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 selected Staff Psychologist will be assigned to the OVAHCS inpatient units, including the Mental Health Center for Acute Recovery Empowerment (MH CARE Unit) and the inpatient medical/surgical units. The MH CARE Unit consists of 2 twenty-bed inpatient psychiatric wings within the Mental Health Service Line of the Orlando VA Healthcare System, at the Orlando VA Medical Center in Lake Nona. The MH CARE Unit provides patient-centered treatment planning, nursing, and psychiatric care, as well as strengths-based and recovery-oriented psychosocial interventions for Veterans in acute crisis. These services include: 1) psychoeducational and skills groups, recreational activities, evidence based individual and group psychotherapy, peer-support services, transitional groups, and family psychoeducation; and 2) interdisciplinary and patient-centered discharge planning with options for seamless transitions to residential substance abuse treatment programs, housing programs, long-term care facilities, or to a wide range of outpatient services and programs. Mental health services on medical/surgical units include liaising with the Medical Center's hospitalists and other medical providers to provide consultation and brief assessment and psychotherapy services. Some of the duties include, but are not limited to: Provides a full range of therapeutic, recovery-oriented, evidence-based interventions. Interventions will be appropriate to an inpatient population and will be individual, group, and milieu-based. Provides a full range of psychodiagnostic and treatment planning services including clinical interviewing, psychological assessments/screenings, cognitive screenings, capacity evaluations, and recovery planning. Performs diagnostic evaluations for a full range of mental disorders and related health issues, using the most appropriate psychological techniques in providing quality care. Consults with mental health and other Medical Center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues. Participates in interdisciplinary treatment team meetings. Provides treatment recommendations and guidance to staff. Independently provides psychological services at all levels of complexity and consults with peers and supervisors as appropriate. Promotes involvement of family/social support systems for patients, when appropriate, as a means and vehicle for sustaining recovery. Provides recovery-oriented group services on a regular basis. The recovery group will be available for other staff to attend for training purposes in strengths-based and patient-centered principles. Advocates for patients, ensuring the care patients receive is patient-centered and recoveryoriented. May mediate events involving patients and staff if patients have complaints on the unit, using a patient-centered approach in which the patient feels empowered to make appropriate and healthy choices for their recovery. Involvement in program evaluation and/or quality improvement activities. Works in compliance with local and national performance measures. Adheres to all facility and unit policies and procedures. May be assigned or detailed to any program area based on clinical resource need, and may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: The primary tour of duty will be Tuesday-Saturday 8am to 4:30pm. However, the selectee may be required to work or travel between any of the locations within Corporate Orlando, including the Lake Nona campus. The selectee may also be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis, based on patient care needs. Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Staff Psychologist - Mental Health Center for Acute Recovery Empowerment (MH CARE Unit) #80509F/80510F/80511F EDRP Authorized: Contact the EDRP Coordinator ([email protected]) 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 Education: (1) 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. OR (2) 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 respecialization 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. OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. AND Internship: (a) 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 (b) 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 (c) 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 (d) 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 (e) 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. (Exception: Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given temporary appointment as a graduate psychologist at the GS-11 or GS-12 grade under the authority of 38 USC 7405 for a period not to exceed two years of 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.) 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). All persons employed in VHA as a psychologist on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education (i.e., degree and internship requirements) and licensure/certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. Employees grandfathered under this provision for this revision may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions or beyond the assignment currently held for those being grandfathered to assignments above FPL. Psychologists who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Psychologists initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. NOTE: If psychologists who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: Staff Psychologist, GS-11 (Entry level) Staff Psychologist, GS-12 (Developmental level) 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. Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full performance level) At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. 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 for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13. Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15 lbs.; Light carrying, under 15 lbs.; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking, Standing; Both legs required; Hearing (aid permitted).

Education

Must have both Doctoral degree and Internship accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

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 Orlando VA Medical Center 13800 Veterans Way Orlando, FL 32827 US
• Name: Christopher Cacciapaglia
• Phone: (407) 432-5810
• Email: [email protected]