-based practice management strategies and maintains competences in the following core domains. 1. CCC PC-MHI Clinical Practice Management: Conduct functional assessments, based on 30-minute appointments and will triage/refer to specialty care services as appropriate. Applies principals of population-based care (defines role and identifies problems rapidly) Uses brief assessments routinely (e.g., PHQ-9, PCL, AUDIT C, etc) Initial consultation appointments are based on functional assessments and treatment focuses on functional outcomes Maintains daily open access slots Next available "scheduled" appointment is within two weeks Provides brief mental health and behavioral interventions (e.g., 1-5 sessions for broad range of concerns) Uses time-limited, evidence based, interventions that are simple and concrete Triages appropriately and efficiently to specialty mental health services Provide behavioral medicine interventions (including but not limited to stepped care level 2 tobacco cessation, alcohol misuse, weight management, and coping with chronic illness) Stress management or sleep hygiene or relaxation training or other interventions will be provided as clinically appropriate, based on patient need.??????? 2. Documentation Skills: Writes clear concise notes, with explicit impression, recommendations and plan for PCP Notes document curbside consultation results Notes are completed within 24 hours 3. Consultation Skills: Routinely Consults with PCPs and other PACT team members about plan of care for patients Conducts effective curbside consultations Integrates within primary care team and works closely in collaboration with PACT team Attends PACT meetings and daily huddles Routinely provides feedback (verbal and/or written) to PCP and other PACT members same day as referral Provides education to PACT on BH issues as well as consultation on tips for successful care management and patient facilitation, even when no direct patient contact. Administrative functions: The psychologist will enter all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates. Responsible for supporting the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and the facility. Willing to serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility as deemed appropriate by the supervisor and Service Line Manager. Responsible for furthering one's own professional growth through continuing education and for ensuring continuing education appropriate to the area of assignment. Provide assistance with the orientation and learning of less experienced psychologists. Other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Telework May be Available up to 2 days a pay period. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized to highly qualified individuals. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: The following are the basic requirements and qualifications for appointment as a Psychologist in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). 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 respecialization program meeting both of the following conditions: a) the respecialization 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 Determination: In addition to the basic requirements as stated above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade level of the candidate. GS-11 Grade Level (Entry Level)- Experience, Education, Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-12 Grade Level (Developmental Level)- Experience, Education, Licensure: 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. In addition to the education above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations. 2. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies. 3. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures. 4. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties). 5. 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 Grade Level (Full Performance Level)- Experience, Education, Licensure: At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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 *Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Preferred Experience: Experience in Mental Health. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.

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 Tomah VA Medical Center 500 East Veterans Street Tomah, WI 54660 US
• Name: Madeline James
• Phone: 504-812-1498
• Email: [email protected]