Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent VA nationwide employees. Current permanent John D. Dingell VA Medical Center employees will receive first consideration.

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Administrative Responsibilities

• Technically, clinically, and administratively manages the Neuropsychology and Geropsychology MH Section
• Develops and implements appropriate clinical programming and policies/processes/procedures in each Neuropsychology and Geropsychology MH Section to ensure the provision of high-quality services to meet the needs of the Veterans being served
• Plans, develops, and implements short and long-term goals and objectives for Neuropsychology and Geropsychology MH Section consistent with the service's strategic plan and/or priorities
• Monitors patient outcomes (both at individual and population/aggregate level) in Neuropsychology and Geropsychology MH Section using data-driven quality assurance processes and implement strategies for improvement based on data analysis
• Addresses and completes of assigned evaluations, suspense/action items, patient advocate complaints, White House Hotline calls, and responses required by the Medical Center, VISN, and/or VACO in a timely fashion
• Ensures national, regional, and facility initiatives pertinent to Neuropsychology and Geropsychology MH Section are fully implemented, both within Mental Health and, as appropriate, throughout the facility
• Provides direct supervision of reporting staff, including clinical, administrative, and programmatic supervision
• Manages the process of hiring staff to fill open positions, including but not limited to the submission of HR paperwork (currently through MSS), reviewing applications, interviewing applicants, completing reference checks, and selecting applicants
• Authorizes leave, develops contingency plans, conducts performance appraisals, completes chart reviews and OPPEs/FPPEs, and manages disciplinary processes when necessary and in compliance with policies and guidance
• Implements and oversees professional psychology practice within and, as requested, outside of section to include but not limited to the completion of psychologist chart reviews, coordination with other supervisors to conduct psychologist professional practice evaluations, and routing updates and maintenance of scopes of practice and licensure of psychologists
• Perform VA police psychological examinations as needed.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Selects, administers/conducts, scores, and interprets results of a variety of psychological and neuropsychologial assessments/tests as appropriate to the clinical need
• Conducts structured and diagnostic interviews, which may include intake assessments
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions, including individual, family/couples, and group psychotherapy, rehabilitation, and psychoeducation
• Provides a full range of biopsychosocial diagnostic services including assessments, including intake assessments, psychological testing, and neuropsychological screening
• Serves as authoritative source in the use and interpretation of tests to make differential diagnoses
• Provides expert consultation regarding the test administration and evaluation to other disciplines and programs/sections within and outside of the Mental Health Service
• Provides clinical care coordination and case management of patients as appropriate
• Provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint, coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members, as needed
• Independently identifies high-risk patients and connects with needed resources and services, as needed
• Liaisons/advocates on behalf of the Neuropsychology and Geropsychology MH Section and/or Veteran/caregiver between settings of care, both internal and external to the VA
• Completes comprehensive Veteran-centered, recovery-focused treatment plans and updates as appropriate/required
• Provides clinical supervision to psychology trainees and, potentially, trainees of other mental health disciplines

Educational Responsibilities

• Involvement in training program didactics for trainees of various disciplines and levels, as assigned

Research Responsibilities

• Overseeing IRB compliance in any research that involves Specialty MH Programs

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telework: Ad hoc Only
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 938740
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to applyFormer EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. 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).
• 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.
• 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.
• Loss of Credential. Once board certified, psychologist must maintain a full, valid and unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required board certification 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.

Qualifications

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 Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English.
• Education Requirement - You must 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. OR, have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully completed a respecialization program meeting both of the following conditions: a) the respecialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and b) the specialty in which you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for; OR, have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
• Internship Requirement - You must 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). NOTE: 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: Candidates must 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.
• Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following to qualify at the GS 14 level - At least 3 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 level. Examples of specialized experience would typically include operation and management of key clinical, training, research, or administrative programs to include full responsibility for managing the day to day activities of those programs; strategic planning to ensure the provision of high quality services to meet the needs of the Veterans being served and planning, and developing and implementing short- and long-term goals and objectives consistent with the program's strategic plan; oversight of administrative and programmatic resources and deploy those resources in support of the program needs; developing and implementing programs, policies, and procedures to meet program goals, VHA policy and external accreditation requirements, and monitor outcomes using data-driven quality assurance processes, and implement strategies for improvement based on data analysis.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate 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.

NOTE: Your experience must be clearly documented on your resume. Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties to be performed. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to or exceeding professional psychology experience at the next lower level.

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-14. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS-14.

Physical Requirements: Position is primarily sedentary, and incumbent must be able to sit for prolonged periods of time. Some bending, walking and stooping. May require light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds) and climbing stairs as needed. Ability to physically access various treatment settings within the facility. Ability to use computers frequently/continuously throughout the day for data input and communication. Ability to use phone. Ability to to read printed material and distinguish colors, including but not limited to reading computer screens and testing material.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.