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 Deputy Director shares fully the duties and responsibilities and acts under the authority of the Director with respect to operations of the WHSD. She/he is subject only to organizational, administrative and policy direction concerning work priorities and objectives within the WHSD. the duties of this position require significant research productivity and leadership skills. Administrative (Supervisory) Responsibilities (50% of time): Shares the responsibilities with the Director for the administrative management of the WHSD/NC-PTSD that significantly impacts the health care provided to veterans. Division management responsibilities include the development of short and long term goals and plans, development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure goal attainment, management of administrative and programmatic resources and outcomes monitoring using data driven quality assurance processes. Wide latitude and independent judgment are exercised in assisting with making decisions affecting staff and other resources associated with the Division. The Deputy Director - acting with the Director's authority - is responsible for day today clinical and research operations of the WHSD. In addition, the Deputy Director provides supervision and evaluates work performance of doctoral psychology clinical staff as well as some technical/administrative support staff. Supervision of doctoral staff includes formal evaluation of work performance, but also involves guidance of professional development and skills. The Deputy serves as a mentor and teacher for these staff with the aim of expanding the scope and improving the quality of their professional efforts. Activities or topics addressed by this supervision are technically complex and professionally advanced. Among the management aspects of the position, the Deputy works closely with the Assistant Director of Operations in providing oversight of budgetary, travel, personnel, workload and space matters. This includes long term planning, as well as the development and management of the WHSD budget. All such administrative matters are managed in close collaboration with the Director. Research/Program Evaluation (35% of time): 1. Plans and oversees the completion of personal research programs designed to provide information regarding program planning and relevant treatment approaches. Specifically, mental health outcomes associated with and gender effects related to interpersonal trauma in Veteran and civilian populations. 2. Oversees the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements within the WHSD using data-driven quality assurance processes. 3. Consults with others to offer research guidance and to stimulate new research directions. 4. Presents outcome data and research results at VA and regional or national scientific or professional meetings. 5. Prepares RFPs and grant proposals as needed. Clinical responsibilities (5% of time): 1. Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment using most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care. Performs clinical mental health evaluations for the purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations. These evaluations include a comprehensive diagnostic interview, review of available records, psychometrically-sound self-report instruments and collateral contact, when available. 2. Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions including cognitive-behavioral therapy, manualized and non-manualized empirically-supported treatments for trauma related psychological disorders including PTSD, borderline personality disorder and substance abuse/dependence. Academic/Teaching/Training (5% of time): 1. Holds faculty appointment at affiliated university (Assistant, Associate or full Professor) 2. Provides clinical supervision to various disciplines and levels of training. 3. Is involved in the Psychology Training Program and Training Committee. 4. Is involved in the training of medical students, medical and psychiatric residents, nursing students, fellows and other graduate or post-graduate trainees, as appropriate. Other Significant Responsibilities (5% of time): 1. Has contacts, on a regular and recurring basis, with individuals representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests and points of view. Represents the WHSD/NCPTSD and VA Boston Psychology Service on decision-making committees as needed. 2. Actively participates in leadership roles within state and national professional organizations. Represents the WHSD/ NC-PTSD and VA Boston Healthcare System at professional/community group events and committees as needed. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: F523-907210 EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

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. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA psychologist are prescribed by Public Law 96-151 codified in 38 U.S.C. § 7402. To qualify for appointment as a psychologist in VHA, all applicants must meet the following: a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. b. 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. 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 (2) 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: (a) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and, 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 (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.] AND (4) Internships (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. c. 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 (1) 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. (2) Loss of Credential. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists. Board Certification and Loss of Credential (1) 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. (2) Loss of Credential. Once board certified, psychologist must maintain a full, valid and unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required board certification must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Creditable Experience (1) Current Professional Psychology Practice. To be creditable, psychological work experience can be obtained through paid or non-paid employment providing psychological work or through participating in a supervised postdoctoral psychology training program (i.e., fellowship or residency). Psychological work experience must have occurred after the doctoral degree was obtained and must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with current professional psychology practice.

Education

"Professional psychology practice" includes but is not limited to the following psychology-oriented job duties: providing professional clinical services, conducting research, carrying out education and training activities, carrying out program evaluation activities, clinical consultation, supervision and administration.

(2) Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties to be performed. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to or exceeding professional psychology experience at the next lower level
Psychologist Clinician Investigator, GS-14 (a) Experience. At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, appropriate scientific methods in the design and execution of basic and applied research.
2. Ability to coordinate work across multiple settings.
3. Ability to convey scientific concepts and methodological principles to individuals with diverse levels of technical expertise.
(c) Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Psychologist Clinician Investigators have achieved significant professional recognition by making published scientific contributions to research projects with potential for substantial impact. In addition to active involvement in peer-reviewed research and other peer review activities as noted above, this recognition must be demonstrated by attainment of at least three of the following: multiple publications in peer-reviewed professional literature; a consistent record of presentation of findings at national scientific meetings; attainment of an academic appointment at an affiliated medical school or local university, usually at the rank of associate professor or equivalent; or responsibility for multiple funded research projects with evidence of sustainability. Examples include but are not limited to psychologists assigned to research programs at the local, VISN or National level, including Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Care programs (MIRECCs), Centers of Excellence (CoEs), the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or similar research-focused settings. Psychologist clinician investigators are actively involved as principal investigators or coprincipal investigators in peer-reviewed VA, National Institutes of Health (NIH), or comparably rigorous intramural or extramurally funded research programs. Psychologist Clinician Investigator responsibilities include peer review activities for VA and non-VA research, such as grant review for VA or NIH proposals, local research service committees or boards (such as R&D Service, HSR&D Service, or IRB), and service as a consulting editor (i.e., on an editorial board) for peer-reviewed journals.
Preferred Experience: use of electrophysiological and psychophysiological methods preferred

References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G18

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Applicants must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or others. The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. Extended periods of sitting at a computer station. Rigid deadlines and the need for high degree of accuracy, high stress situations, and the ability to adapt work plans based on status

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address
• Name: Tracy Liverpool
• Phone: (734) 545-3004
• Email: [email protected]