ASHHRA Career Center

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. 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. *HPTs who are on track to graduate/complete the requirements should respond as if they have met the requirements. Provide details in the narrative section of the assessment. Basic Requirements: a. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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. 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 (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 (b) the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. 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. (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 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 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 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 (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 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). d. 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 NOTE: If psychologists who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 g. 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 Grade Determinations in Education Section Below: Preferred Experience: Participation as a member of a multi-disciplinary teams providing psychological services including intake, individual, and group therapy; Prior history in the administration/scoring or evaluation of psychodiagnostic tests; Experience providing measurement-based practices; Experience in the gathering of brief assessment information and the development of a detailed treatment plan of care for veterans; Experience in maintaining appropriate records and follow-up data on patients who are their responsibility. References: VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II, Appendix G18 dated February 7, 2018 ["Incumbent will be assigned as a Clinical Psychologist (Community Living Center, Outpatient Hospice - Palliative - Consult Team (HPCCT) Major Duties as Assigned, but not limited to: Provides individual and group psychotherapy to veterans with a variety of mental health concerns, including anxiety, PTSD, depression, and certain personality disorders and/or a variety of physical health concerns including potentially life ending illnesses/health conditions. Incumbent serves veterans in three settings: Residents in the community Living Center, Outpatient Veterans in the Hospice/Palliative Care Outpatient Clinic, and Residents in the Acute Medical center in Temple. The Incumbent provides supportive counseling and teaches coping strategies to cope with negative mood states. The Incumbent also works as a member of a multi-disciplinary team in the CLC and in the Hospice/Palliative Care Team and develops mental health treatment interventions/objectives. Provides evidence-based and/or measurement based individual and group psychotherapy to veterans with complex mental health problems. Provides couples, family and/or group psychotherapy promoting healthy adaptation. Conducts personality assessments, ADHD evaluations, and neuropsychological screening as appropriate. Conducts medical capacity assessments, when needed. Contributes to the gathering of assessment information and the development of a detailed treatment plan for veterans. Participates as a member of medical center hospital committees as directed. Serves as an advisor, consultant and/or resource person to the staff within the medical center. Maintains appropriate records and follow-up data on patients who are their responsibility. Serves as a member of the planning group for evaluating the effectiveness of the treatment program and modifying it to better serve the needs of the patient. Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients. Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes). Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings as held by CTVHCS and MH&BM management. Attends regular Psychology Service staff meetings, Medical Staff meetings, MH&BM staff meetings and complies with Psychology Service peer review procedures. Conducts Compensation and Pension (C&P) examinations, as needed. Provides clinical supervision and instruction for psychology interns as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Hybrid and /or Compressed Work Schedule may be available. Compressed/Flexible: May be Authorized Telework: May be Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: Clinical Psychologist/PD00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact VISN17EDRP2@VA.GOV, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required"]

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