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. Program 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

The incumbent serves as a staff psychologist with primary administrative and clinical duties for the Disruptive Behavior Committee (DBC) under the Workplace Violence Prevention Service. The DBC is a multi- and interdisciplinary behavioral threat assessment and management team, that addresses the unique nexus of issues, challenges, risks, and opportunities surrounding patient-generated disruptive behavior. The incumbent is also responsible for meeting national directives and mandates related to patients with disruptive behaviors, developing strategies and recommendations for reducing behavioral threats, and communicating the information necessary for healthcare teams to provide excellent healthcare in a manner that is safe for patients, staff, and visitors. Additionally, the incumbent may serve in other administrative/committee roles in the Durham VAHCS. The incumbent will perform additional clinical activity as assigned. For discipline-specific and other clinical practice issues, the psychologist reports to the Chief of Psychology (Durham VAHCS). Primary Responsibilities: 1. Lead, Disruptive Behavior Committee (DBC). 2. Manages oversight of the day-to-day business of the Team/committee, including approving the agenda, minutes, and follow up actions for all decisions or business items at the monthly committee meeting. 3. Conducts individualized, evidence-based, data-driven violence risk and threat assessments to determine the likelihood that a patient's disruptive behavior or a visitor's disruptive behavior will undermine the culture of safety in the Durham VAHCS. 4. Forwards violence risk mitigation strategy recommendations and therapeutic limit-setting actions to the facility's COS, or his/her designee, to promote the delivery of safe and effective healthcare 5. Completes DBC action items including agreed upon letters to at-risk Veterans, the placement or transference of Category I Patient Record Flags (Behavioral), and all necessary documentation within CPRS. 6. Engages with the DBC in providing consultation to practitioners and staff working with patients who either demonstrate disruptive behaviors or who pose a significant risk of disruptive behavior with the primary goal of assisting the disruptive patient and ensuring that he/she continues to receive the full range of available health care while reducing the risk of disruptive or violent behavior to others. 7. Works with the Chief, WVPP in managing the Disruptive Behavior Reporting System and completing the annual Workplace Behavioral Risk Assessment. 8. Assists the Chief, WVPP in responding to all VISN and Central Office requests for information about disruptive behavior training or any data about disruptive behavior incidents. 9. Interfaces with Durham VAHCS Police Department, Officer of the Inspector General, Patient & Safety Office, and Coordinated Care Programs to manage patients with disruptive behavior. 10. Participates in monthly Disruptive Behavior Committee Community of Practice and Violence Risk Assessment conference calls provided by the National Workplace Violence Prevention Program. 11. Assists Chief, WVPP with the education, training, implementation of local and national policies, Directives, and Regulatory Requirements pertaining to disruptive behavior. Clinical Duties: 1. The incumbent provides psychotherapy and psychodiagnostic assessments to patients in designated clinical area that fits with the incumbent's clinical skill set. Other Significant Responsibilities: 1. With approval, may serve on Medical Center, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces. 2. May represent WVPP programs in various workgroups and committees at the Medical Center. 3. May actively participate in leadership roles on local, state, and national professional organizations. 4. As assigned, may represent the Medical Center, WVPP, or Psychology / Mental Health at professional organizations / community group events or committees. Customer Service: Meets the needs of customers, while supporting the Medical Center and Service missions. Consistently communicates and treats customers (patients, visitors, volunteers, and all Medical Center staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. Incumbent will ensure productivity is maintained at the established level for the program for which he/she is assigned. Work Schedule: M-F 8am to 4:30pm Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. EDRP Authorized: Authorized Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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: a. 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.) b. Education (1) 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. OR (2) 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, NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship.[Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards.] [OR (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.] AND (4) Internships(a) 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. [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 requirement by having the equivalent of a one-year supervised internship experience in a site specifically acceptable to the candidate's 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.] c. 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. (1) Exception. Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may begiven 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. (2) 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. d. Board Certification and Loss of Credential (1) Board Certification. Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be 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. (2) Loss of Credential. Once board certified, psychologist must maintain a full, valid and unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required board certification must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. 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. Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance, Level) (a) Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Assignment. This is the full performance level for staff psychologists. Preferred Experience: The Disruptive Behavior Team (DBT) Lead is a senior licensed clinician with knowledge of and experience in data-driven, evidence-based behavioral threat assessment and management best practices. The DBT Lead is a senior clinician and licensed provider, with knowledge of and experience in structured professional judgment approaches to behavioral threat assessment and management. The Lead must have demonstrated leadership skills and experience in working with multidisciplinary teams. References: Appendix G18. Psychologist Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 13. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

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 Durham VA Medical Center 508 Fulton Street Durham, NC 27705 US
• Name: Brian Watt
• Phone: (906) 396-7485
• Email: [email protected]