Career Center

Summary

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.

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
• Education: Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by American Psychological Association (APA) - Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) or Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) at the time the program was completed
• 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: Re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program
• and Specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed
• NOTE: Applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting completion of 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 Department of Veterans Affairs prior to implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards
• OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature
• Internships: 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 internship requirement - provided that such programs were sanctioned by VHA Central Office Program Director for Psychology and 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 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 - 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Board Certification and Loss of Credential: 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
• The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education
• 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
• At the discretion of the appointing official - an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 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: GS-11 Experience
• None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-12 Experience
• At least one 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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations
• Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies
• Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures
• Ability to conduct research activities - such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties)
• 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 See Additional Information for Additional Qualifications

Duties

• This vacancy will remain open until filled
• The first cut-off date is Wednesday - December 31 - 2025
• Additional applications will be referred as needed
• (NOTE: Applications expire after 90 days
• Please update application thru USAJobs if you wish to be reconsidered.) Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include - but are not limited to: Clinical Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care
• Performs psychological evaluations for Veterans with a range of psychiatric diagnoses and varying levels of cognitive functioning
• Conducts psychological - cognitive - and neuropsychological assessments as needed
• Provides psychoeducation to Veterans - family members - and/or caregivers
• Provides comprehensive - evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions including individual - family - and group psychotherapy
• Provides consultation to professional staff within the El Paso VAHCS and to community providers concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for Veterans seen in the Behavioral Health Clinic
• Develops - implements - and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of Veterans - including prompt completion of clinical reminders - case notes and psychological reports
• Functions independently as a member of the El Paso VAHCS Medical Staff with full clinical privileges
• Assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings - patient care decisions - and clinical documentation
• Provides crisis-intervention support as needed for urgent mental health walk-ins
• Administrative Assists the program director or coordinator in the design - development - and implementation of clinical programs for a team of treatment providers
• Assists the program director or coordinator in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program
• Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs to effectively coordinate services
• Compiles with national and local performance measures - including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients
• Compiles 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 held by the Chief - Behavioral Health Service (or designee) and facility Director
• Attends regular staff meetings - Medical Staff meetings - and compiles with Psychology Service peer review procedures
• Work Schedule: Typical tour of duty is Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm but may be adjusted due to needs of the facility Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): AUTHORIZED Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VISN17EDRP2@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: GS-11 53460F
• GS-12 53461F
• GS-13 53462F