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

**THIS POSITION IS OPEN ONLY TO CURRENT ATLANTA VA EMPLOYEES** Essential Program Management Responsibilities (65% of time) - Grade Determining 1. The incumbent has broad management responsibilities and assists in coordinating the work of staff across programs at multiple locations including direct supervision of staff in a large section of GMH. GMH staff is comprised of psychologists (PhD or PsyD), psychiatrists (MD), registered nurses (RN), nurse practitioners (NP), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed professional mental health counselors (LPMHC), peer support specialists (PSS), and administrative staff. 2. The incumbent assists the Director of GMH and Mental Health Leadership in planning, establishing and implementing policies and procedures. 3. The incumbent provides guidance in the use of evidence-based practices to GMH staff. 4. The incumbent provides leadership and guidance in carrying out program planning, outcome evaluation, and staff development activities. 5. The incumbent will coordinate well with leadership from Mental Health to assure that the program is operating in a way that helps veterans to be served in the appropriate environment given their presenting issues. 6. The incumbent will coordinate with the Mental Health Service Line and other appropriate staff as needed regarding the monitoring of performance improvement activities, program reviews, treatment services and data analysis methods. 7. The incumbent will assist in ensuring that performance measures are met, Evidence-Based treatments are implemented, and Recovery-oriented principles are adopted to achieve an optimal level of functioning for veterans. 8. The incumbent has direct administrative and professional supervisory responsibility for direct subordinates (psychologists, peer specialists and administrative staff) and provides day-to-day supervision of the activities of other staff (SWs and RNS) through and MOU with the appropriate service line. 9. The incumbent will work to resolve informal complaints and grievances, develop work improvement plans, and provide advice and counsel to workers regarding work and administrative matters. 10. The incumbent will have established guidelines and performance expectations for staff that are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system. 11. The incumbent will conduct ongoing intensive reviews to ensure objectives are met and standards are adhered to. A substantial portion of the workload directed by this position is carried out at one or more locations that are physically removed from the main VAMC under conditions that make day-to-day supervision challenging to administer. Clinical Responsibilities: 20% time 1. Provides a full range of diagnostic, assessment and treatment services to veterans presenting with psychological, emotional and behavioral problems, with special emphasis on brief and evidence-based interventions appropriate to the GMH treatment setting. 2. Provides consultation services for GMH providers to maximize the effectiveness of their interventions. 3. Facilitates patient and family education as appropriate. Academic/Teaching/Training: 5% time: 1. Provide clinical consultation to various disciplines and levels of training to include psychologists, social workers, clinical nurse specialists, psychiatry residents, psychology interns and psychology fellows. 2. May be involved in the Psychology Internship Training Program and the Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program and related training committees. 3. May be involved in the training of medical students, medical and psychiatric residents, nursing students and fellows, as appropriate. 4. Provide leadership, guidance, and consultation on staff education and development. Research/Program Evaluation: 5% time 1. Responsible for timely completion of all program evaluations and documents required by the Medical Center, VISN and VACO, ensuring compliance with appropriate accrediting bodies such as JC. 2. Consults with others to offer guidance and stimulation in research directions for recovery-oriented research and program evaluation within the MHSL. 3. Plans and oversees the completion of research programs, designed to provide information regarding program planning and relevant treatment approaches. Other Significant Responsibilities 5% time: 1. Serves on the MH Clinical Operations Committee and other committees and workgroups at request of Director of GMH or Chief of MHSL. Work Schedule: Flexible Day Tour Telework: Ad-hoc Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 52599F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Requirements

Qualifications

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. Grade Requirements: GS-14 Psychologist (Program Manager) Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have at least 3 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level and are able to demonstrate the following KSAs. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 1.Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines. 2. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools. 3. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view. 4. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives. 5. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations. 6. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards. 7. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Psychologist program managers have broad program management responsibilities for a specific program or programs that are designed to deliver specialized, complex, highly professional services that are important program components of the facility and that significantly impact the health care provided to Veterans. Programs include but are not limited to addiction, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mental health intensive case management (MHICM), mental health compensation and pension examination (C&P) programs, Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Centers, inpatient mental health, residential rehabilitation, domiciliary, palliative care, neuropsychology, and internship and postdoctoral fellowship training programs; management of an off campus site; psychology program oversight and coordination throughout the facility and its affiliated clinics as a psychology executive, typically at lower complexity facilities. Decisions made by the Program Manager affect staff and other resources associated with the programs managed and are made while exercising wide latitude and independent judgment. The type of program managed and scope of responsibility are critical aspects of the assignment at this level. Responsibilities include operation and management of key clinical, training, research, or administrative programs to include full responsibility for managing the day to day activities of those programs. Responsibility may include supervision of staff but is not required. Psychologist Program Managers are responsible for strategic planning to ensure the provision of high quality services to meet the needs of the Veterans being served and planning, and developing and implementing short- and long-term goals and objectives consistent with the program's strategic plan. They have oversight of administrative and programmatic resources and deploy those resources in support of the program needs. They develop and implement programs, policies, and procedures to meet program goals, VHA policy and external accreditation requirements, and monitor outcomes using data-driven quality assurance processes, and implement strategies for improvement based on data analysis. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-14. Physical Requirements: Position is primarily sedentary in a Medical Office setting.

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 Atlanta VA Medical Center 1670 Clairmont Road Decatur, GA 30033 US
• Name: Jenna McCarthy
• Email: [email protected]