Staff Psychologist (Centralized Eligibility & Appeals Team)

The psychologist serves as a key member of the Caregiver Support Program (CSP) within the Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT). The CSP is one of the fastest-growing service areas in the Veterans Health Administration, driven by infrastructure modernization, innovative program development, and the expansion of services under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers as authorized by the MISSION Act.




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: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
• Education: Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program 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 successfully completed a re-specialization program meeting both of the following conditions: a) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA- or CPA-accredited doctoral program; and b) The specialty in which you were retrained is consistent with the assignment for which you are applying. OR, Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
• Internship: Have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed and consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed; OR, New VHA psychology internship programs in the process of applying for APA accreditation are acceptable if sanctioned by the VHA Central Office Program Director for Psychology and the VHA Office of Academic Affiliations at the time 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 acceptable; OR, Applicants who completed an internship not accredited by APA or CPA may be eligible only if currently board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty consistent with the assignment. (NOTE: Once board certified, the employee must maintain board certification.)NOTE: Applicants with a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature may fulfill the internship requirement by completing the equivalent of a one-year supervised internship experience in a site acceptable to their doctoral program. If not noted on the official transcript, a statement from the doctoral program verifying completion is required.
• 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).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met:

Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance, Level)
Experience: At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate the 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: Experience with the Caregiver Support Program or Home Based Primary Care, and experience with Web Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture Remote Access Management (WebVRAM) and the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS).

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: Potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, and sitting. Must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment.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/.Employment Type: OTHER

Salary : $106,437