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.

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected as Graduate Psychologists pending licensure. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job 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: To be qualified for a GS-0180 Psychologist you must possess 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:(a) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and,(b) 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 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 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: 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 (a)(1)(D) 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. 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-12 (Developmental Level) Experience: At least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the supervision of a licensed psychologist but with less intense supervision than at the GS-11 grade level. GS-13 (Full Performance, Level) Experience: At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's): In addition to the requirements listed above, candidates must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) listed below. GS-11: None beyond basic requirements GS-12: 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: 1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard GS-0180 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13. Physical Requirements. Moderate lifting/carrying (15-44 lbs), Use of fingers, Walking 5 hours, Standing 3 hours, Operation of a crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle, Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Both eyes required, Depth Perception, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Hearing (aid permitted) Preferred Experience: Full independent license as a clinical psychologist no less than one year of clinical experience with individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness no less than one year providing community-based care management clinical services clear documentation of experience providing experience- based clinical practices (IE cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis, social skills training, DBT, etc...) No less than one year working with an integrated interdisciplinary mental health clinical team

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Accreditation Information: The 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). Verification of accreditation may be made obtained from https://accreditation.apa.org/accreditedrogramshttps://www.pcsas.org/accreditation/accredited-programs/ orhttps://cpa.ca/accreditation/cpaaccreditedprograms/

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

NOTE: If your school was accredited by American Psychological Association (APA), the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS), or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the APA Accreditation - Home, CPA Accredited Programs - Canadian Psychological Association, or Accredited Programs - PCSAS website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

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.


Duties Continued

• Participates in development of a treatment plan that includes measurable goals based on relevant biopsychosocial information for each Veteran contacted through outreach, and is responsible for the assessment, identification, facilitation, referral, and linkage to appropriate medical, psychiatric, and social services for Veterans identified as eligible for services.
• Conducts individual and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of substance abuse, psychiatric illness, and social needs as treatment issues. Professional judgment, including the knowledge of normal and abnormal behavior, is a competency applied in daily interactions with Veterans.
• Participates in the assignment of Veterans to VA treatment teams and programs, including consulting with relevant program clinical staff in planning treatment for Veterans with comorbidities.
• Facilitates community organization and outreach to alleviate problems that may interfere with Veterans' ability to achieve independence.
• Assists the Veteran in service stabilization by consulting and intervening when problems arise with service providers and assists in prioritizing the management and pace of services Veterans receive.
• Provides community based ICMHR Services with use of government owned vehicle, including the transportation of Veterans in government owned vehicles when clinically indicated and a part of the Veteran's recovery plan.
• Ensures utilization of government owned equipment (i.e., laptop computers, phones, hotspots, and government owned vehicles) in accordance with medical center policies.
• Assesses high risk factors, acuity, and need for services of Veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises, lack family or an adequate community support network, be poor at self-monitoring, frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychosocial support.
• Diagnoses mental disorders and conducts psychosocial assessments as needed to determine appropriate treatment interventions, modalities, and referrals, including provision of adjunctive interventions for treatment of mental disorders using individual, family, and group psychotherapies.
• Identifies and interviews Veterans community-based and clinic-based setting to conduct needs assessments and determine appropriate referrals, linkages, and coordination for VA and non-VA services to enhance function in the community.
• May provide clinical consultation to various disciplines and levels of training including PACT Team members, Social Workers, General Mental Health Providers, and other members of the VA community.
  May provide leadership, guidance, and consultation on staff education and development to all ICMHR staff, as appropriate.

Contacts

• Address VA TX Valley Coastal Bend HCS 2601 Veterans Drive Harlingen, TX 78550 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]