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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Staff Psychologists Services for Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) Specialty Program Near Salt Lake, UT

Qualifications:

***This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until December 15, 2023. Eligible applications will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.***


Basic Requirements:

United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.g, this part.)

Education: Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (AP A), 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, AP A 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: (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

Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.

AND

Internships
Have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program that was accredited by AP A 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 AP A 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 AP A 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.

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.

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).

Drivers License. Must have a current unrestricted drivers license.

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:
1. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.
2. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.
3. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.
4. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).
5. 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

Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations.
2. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
3. Knowledge of clinical research literature.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 PART II APPENDIX G18

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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Be able to pass VA requirements for operation of a government vehicle.

Responsibilities:

*** This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until August 31, 2023. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be July 30, 2023. 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. ***

Clinical Responsibilities (85% of time)

The following specific clinical duties will be provided by the HBPC psychologist:

1. Provide screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of depressive and anxiety-related disorders, as well as other Axis I conditions, with an emphasis on the application of time-limited, evidence-based approaches.
2. Assess and provide treatments for sub-clinical symptoms of dysphoria and anxiety, adjustment difficulties, & excessive use or misuse of alcohol or other drugs (for which the patient may have a lower than normal tolerance due to their medical conditions and the potential for negative interactions with prescribed medication).
3. Provide psychological prevention services to patients at significant risk for psychological problems.
4. Provide services to the families of veterans with dementia being served by HBPC, when such care is directly related to the overall treatment plan for the veteran and will allow better care for the veteran and allow the family to sustain the veteran in the home environment. For example, family members may be trained to better manage behavioral problems associated with dementia; such training may allow the HBPC team to reduce use of psychoactive medication as a means of controlling behavioral problems.
5. Provide clinical services through the use of telemental health/telehome technology.
6. Provide screening for cognitive deficits to address specific functional questions or to determine if a referral for a complete neuropsychological evaluation or dementia assessment is needed;
7. Perform capacity/competency assessments when there are questions about a patient's ability to make medical decisions, perform other specific functions, or live independently.
8. Assess patients' understanding of advanced directives and other forms of consent and assisting staff in determining how to present treatment options and other such material to patients in a format they can understand.
9. Provide individual and group interventions to support patients that are coping with feelings of grief and loss associated with disability and other life transitions.
10. Provide psychoeducational and supportive interventions, in conjunction with the veteran, for spouses, family members/caregivers, and others that are crucial to keeping the veteran at home.
11. Facilitate transition and adjustment to new living situations (e.g., nursing home, assisted living facility), and providing seamless intervention services, as appropriate.
12. Provide behavioral medicine interventions to manage pain, disability, address sleep problems, facilitate weight loss, promote smoking cessation, and enhance medical compliance.
13. Promote communication/interactions between medical team members, patients, and their families to facilitate the medical treatment process.

ENRICHING ELEMENTS

Academic/Teaching/Training: (10% of time)

1. Provides clinical supervision to Psychology Postdoctoral Fellows, interns and practicum students training in HBPC clinic.
2. Is actively involved in the Psychology Training Program and is a member of the Training Committee.
3. Is involved in the training of medical students, psychiatric residents, and nursing students who train in the HBPC clinic.

Administrative/Program Evaluation/Outcome Measurement/Research (5% time)

1. Participates in the monitoring of performance measures that pertain to Outpatient Mental Health Services, HBPC, and Med Psych Services.
2. Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by Mental Health Services and the V ASLCHCS.
3. Participates in program-wide outcome evaluation studies.

Work Schedule: 8:00 AM-4:30 PM M-F
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 56039-O, 56040-O, 56041-O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact Mykia.Singleton@va.gov the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Job Summary