Duties

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am to 4:00pm
Compressed/Flexible:Available at Supervisor Discretion
Remote: This position is 100% Remote
Functional Statement #: F05313
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

GS-14 Psychology Duties will include but are not limited to:

Program Management Responsibilities (75% time)

• Communicates and coordinates with the Chief of Staff, Chief of Mental Health and Neurology, and Telehealth and Mental Health VISN leads across over 100 VA Healthcare Systems on a daily basis.
• Responsible for the development, implementation, maintenance, and effective utilization of all structures and relationships within and relating to the NTMHC.
• Provides administrative control and programmatic leadership for the specialized mental health and neuropsychiatric programs within the NTMHC, ensures a full range of professional and direct care services.
• Ensures compliance with increasingly complex procedures and statutes in licensing, clinical privileging, telehealth, and continuing professional education.
• Ensures that the environment of care of the NTMHC is in full compliance with all safety and security regulations.
• Responsible for in-depth analysis to identify and isolate problems and/or potential problems, analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of NTMHC's distinct clinical programs, and formulate the methods and courses of action to improve the clinical programs and
  determine long-range goals.
• Supervises the NTMHC Director of Operations, Program Analyst, and Secretary, and assumes primary responsibility for hiring new staff (multi-disciplinary) into positions assigned to the team.
• Evaluates work performance by functioning as the primary, first line rating authority on performance standards and appraisals, as assigned.
• Resolves conflicts among team members and adjudicates complaints and problems of employees.
• Assumes responsibility for taking appropriate disciplinary actions for employees with performance problems.
• Ensures that appropriate coverage is arranged for patient care responsibilities when staff members are on leave.
• Approves leave for employees assigned to the National Tele-mental health Center.
• Initiates performance awards for outstanding employees and completes administrative paperwork.

Clinical Responsibilities (25%):

• Provides psychological assessment, diagnostic evaluation, and cognitive behavioral therapy for National Tele-Mental Health Center patients.
• Provides education to patients, family members, and significant others.
• Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic consultations and interventions.
• Provides clinical supervision, as necessary, to NTMHC clinicians regarding adherence to VHA medico-legal standards and policies, documentation CPRS procedures, and clinical management of difficult and complex patients.
• Provides consultation to professional staff across the VHA, concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients.
• Develops and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for veterans referred for consultations to one of NTMHC's distinct clinical programs.
• Functions independently as a member of the VACHS Medical Staff, with full clinical privileges. Assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• 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 probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• 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).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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. To qualify for appointment, all applicants for the position of psychologist in VHA must meet the following:

a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States.

b. 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. 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

(2) 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

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

AND

(4) 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. (NOTE: Once board certified, the employee is required to maintain board certification);

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.

c. 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.

Loss of Credential. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists.

d. Board Certification(1) Board Certification. Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be 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. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education.

e. English Language Proficiency. Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005.

Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

GS- 14 Psychology Program Manager
(a) Experience. At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level.

(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines.
2. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools.
3. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view.
4. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives.5. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations.6. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards.7. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.

Preferred Experience is as follows:

• 5 years of experience as a clinical program leader
• 2 years of experience delivering direct clinical tele-mental health services
• Thorough knowledge of VA telehealth operations, including, but not limited to, logistics and policies.

References: VA Handbook 5005/103, Psychologist Qualification Standard, Part II, Appendix G18 dated February 7, 2018.

Physical Requirements: The work is largely office based in a sedentary setting. No manual labor is required above ordinary situations. The incumbent must be capable of using a computer. .

Education

IMPORTANT: 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 .

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

Due to COVID-19, VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .