This position is in the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) setting. The incumbent functions as the VISN 5 Chief Mental Health Officer (CMHO), which is a role foundational for the VHA mission. The incumbent has overall responsibility and authority for planning, organizing, coordinating, reviewing, evaluating, and improving the operations of VISN 5 Mental Health Services (to include Suicide Prevention).

Duties

Major duties include but are not limited to the following: Program Management/Managerial Responsibilities: Coordinates the operations of network Mental Health services, to include Suicide Prevention. Develops, implements, and leads MH team management groups to effectively accomplish goals, focus on customer needs, assure, and maintain quality, and accomplish mission and vision. Responsible for the management and operations of the MH Integrated Clinical Community (ICC) in close collaboration with the Medical Center Director co-lead. Works collaboratively with other VISN clinical program directors to address issues. Leads the VISN 5 Mental Health ICC through strategic planning, program implementation, customer focus, and team-based management. The incumbent also must have knowledge of analytical techniques to evaluate workload, fiscal, and performance measure data and other reports; knowledge of, and ability to apply, advanced professional psychological/mental health theories and techniques to the full range of patient populations throughout VISN 5. Presents reports and recommendations to the Healthcare Delivery Committee (HDC) and the Executive Leadership Council (ELC) regarding change. The CMHO maintains communication with VISN management, medical center management and VACO program officials. Acts as liaison with critical persons and groups both inside and outside of the organization. Clinical Consultation : Provides support/consultation regarding a full range of Mental Health Services, including assessment and using the most appropriate therapeutic techniques in providing quality care. Consults with and serves as a resource for other professional personnel concerning the need for and development of Mental Health services. Reviews clinical cases as needed, to assure policy compliance and to identify learning opportunities. Provides recommendations to executive VISN staff when requested in clinical appeal matters and in requests regarding orders of behavioral restriction. Clinical Service Provision: Provides direct clinical services to Veterans within VISN 5, consistent with training and expertise. Documents services in accordance with existing VHA requirements. Supervisory Responsibilities: The incumbent maintains full supervisory/managerial responsibilities for VISN staff assigned to support MH Programs and all programs aligned under MH. Oversees and supervises the day-to-day work of VISN staff assigned to support the operations of MH as a VHA key program office, including hiring, performance reviews, disciplinary actions, task assignment, and all other supervisory responsibilities. Approves all supervisee time and leave requests, and plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, sets, and adjusts short-term priorities, assigns work to subordinates, and evaluates work performance. Assures reasonable equity of performance standards and rating techniques across supervisees when conducting performance reviews. Reviews functional statements with supervisees on an annual basis and appropriately revises functional statements to accurately reflect current duties. Supports subordinates in professional development endeavors Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday Compressed/Flexible:Not available Telework: Available 100% Telework eligible within 50 mile commuting distance of any VISN 5 station to include, Linthicum Heights , MD; Washington , DC; Baltimore, MD; Perry Point, MD; Martinsburg, WV; Clarksburg, WV; Huntington , WV and Beckley , WV. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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, all applicants for the position of psychologist in VHA must meet the following: Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.g, this part.) Internships : 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 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. 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. Grandfathering Provision : All persons employed in VHA as a psychologist on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education (i.e., degree and internship requirements) and licensure/certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. Experience: Candidate must have at least 4 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-14 grade level. This experience includes: Responsibility for implementing national initiatives for the care and treatment of Veterans; educational programs; program evaluation; quality assurance; policy and procedure formulation for the programs; and providing guidance at the individual program level for facility implementation. Developing policy and procedures related to delivery of services and may provide reporting and data analysis of performance outcomes at the local and VISN level. Providing field support through mentoring activities and tracking of outcome trends. Resolving policy implementation issues with appropriate field leaders and serving as consultants to other management officials in the field or VISN. Coordinate and complete action items from VA Central Office and may author and coordinate white papers and issue briefs as clarification documents, providing technical expertise. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of and ability to communicate existing policies and regulations effectively. Knowledge of and ability to utilize resource materials and to develop new materials when needed. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with a diverse group of professional staff and management officials who are often at the highest management levels. Ability to develop and recommend new or revised policies that are consistent with organizational goals and objectives. Skill in leading senior management officials in policy development. Ability to influence high level officials in adoption of and conformance to performance measures, monitors, and other policy guidelines. Assignment: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. The Senior Psychologist (VISN Manager) at this level direct a large, complex mental health, behavioral health, or other patient care or administrative program or may have responsibility for several large and complex programs at the VISN. The VISN Manager position is characterized by the scope and high level of complexity of their duties. They have the overall responsibility for implementing, planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, reviewing, evaluating, and improving the operations of their area of responsibility within the VISN. They provide overall leadership, guidance, and direction for their programs or services across the VISN. The Senior Psychologist VISN Manager exerts a major, significant, and VISN or VHA-wide impact on the overall functioning of the organizational entity. Assignments may include but are not limited to the system of mental health programs across the VISN (typically in the role of the VISN Chief Mental Health Officer); systems redesign programs, or organizational development programs. Responsibilities include overall planning, direction, and execution of the area of responsibility. Consultation is provided to high level officials in the field, at the VISN, and at VA Central Office (VACO). The incumbent applies specialized knowledge of health care and management for planning, organizing, and directing services. They provide guidance to the field regarding their area of responsibility and often act as a conduit of information between VACO and the field. They monitor and support VISN compliance with relevant VHA directives, handbooks, manuals, memoranda, policies, program guides, and information letters. They are responsible for implementing national policies and procedures, and they resolve policy Preferred Experience: Minimum 10 years experience in mental health clinical services. Experience working with multiple VHA mental health programs. Minimum 5 years leadership and supervisory experience (service chief level preferred). Experience collaborating across multiple facilities and with national program offices. References: VA regulations. specifically VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 PART II APPENDIX G18 Psychology Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. It may require some lifting (10-20 lbs.) occasionally. Reaching above shoulder; Frequent keyboarding (4-7 hours per day); Sitting (4-7 hours per day); Walking up to 6 hours per day); Standing (up to 8 hours per day); Infrequent climbing/descending of stairs; Some bending; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously.

Education

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

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. 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

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; and,
• 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.

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 VISN 5 VA Capitol Health Care Network 849 International Drive, Suite 275 Linthicum, MD 21090 US
• Name: Cherita Brooks
• Phone: 443-354-2628
• Email: [email protected]