This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties

VA Caribbean Health Care System (1A complexity) is offering an exceptional leadership opportunity as Chief of Psychology. The incumbent reports to the Mental Health & Behavioral Health Sciences Service (MH&BHSS) and organizes, manages the delivery of comprehensive mental health care and activities which serve Veterans with a wide range of mental health disorders and supervises interdisciplinary teams. The incumbent also serves as Director for the Workplace Violence Prevention Program that oversees the Disruptive Behavior Committee, Employee Threat Assessment Team, Fugitive Felon Program, Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior (PMDB) Program and Behavioral Health Response Team. All these programs encompasses integral components to the functioning of the MH & BHS Service and the VA Caribbean Health Care System. The incumbent serves as the Chief for the Psychology Profession & Workplace Violence Prevention Program Director at the VA Caribbean Healthcare System (VACHS). The Psychology Chief has overall responsibility for all aspects of professional standards and training related to the practice of psychology provided at the VACHS at main medical center and the various community based outpatient clinics. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Review requests for clinical privileges in communication with providers supervisors. Recommends their approval, their limits and revocation. Collaborates with ACOS MH&BHS, Section chiefs, with other managers and other behavioral health leadership in fostering compliance with VA performance measures and VHA organization goals and guidelines set forth in the Uniform Mental Health Services in VHA Medical Points of Service (VHA Directive 1160.01). Responsible for the development and oversight of his/her programs' performance improvement activities SAIL and ORYX action plans and redesign projects. Develops and implements action plan to improve areas of opportunity in performance measures. Oversees compliance with accreditation, safety, and other occupational standards. Prepares reports and documents. Shares responsibility with MH&BHS Chiefs and leaders in the timely and accurate completion of MH Action Items. Conducts meetings with facility wide Professional Psychology group to communicate important Standards, procedures and information regarding the practice of professional Psychology at the VA while fostering the utilization of evidence-based practices. Recommends, initiates, and processes any personnel action pertaining to administrative and clinical position within his/her oversight and supervision. Approves or disapproves annual, sick, authorized absence, and other leaves certifies time and attendance electronic cards for staff under his/her direct supervision. Actively participate in leadership roles on local, state and national professional organizations. Ensure that DBC reports directly to the Chief of Staff per VHA Directive 2010-053, is chaired by a senior clinician, has the appropriate clinical and administrative staff to conduct clinical threat assessments, initiate corrective actions, manages Patient Record Flags, reviews and appeals. Prepares and presents reports to the Clinical Executive Committee (CEC) as required by the COS. In conjunction with Employee Education Service, assure that all employees are provided PMDB training, oversees the Employee Threat Assessment Team and Fugitive Felon program. Reviews the facility's Workplace Violence Prevention Program and participates as a member of the Environment of Care Committee and participates in the multi-disciplinary Facility Safety Rounds to assure that the program is current and addresses the facility's needs. Serves as the Behavioral Health Incident Response Team Leader coordinating psychological services for staff, patients and families during crises and disasters. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm (Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor. The incumbent may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs). Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: FS-61503F, Senior Psychologist Program Manager, GS-0180-15 Relocation Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship Education 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. 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. Internship 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: 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. 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). Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. Psychologist GS-15 Senior Psychologist Program Manager Experience: At least four (4) years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least (1) one year EQUIVALENT to the GS-14 grade level. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position: 1. Skill in managing and directing the work of large, complex organizational units and in applying effective management practices. 2. Skill in persuasion, negotiation, and motivation to negotiate multiple program policies. 3. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees and other managers using advanced consultation and problem solving skills. 4. Skill in the application and analysis of measurement tools to systems issues. 5. Ability to balance responsibilities in a complex environment and to work with great autonomy; ability to set priorities and delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze complex organizational problems; and ability to develop and implement effective solutions for those problems. 6. Ability to assess need for basic and complex services across multiple programmatic contexts. 7. Ability to coordinate the efforts of multiple program elements across a complex system.*Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard. Selective Placement Factor (SPF): This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume. The SPF for this position is: Proficient in basic written and spoken Spanish in order to perform the duties of this position. The full performance level of this vacancy is 13. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary in climate controlled clinical and administrative settings. The incumbent will be expected to successfully negotiate various functional requirements: lifting (15-44 pounds), carrying (15-44 pounds), walking (1-3 hours), reaching above their shoulder(s), the use of hands or fingers, sitting (4-6 hours), standing (1-2 hours), repeated bending, using stairs or elevators, functional vision, clear speech, hearing, and emotional stability. There may be occasional requirements to relocate boxed materials from one area to another, equipment and room set-up, and physical inspections of the facilities.

Education

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.

Important: 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].

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 San Juan VA Medical Center 10 Calle Casia San Juan, PR 00921 US
• Name: Yolanda Ortiz-Davila
• Phone: (407) 631-7515
• Email: [email protected]