Staff Psychologist

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. 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.

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Duties

Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf

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This vacancy may be used to fill various programs throughout the main facility and outpatient offices as they come available; select all locations you are willing to consider as this announcement may be used to fill current and future vacancies at all listed locations.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2024 or until these positions are filled.

If you are not a current, permanent VA employee, Federal employee from another agency, or Health Professional Trainee, you should apply under CBST-12309900-24-TC

This position serves as a fully qualified staff psychologist in at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC). The function of this position is to provide care to Veterans with mental illness presenting to the MEDVAMC or its affiliated CBOC's. Psychologists in this position may work in any one of several clinics throughout the careline including: General mental health clinic, Behavioral Health Program, PTSD Clinical Team, Substance Use Disorders Clinic, Inpatient Psychiatry, Mental Health Intensive Case Management, Psychosocial Rehabilitation, etc.

Major duties include the following but not limited to:

• Provide biopsychosocial diagnostic assessments to Veterans with a wide range of mental health concerns.
• Provide time-limited, recovery-oriented, and goal-focused individual, couples/family, and/or group evidence-based or evidence-informed psychotherapies and interventions.
• Incorporate measurement-based care to track treatment progress and use the results to inform shared-decision making about treatment direction with Veterans
• Develop and update treatment plans to reflect recovery goals and objectives, functioning, and treatment needs/response.
• Provide emergency/crisis assessment and intervention services including ER/inpatient care transfer for therapy/intake Veterans experiencing acute psychological crises who may need hospitalization.
• Provide consultation to treatment team members on patient care issues.
• Collaborate with Suicide Prevention Coordinators, Behavioral Health Program, General Mental Health Clinic, Inpatient, ER, and specialty mental health programs such as PCT, SDTP, PRRC, MHICM to ensure Veterans receive a seamless transition to appropriate services.
• Facilitate enrollment and discharge planning from therapy or the assigned clinic to the appropriate level of care/service.
• Provide clinical supervision to unlicensed staff and trainees providing direct clinical care.
• Utilize tools and resources related to reporting and evaluation (i.e., dashboards, measures, note templates with health factors, etc.) to comply with national, regional, and local performance measures related to suicide prevention, access to care, quality of care, etc
  
  

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized: Contact Demetrius.Roberts@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 existing pay, 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: Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 580-00858-F: GS-11; 580-00859-F: GS-12; 580-00860-F: GS-13

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Beaumont: $106,824 - $197,936

Conroe: $104,340 - $193,333

Galveston: $104,340 - $193,333

Houston: $104,340 - $193,333

Humble: $104,340 - $193,333

Katy: $104,340 - $193,333

Lake Jackson: $104,340 - $193,333

Lufkin: $106,203 - $196,785

Richmond: $104,340 - $193,333

Sugar Land: $104,340 - $193,333

Texas City: $104,340 - $193,333

Tomball: $104,340 - $193,333

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment medical evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
  
  

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.
• 
  
  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).
• 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: 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 Determinations: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following:

Staff Psychologist, GS-11 (Entry Level)Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.

Staff Psychologist, GS-12 (Developmental Level) Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance Level)(a) Experience. At least 2 years of experience, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level, as a professional psychologist that was obtained through employment as a psychologist or through participating in a supervised post-doctoral psychology training program that demonstrates1) active professional practice that was paid/non-paid employment and 2) a full, current and unrestricted license. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics associated with current psychology practice.

*Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed.

• Experience. At least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-11 level.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience, the candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs in their resume:
• 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.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience, the candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs in their resume::
• Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to a full range of patient populations.
• Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
• Knowledge of clinical research literature.
  
  

Preferred Experience:

• Provide evidence-based psychotherapies including but not limited to: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Problem Solving Therapy (PST), and Collaborative Assessment & Management of Suicidality (CAMS)
• Work in an outpatient Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) Team-Base Care using the Collaborative Chronic Care Model (CCCM)
  
  

Reference: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18, Psychologist, Qualification Standard dated February 7, 2018.



The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13.



Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, but it may require light lifting, under 15 pounds; light carrying, under 15 pounds; walking, standing, and hearing (aids may be permitted). The work requires emotionally stability, working closely with others and working alone.

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/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center

2002 Holcombe Boulevard

Houston, TX 77030

US