Psychologist (PTSD)

Job Summary
The PTSD Clinical Team (PCT) Psychologist is a position aligned under the Mental Health ICC of the Syracuse VAMC. This incumbent provides outpatient mental health treatment to Veterans who are connected with the Syracuse VAMC and its Community Based Outpatient clinics (CBOCs).

Duties

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The PTSD Clinical Team (PCT) Psychologist is a position aligned under the Mental Health ICC of the Syracuse VAMC. This incumbent provides outpatient mental health treatment to Veterans who are connected with the Syracuse VAMC and its Community Based Outpatient clinics (CBOCs).List the major duties and responsibilities of the position:

Lists the major duties and responsibilities of the position:

• The incumbent is tasked with delivering psychotherapeutic treatment to individuals, couples, focusing on mental health symptoms & emotional challenges.
• The incumbent develops a comprehensive psychosocial assessment of the Veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, and their natural supports, as indicated, that considers the range of mental health treatments available and sensitivity to the unique, individual needs of the Veteran.
• Provide recovery planning and PTSD treatment to Veterans with a history of trauma, including those patients with military sexual trauma and co-occurring disorders, including anxiety, depression, substance use, and personality disorders.
• Participate as a member of the interdisciplinary PTSD Clinical Team.
• Provides quality therapy by utilizing Evidence Based Psychotherapies (EBP) in the treatment of Veterans served and utilizes nationally provided EBP templates to properly capture care provided. Treatment approaches recommended in the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) are prioritized and include but are not limited to: Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, and/or Written Exposure Therapy.
• Implement use of Measurement Based Care for measuring effectiveness of clinical practice and services in specialty areas, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services.
• Actively contribute to the development of the Veteran's treatment plan and set achievable goals in collaboration with the Veteran, their significant others, and other clinical staff.
• Collaborate with other service providers to reassess the Veteran's needs on an ongoing basis and provide appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference with incorporation of their surrogate decisionmaker when necessary.
• Possess excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing, and ability to interact effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds. - Documenting clinical treatment inventions and activities in the patient electronic clinical record clinical record is essential. Review progress notes from other providers to accurately assess the Veteran's strengths and limitations to ensure comprehensive care.
• Provide consultation services regarding the psychosocial needs of Veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on healthcare and treatment adherence.
• Coordinate treatment and communicate with other services to facilitate comprehensive care for Veterans. Including the provision of continuity of care during transfer to a lower or higher level of care.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN2EDRPCoordinators@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 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)
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.
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: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Note: This position may be filled by a Psychologist, Social Worker or Licensed Mental Health Professional (LPMHC). These three positions are advertised separately on USAJobs. If you are interested in any position, please apply to the respective job announcement.

Requirements

• 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 trial period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

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: 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 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. 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 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.
• 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.

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

GS-12 (Developmental Level):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. AND, Demonstrated 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.

GS-13 (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. AND, 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, 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.

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. 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: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $105,383.00 - $137,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $105,383 - $137,000