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. Learn more

Duties

*** The Vacancy Close date has been extended to 12/30/2022 or until filled *** DUTIES (at Full Performance Level) - Ability to develop coherent treatment strategies for patients with psychological problems secondary to medical and health problems that result in pain. - Ability to incorporate evidence-based clinical procedures including psychoeducational and rehabilitation interventions for behavioral medicine problems, particularly pain, in both individual and group treatment formats. - Ability to diagnose mental disorders in a variety of patient populations and conduct psychological assessments to include cognitive screening and personality testing. - Knowledge of, and ability to apply, advanced professional psychological theories and techniques to the full range of patient populations, particularly populations with pain and other medical psychology presentations. - Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology, especially pain management, but also potentially to include other medical psychology populations (e.g., transplant, palliative care, geriatric populations). - Best practices, practice guidelines and evidence-based treatment protocols are utilized to the extent feasible in all therapeutic interventions. Applies adjunctive interventions for treatment of pain disorders. Experience in providing biofeedback/clinical hypnosis with these populations is highly desired. - Knowledge of clinical research literature, particularly pain management. - Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures and openness to engage in competency-based supervision to learn evidence-based treatments as needed. - Ability to diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological and/or cognitive function assessments and neuropsychological screenings. - Ability to work within the interdisciplinary team context to provide recommendations regarding patient ability to participate in pharmacologic/implantable technology treatment for chronic pain, taking into account mental health diagnoses, cognitive status, SUD, and other pertinent considerations. - Ability to treat psychological problems related to medical issues, especially pain, through a variety of evidence-based modalities, and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders and pain. - Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care. - Performs evaluations for psychodiagnosis, treatment planning and functional evaluations of patients with various psychological problems. - Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions including individual and group psychotherapy, consultation, family therapy, rehabilitation, and psychoeducation. - Consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues. - Staff clinical psychologists may be involved in program evaluation, and/or research activities. - Serve on ad hoc workgroups or committees within the service to address problems and concerns of the profession and service. - Is an active participant of the Opioid Safety Initiative Team in the design, development, and implementation of clinical programs as well as supports renewal and ongoing maintenance activities for both CARF and Joint Commission accreditation. - Serves on West Texas Health Care System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces as assigned. - Represents psychology on decision-making committees at the West Texas Health Care System as assigned. - Represents the Healthcare System at professional/program community group/events and committees as assigned. - Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting including clinical reminders and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system, as appropriate. - Should be able to provide appropriate services via telehealth if needed. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:45pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: Moderate Lifting/Carrying (15-44 pounds); Pushing/Walking/Standing/Kneeling/Repeated Bending (1 hour); Reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; Both Hands Required; Both Legs Required; 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 and shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted); mental and emotional stability

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 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). 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. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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). Preferred Experience: Experience with evidence-based treatments, such as, cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) for pain. Experience with accreditation standards and preparation for applicable site visits, staff education, developing action plans as needed, as well as ongoing system readiness. Experience reporting to facility and VISN regarding status of performance measures, with preparation and implementation oversight for any corrective actions necessary. Experience fostering effective working relationship between the Pain Clinic and other specialties within the facility and outside the facilities to include local, state, and national. Grade Determinations: GS-11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level): Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level): Experience. At least 1 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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 Staff Psychologist (Full Performance Level): Experience. At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. *Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed. Post-Doctoral Degree Fellowships. Postdoctoral fellowships or residencies are training programs in an advanced area of clinical practice. Training as a fellow or resident is considered to be creditable experience on a year-for-year basis. References: 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. 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: See Duties Section

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Failure to provide transcripts may result in non-referral of your application if education cannot be verified.

The doctoral degree must be fully accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) https://accreditation.apa.org/accredited-programs, the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) https://www.pcsas.org/, or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) https://cpa.ca/accreditation/cpaaccreditedprograms/ at the time the program was completed.

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in 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 El Paso VA Clinic 5001 North Piedras Street El Paso, TX 79930 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]