Job opening: Staff Psychologist - Neuropsychologist
Salary: $121 746 - 158 268 per year
Published at: Dec 12 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
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 serves as a Clinical or Counseling Psychologist in the Neuropsychology
Clinic within the Mental Health service line at the Kansas City VA Medical Center.
The incumbent has responsibility for coordinating and providing psychological services in the area of neuropsychology. As a neuropsychologist the incumbent specializes in the assessment and intervention as it relates to normal and abnormal functioning of the central nervous system.
Incumbent will have knowledge of brain-behavior relationship from neuroscience, functional neuroanatomy, and neuropathology. In addition, she or he will have extensive background and experience in psychometrics, theoretical and practical application of neuropsychological assessment, and a large number of standardized neuropsychological measures. Incumbent will possess expert interpersonal skills for communicating with other professionals as well as patients and be sensitive to presentations that may complicate psychological services and neuropsychological testing.
Specific psychological services that are provided include: assessment, diagnosis, and evaluation; counseling; psychotherapy; therapeutic programming; prevention programs; and consultation. She or he services as consultant regarding brain/behavior issues to other medical units, psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, nurses, and various interdisciplinary providers, when requested. Other professional relationships involving consultation will include with Infectious Disease for Veterans with
immunological related cognitive decline, Compensation & Pension, and Rehabilitative Medicine. She or he, as assigned, monitors and responds to consults for neuropsychological services.
The incumbent participates in the professional activities of the Mental Health Service Line at the Medical Center at the direction or approval of the Mental Health Service Line Chief. These activities may include, but are not necessarily limited to: administrative committees of Mental Health and/or the Medical Center, peer review and quality assurance/improvement activities of his/her own work and that of other Mental Health staff, continuing education, training, development of research, and treatment/
program evaluation.
The incumbent participates in the Psychology Training Program. She or he serves as a supervisor for psychology residents, interns, and practicum students in the Neuropsychology Clinic. The incumbent provides didactic training to psychology trainees in the areas of neuropsychology or other areas of professional expertise or interest. She or he attends Psychology Training Program meetings and Psychology staff meetings. The incumbent also participates in the training of other disciplines.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized - Recruitment and relocation incentives are available for highly qualified candidates.
EDRP Authorized: Contact
[email protected] or
[email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
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.
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.
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. 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. OR
Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature
Internship.
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.
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.
Board Certification. Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be 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. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education.
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).
Grade Determinations:
GS-13.
Experience: At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of 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.
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 Kansas City VA Medical Center
4801 Linwood Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64128
US
- Name: Fallon Bailey
- Phone: (410) 336-5277
- Email: [email protected]
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