The following position description is that of a Psychology Technician assigned to Mental Health Service (MHS) to assist the Neuropsychologist, or supervising Psychologist, in providing evaluation and treatment of eligible veteran patients. The work of the incumbent is critical for the delivery of quality consultation and research services and for the determination of diagnostic impressions, treatment recommendations, treatment planning, and treatment interventions for individual patients.

Duties

Performs one or more of a variety of technical tasks in a program of research or other professional services in psychology. Performance of these tasks requires a practical understanding of some of the general principles, theories, methods and techniques of psychology in order to carry out duties which are performed under the supervision of a professional psychologist. These duties may include one or more of the following: (1) assist in research as in systematic collection of psychology research data, recording and collecting of data, preparing tabular or graphic presentation of data, in accordance with a predetermined research plan; (2) assist counseling psychologist in contacting potential employers for purpose of making vocational placement, providing follow-up consultation, administering and scoring of interest, achievement and aptitude tests, securing work history and other relevant vocational information; (3) assist neuropsychologist in administering and scoring of selected tests of a neuropsychology battery in accordance with clearly defined procedures; (4) assist psychologists in completing behavior rating scales or in conducting behavior modification. Major Duties will include but not limited to: Demonstrates proficiency in neuropsychological and psychological assessment procedures. Conducts structured or semi-structured diagnostic clinical interviews, consistent with training and preparation without assistance but yet under the supervision of the Neuropsychologist/Psychologist. Establishes rapport and ensures the cooperation of patients during the entire assessment procedure, which may include provision of supportive counseling to select patients. Provides timely, organized and legible presentations of patient data and presents tabular or graphic displays of data when necessary. Maintains schedules for patients and families referred for therapeutic interventions. Handles necessary correspondence for scheduling of outpatients for therapeutic services assuring follow-up contacts are consistent with the identified needs. Monitors the security of patient files, testing materials and equipment. Builds rapport with patients before, during and after appointments to assure best quality products and services are provided. Develops procurement plan of psychological/neuropsychological testing materials based on practiced patterns and anticipated workload. Serves as central contact for scheduling for referrals for neuropsychological and psychological assessment, therapeutic intervention and research requiring great attention to detail in clinic availability. Collects and maintains statistical data relating to consultation services and research activity. Maintains an organized filing system of patient data in accordance with VAMC, Station and Mental Health procedural regulations and ethical principles. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday 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. Ad Hoc Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Ad Hoc Telework. Telework that occurs on an occasional, non-routine basis. Telework that occurs to complete short-term special assignments or to accommodate special circumstances even though the telework arrangement may occur continuously for a limited and specific period of time. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Psychology Technician/PD30283A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/15/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Basic Requirement: Education: Bachelor's degree 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. In addition to the basic education requirement and the time in grade requirement, the below qualification requirements must be met at the grade in which you are applying. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have two year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7, of technical work under the direction of a professional psychologist in a program of professional services, training or research. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Specialized training and proficiency in the administration, scoring, and preliminary findings of various neuropsychological, psychological, psychophysiological, vocational, and behavioral test instruments or measures. A working knowledge of statistics, for reporting, calculation, and transposition of standard scores to aid in scoring and interpretation of assessments. Knowledge of brain-behavior relationships and neuroanatomy. Training in diagnostic interviewing techniques, crisis intervention techniques, and the assessment/psychotherapeutic relationship. Prior experience working with a variety of patient populations, including patients with neurological disorders/dementia, severe mental illness, and medical illnesses/ disabilities. Sufficient maturity, interpersonal skill, persistence, patience, and empathy to work specifically with physically disabled, brain-impaired, and psychiatrically disturbed patients over long periods of time in direct, face-to-face contact. Sufficient maturity and professionalism to promote effective communication with others, to promote security of sensitive data and test equipment, and to recognize boundaries of authority and clinical practice. OR, Substitution of Education for Experience: Two full years of graduate study in psychology in an accredited college or university may be substituted for 2 years of experience to meet in full the requirements at the GS-9 level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer ServicePsychologyStrategic Thinking 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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. 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

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 Lexington VA Health Care System 2250 Leestown Road Lexington, KY 40511 US
• Name: Joselyn Nunez
• Phone: 407-376-5480
• Email: [email protected]