Duties

The Psychology Technician is assigned to the MIRECC with responsibility for multiple research and administrative duties. The purpose of this position is to provide support to the MIRECC professional staff in the conduct and coordination of research projects with a particular focus in conducting research study-based manualized group treatment interventions. The incumbent must have clinical and basic science research experience, have clinical mental health experience, should be familiar with conducting group interventions, interviews and assessments with seriously mentally ill individuals and should be experienced with computerized word-processing, spreadsheet and database software.

Specific responsibilities include:

Performs one or more of a variety of technical tasks in a program of research or other professional services in psychology. Performance of these tasks requires a practical understanding of some of the general principles, theories, methods and techniques of psychology in order to carry out duties which are performed under the supervision of a professional psychologist.

These duties may include one or more of the following:

• Assist in research as in systematic collection of psychology research data, recording and collecting of data, preparing tabular or graphic presentation of data, in accordance with a predetermined research plan
• Assist counseling psychologist in contacting potential employers for purpose of making vocational placement, providing follow-up consultation, administering and scoring of interest, achievement and aptitude tests, securing work history and other relevant vocational information(
• Assist neuropsychologist in administering and scoring of selected tests of a neuropsychology battery in accordance with clearly defined procedures
• Assist psychologists in completing behavior rating scales or in conducting behavior modification.
• Screening potential participants by reviewing charts and reviewing cases with research team.
• Recruiting and assessing patients who are eligible for research protocols. This includes explaining the study to eligible participants, answering any questions regarding the study, obtaining written informed consent to participate in the research project, and evaluating the patient's competence to provide informed consent.
• Maintaining research data, patient records, protocol manuals (updating as needed). Collecting information needed for special studies and progress reports. Collection, photocopying, tabulation, and filing of research data and patient information; scheduling and testing of participants in research projects.
• Completing interviews and assessments with seriously mentally ill individuals in the context of a research study.
• Facilitating manualized treatment interventions with seriously mentally ill individuals in the context of a research protocol.
• Developing and maintaining appropriate communications, rapport, and positive working relationships with a variety of professionals and specialized services with the MIRECC, the VA, and other agencies.
• Participating in the assigned study team meetings and supervisions. Attend staff meetings, research coordination meetings, and ongoing training and supervisor meetings as scheduled.

This position is covered by AFGE bargaining unit. Per the AFGE Master Agreement, the Area of Consideration will be:

• 1st Area of Consideration: Current permanent Facility (including satellites) employees.
• 2nd Area of Consideration: Current permanent VA employees (including VEOA Status).
• 3rd Area of Consideration: All other Status candidates.

Work Schedule: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Telework: AD HOC
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Psychology Technician/PD19039A

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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
• 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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/05/2022.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

Individual Occupational Requirement:

Basic Education Requirement: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in an appropriate social or biological science, which included or was supplemented by 12 semester hours in psychology. Transcripts Required.

Minimum Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must meet one of the following minimum requirements. NOTE: The experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable. The education must be supported by your transcript to be creditable. If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.

Specialized Experience: GS-7: One year of technical work under the direction of a professional psychologist in a program of professional services, training or research (This must be clearly stated on your resume with dates indicating 1 year and where you gained this experience working under the direction of a professional psychologist).

A minimum of 6 months of experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade (GS-06) in the Federal service, or 1 year comparable to the second lower grade (GS-05).

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: analytical ability using both quantitative and qualitative analysis methods to gather and analyze data; clinical and basic science research experience; clinical mental health experience; conducting group interventions, interviews and assessments with individuals with physical and mental illness; using computerized word-processing, spreadsheet and database software; ability to communicate both orally and in writing in order to represent the agency at conferences and intra-agency meetings on matters concerning health care management; skill in dealing with special populations with physical and mental illness.

OR

GS-07 Substitution of Education. One (1) full year of graduate study (i.e., 18 semester hours) in psychology in an accredited college or university may be substituted for 1 year of experience and meets in full the requirements at the GS-7 level.

OR,

GS-07 Superior Academic Achievement. Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) at the baccalaureate level in the qualifying curriculum detailed above is fully qualifying. Applicants who wish to apply under this provision must submit proof from their educational institution that they meet one of the criteria listed below. To qualify for SAA, applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and meet one of the following:

Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.

Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of:3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2years of the curriculum.

Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. For a list of recognized honor societies please visit http://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

Administration and Management: Knowledge of planning, coordination, and execution of business functions, resource allocation, and production.

Education and Training: Knowledge of teaching, training, research, making presentations, lecturing, testing, and other instructional methods.

Interpersonal Skills: Ability to show understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develop and maintain effective relationships with others; relate well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.

Planning and Evaluation: Ability to organize work, set priorities, and determines resource requirements; determine short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary, although the stress involved in dealing with persons in emotional distress and who may be uncooperative makes this work notably more demanding than most sedentary jobs.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/ .

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. NOTE: Transcripts should state the name of the student, name of the university and/or college, total number of credits completed, date degree awarded/conferred. Copies of Official Transcripts are accepted and are the best way to ensure your education is interpreted correctly in accordance with OPM qualification standards, but unofficial transcripts are accepted if they contain all the required information. If credit for a course is being questioned by the HR Professional performing qualifications, it is your responsibility to provide supporting descriptive information (course syllabus/descriptions) in your application package.

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.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified : applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ .

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

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 .