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

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. 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.). Maintains daily open access slots. 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. Uses self-management/home-based practice interventions. Uses intermittent visit strategies and flexible patient contact strategies. Triages appropriately and efficiently to specialty mental health services. Provides behavioral medicine interventions. Writes clear concise notes, generally ½-1 page long, with explicit impression, recommendations and plan for PCP use. 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. Uses warm hand off strategy. 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. Complies with all Service Line and WCHCS documentation requirements, including timely completion of prescribed templates for documenting results of assessment, treatment, and risk evaluation contacts. Adheres to all Facility and Service Line policies and practices for delivering clinical care, including but not limited to suicide risk reduction practices, timeliness of care and access standards, professional conduct requirements, and CPRS documentation conventions. Achieves minimal clinical workload expectations as established by the Service Line. Participates as a provider in the On Call system, responding to consultation in the Emergency Department and all other hospital wards, facilitates admission to inpatient mental health unit, conducts treatment rounds on inpatient unit on weekends, evenings and holidays, and provides mental health coverage to inpatient unit on weekends, evenings and holidays. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible:May be authorized at the Supervisors discretion Telework: May be authorized at the Supervisors discretion Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 57330-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact Jillana Martinez ([email protected]), the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): May be authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

*** This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT & will remain open until May 31, 2024. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be February 28, 2024. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. *** 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: U.S Citizen: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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. 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; & The specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript &/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship. OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 & 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. Internships: Have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program that was accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed & 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 & 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 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 &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. NOTE: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the requirements of this qualification standard. Licensure: Hold a full, current, & unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Grade Determinations: Experience. At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program. Preferred Experience: VA experience and supervisory experience. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 PART II APPENDIX G18 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor, as the position requires sitting, standing and walking. A high level of self-awareness is essential. Work, divided between office and clinical settings, is primarily sedentary. May require prolonged standing, moderate walking, and manual dexterity. Requires carrying light items, such as books, files, or laptop computer.

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

Contacts

• Address VA Western Colorado Health Care System 2121 North Avenue Grand Junction, CO 81501 US
• Name: Gina Hammer
• Phone: 970-263-2800
• Email: [email protected]