Psychologist (Primary Care Mental Health Integration)

SummaryRecruitment or Relocation Incentives may be authorized to a highly qualified candidate. The Primary Care Mental Health Integration Psychologist is administratively within the Mental Health Service Line, with primary assignment to the Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) program, located within primary care. This position has been approved for the Education Debt Reduction Program. Please refer to "Duties Section below" for more information.ResponsibilitiesThe Primary Care Mental Health Integration Psychologist functions as part of multidisciplinary primary care teams, and delivers brief, consultation-based services to Veterans within that setting. The focus is on general service delivery for a wide range of concerns and resolving problems within the primary care service context. The PCMHI Psychologist functions within fast-paced primary care teams and can expect to consult with 8-10 patients per day with the primary goals of assisting PACT members with identification, treatment, and management of mental health and behavioral medicine conditions in the enrolled population. Administrative Responsibilities:

May have limited responsibility for and oversight of the administrative

and programmatic resources of various clinical programs within the VATVCBHCS. 2. May assist in coordinating programming within the various mental health programs with psychology Program Managers as well as with discipline supervisors of affected staff assigned to these programs. 3. May serve as the representative for Psychology Service on various Psychology Service, Mental Health Service Line, System, or VISN administrative committees or work groups. Clinical Responsibilities:

Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including the use of psychological testing for patients within VATVCBHCS in areas of special interest/expertise, including specialized health psychology assessments such as pre-bariatric surgery and transplant psychological assessments/intervention. 2. Performs psychological evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations. These evaluations employ a comprehensive diagnostic interview, review of available records, collateral contact when available, as well as objective, and cognitive tests when indicated. 3. Provides a range of psychological therapeutic interventions, including group and individual formats, with individuals with mental health and medical disorders utilizing empirically supported modalities when indicated. Services may be delivered in a face-to-face and/or telehealth format. 4. Consults with and serves as a resource for other professional personnel concerning the need for, evaluation of, and development of psychological services in VATVCBHCS. 5. Deals effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view. 6. May be asked to assist in the selection, training, and supervision of staff at lower grade within assigned program area, Psychology Service, or VATVCBHCS. Academic/teaching/research:

May be asked to serve as a clinical supervisor for psychology pre-doctoral interns, and doctoral level graduate practicum students in psychology and other related disciplines. 2. May be asked to prepare and teach seminars/workshops for VATVCBHCS trainees/staff on topics within interest/competency areas. 3. May be asked to serves as a member of various VATVCBHCS Mental Health, VATVCBHCS, and/or VISN committees. 4. May choose to conduct approved psychological research that supports the mission of VATVCBHCS alone or in collaboration with other professional in VATVCBHCS or affiliated academic institutions. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:30 pm

Financial Disclosure Report: Not requiredNote: This is a Bargaining Unit position.RequirementsConditions of EmploymentQualificationsApplicants 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: (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. OR (2) Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully complete a respecialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the respecialization program) meeting both of the following conditions:(a) the respecialization 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, OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. AND 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. 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. 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). Preferred Experience:

Licensed Psychologist.

Experience providing individual and group psychotherapy for a wide array of diagnoses.

Experience as a therapist in the VA.

Experience in PCMHI and/or primary care setting. Grade Determinations:

GS-11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level)Experience: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level)Experience: At least 1 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate 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. GS-13 Staff Psychologist (Full Performance Level)

Experience: At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the 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. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 Psychologist Qualification Standard dated February 07, 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 Psychologist position will require light lifting (under 15 pounds), light carrying (under 15 pounds), use of fingers, both hands required, walking (1 hour), and standing (1 hour).

EducationIMPORTANT: 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. The doctoral degree must be fully 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. Verification of accreditation may be made obtained from https://accreditation.apa.org/accredited-programs or https://cpa.ca/accreditation/CPAaccreditedprograms/ If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. If your school was accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS), or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) at the time of graduation, but is no longer listed on the American Psychological Association (APA), the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS), or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.Additional InformationThis job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. 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. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Note: 38 U.S.C. 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans preference to external applicants for appointments made from this announcement during FY20. This vacancy will remain open until filled. The first cut-off date is 03/30/2020. Additional applications will be referred as needed.