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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Psychologist (Domicile-Substance Use Disorder) Near Las Vegas, NV

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 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
  • 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:
    • The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and,
    • 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.
• 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 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: 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.

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:

• Staff Psychologist, GS-11
  • Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.
• Staff Psychologist, 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.
  • 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.
• Staff Psychologist, GS-13
  • Experience: At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.
  • Licensure: Must be fully licensed for independent practice as a Psychologist.
  • 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, 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.

Preferred Experience: Residential Treatment; SMI Treatment; Polysubstance Treatment; Dual-Diagnosis Treatment; Gambling treatment

References: VA Handbook 5005/103, Part II, Appendix G18 - Psychologist Qualification Standard, GS-0180, Veteran Health Administration, 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: Physical Demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary, although the stress involved in dealing continually with persons in emotional distress and who may be uncooperative and occasionally violent makes this work notably more demanding than most sedentary jobs.

Responsibilities:

Work Schedule: To be determined upon selection
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

This position is located in the Behavioral Health Service, with primary assignment to the DOM-SUD treatment team. This psychologist provides assessment and treatment services to veterans residing in Las Vegas Residential Recovery and Renewal Center (LVR3) at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System. The DOM-SUD Program Manager provides direct clinical and administrative supervision. The clinician is further responsible to the Chief, Behavioral Health Service and the Chief of Staff.

Duties of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Provides a full range of psychotherapeutic interventions including individual therapy, group therapy, family counseling, and psychoeducational classes to address identified psychological needs of patients presenting to the residential program. Best practices, practice guidelines, and evidence-based treatment protocols are utilized to the extent feasible in all therapeutic interventions.
• Provide a full range of psychological assessment services (excluding neuropsychological) to clarify the needs of the Veterans and to facilitate development of a holistic treatment plan.
• Attend regularly scheduled treatment team meetings, daily huddles and other staff related consultations.
• Collaborate with other specialties within the LVR3 team to create a holistic, recovery-based treatment plan with Veterans.
• Responsible for identification of patient problems requiring consultation with other multi-disciplinary medical center staff and making appropriate referrals.
• Assures that appropriate referrals to specialty programs, including community resources, are accomplished. This may include referrals to Mental Health Programs (i.e., Mental Health Clinic, Addictive Disorders Treatment Program (ADTP), Neuropsychology, Mental Health Intensive Case Management, Compensated Work Therapy, Homeless services, Vocational Rehabilitation).
• Complete all clinical charting and documentation required by the health care system in a timely manner.
• The DOM-SUD Psychologist may consult with other specialists in planning and coordinating treatment for Veterans with co-morbidities.
• Participates actively in Performance Improvement (PI) activities.
• Fully accountable for practice, including Veteran visits, measuring outcomes to interventions, and meeting productivity standards.
• Serves as a consultant, liaison, and point of contact for programs within Behavioral Health services, throughout the hospital, and within the community.
• Participates in education/CME lectures, research, specialty care programs, and/or clinics as assigned by the DOM-SUD Program Manager.
• Participates in local, VISN, and national committees/community networking activities as requested by BHS or facility leadership.
• Participating in research as appropriate through case finding and referral of patients to clinical investigators engaged in research or through participating in research studies.
• Applying new approaches to patient care through integration of approved investigative and research methods in clinical practice, basing interventions on evidence of effectiveness.
• Promoting patient independence and achievement of optimal health through appropriate psychosocial education and community referrals.
• Assuming responsibility for professional development by attending relevant training and regularly reviewing the literature to improve clinical competencies.
• May be involved in the Psychology training programs, the training of social work interns, psychiatric residents, medical students, and nursing students, as appropriate.
• Other duties as assigned by management.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and may be posted up to September 30, 2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be November 20, 2023, with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st and 15^th of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

PLEASE NOTE: Qualified clinical trainees, residents, fellows, interns, etc. are encouraged to apply; please follow the instructions in the How to Apply section.

Job Summary