This position serves as Staff Psychologist assigned to Psychology Service, functioning at Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center and has primary clinical duties with assignment to the Integrated Care Section of Psychology Service, with the possibility of assignment to other areas of the medical center.

Duties

Major duties of this position include: Conducting assessment interviews, composing psychosocial assessment reports, formulating diagnostic impressions, developing treatment plans, providing psychotherapy to patients through individual and group sessions, making referrals for aftercare and placement, and documenting services provided and the course of treatment of patients. This includes obtaining psychosocial history, performing diagnostic assessments using specialized assessments. Performs professional work describing human behavior, determining the reasons for that behavior and predicting/modifying the behavior. Administers/scores or evaluates psychodiagnostic tests. Administers and interprets a variety of psychological/psychodiagnostic group and individual tests selected by the incumbent and composes reports summarizing and interpreting psychological testing results. Through testing and clinical interviews and observation, assesses intelligence, behavior and personality variables. Assists in differential diagnosis. Serves as an authoritative source of information in the use and interpretation of tests to differentiate the basis for patients' symptomatology. Is capable of supervising others in the use of psychological tests. Provides expert consultation to others with regard to test administration and evaluation. Gathers objective psychodiagnostic information. Conducts interviews, uses rating scales, questionnaires or other measurement devices or observes the patient to assess emotional, functional or psychological condition. Has an expert professional mastery of the assessment tools available to effectively diagnose abnormalities or variations thereof in the specialized area of psychology. Provides a practical environment for assessment in the specialization. Plans Effective Treatment. Based on data gathered during the assessment, plans an appropriate clinical treatment for individual patients. This includes preparation and implementation of treatment plans (using the designated treatment planning software) developed in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team. Conceptualizes, develops and presents detailed treatment plans for a full range of psychological services for a specialized unit or an entire location. Patients' ages and varying environmental factors are extremely diverse. Administers Treatment. Plans and conducts group and individual psychotherapy, effectively utilizing one or more of the following therapeutic techniques: cognitive-behavioral, Evidence Based Psychotherapeutic approaches, behavior modification, supportive, analytic, eclectic, biofeedback, hypnosis, meditation, couples or family therapy, treatment of sexual dysfunction, etc. Promotes, supervises or provides individual and group psychotherapy. Conducts psychotherapy in difficult, multifaceted cases. As an expert in the specialized area, serves as a key member of the multi-disciplinary team providing the full range of psychotherapy for a widely diverse patient base. This includes delivery of evidence-based interventions for Substance Use Disorder. Evaluates/Adjusts treatment, as necessary. Continually monitors patient's progress using Measurement Based Care principles. Determines when reassessment is appropriate and adjusts treatment plan accordingly. Maintains current knowledge of psychotherapeutic techniques by reviewing and/or participating in research and/or attending relevant continuing education. Independently exercises authoritative judgment in the adjustment of treatment plans. Serves as expert psychological resource for the multidisciplinary team or devises programs that employ psychological techniques to ensure a therapeutic environment. Participates in provision of a psychologically therapeutic program or clinic in the area of assignment in the Medical Center, as a member of the multidisciplinary treatment team. Oversees other professionals or works as a key team member providing comprehensive care for a group of individuals. Promotes a psychotherapeutic atmosphere among the professional treatment staff. Serves as a member of planning committees for evaluating the effectiveness of the treatment programs. Provides advice to other staff professionals. Encourages or establishes a standard for general therapeutic techniques in dealing with all patients. Provides advice regarding appropriate staff response toward a patient or specific environmental factors that will stimulate more self-reliance, reduce anxiety, or achieve more socially adaptable behavior patterns. Instructs and supervises psychology trainees or interns, medical students, or residents Other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 8:00a-4:30p Telework: May be available at supervisor's discretion Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized for highly qualified candidates EDRP Authorized: EDRP has been authorized for this position

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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. Education Requirement - You must 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. OR, have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully completed a 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 b) the specialty in which you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for; OR, have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. Internship Requirement - You must 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 fulltime, 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). NOTE: 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: Candidates must 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. 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).Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following: GS-11 Level: no additional experience beyond the basic requirement. GS-12 Level: at least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-11 level, and are able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities 1. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.2. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.3. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.4. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).5. Ability to perform basic research tasks of scholarship and research execution within the context of an established research team, including research participant relations, research documentation, data acquisition, maintenance, and collaboration. GS-13 Level: at least 2 addition years of experience, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level, as a professional psychologist that was obtained through employment as a psychologist or through participating in a supervised post-doctoral psychology training program that demonstrates 1) active professional practice that was paid/non-paid employment and/or 2) a full, current and unrestricted license. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics associated with current psychology practice: 1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to a full range of patient populations.2. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.3. Knowledge of clinical research literature.*Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: Physical qualifications require the ability to sit frequently and for long periods of time. Must be able to spend long periods of time on a computer. Must have good hearing and eyesight. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, extensive reading, and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands and/or fingers.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application

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 Battle Creek VA Medical Center 5500 Armstrong Road Battle Creek, MI 49037 US
• Name: Alexander Phillips
• Phone: 317-681-4780
• Email: [email protected]