Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Diagnoses mental disorders, conducts psychological and/or neuropsychological assessments, treats mental disorders through a variety of modalities, and provides adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders
• Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and uses the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions including, evidenced-based psychotherapies
• Participates fully in peer review, assessing the quality of professional psychology standards provided in the organization
• Responsible for identification of patient problems requiring consultation with other multidisciplinary medical center staff and making appropriate referrals
• Assures that appropriate referrals to specialty programs, including community resources, are accomplished
• Fully accountable for practice, including entering patient visits, measuring outcomes to interventions, and meeting productivity standards
• Provides clinical supervision to various disciplines and levels of training including but not limited to pre-doctoral interns and post-doctoral residents
• Provides leadership guidance and consultation to staff on units to which assigned
• Assists in the training of medical students, medical and psychiatric residents, nursing students, fellows and other graduate or post-graduate trainees, as appropriate
• Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assist in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their Veterans
• Oversees the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements within programs assigned using a data-driven quality assurance process
• Responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system, as appropriate
• If applicable, plans and oversees the completion of personal research programs, designed to provide information regarding program planning and relevant treatment approaches
• Presents outcome data and research results at VA and regional or national scientific or professional meetings
• Assists in preparation of RFP's and grant proposals, as assigned
• Serves on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces
• Represents Psychology on decision-making committees at the Medical Center or Healthcare System
• Actively participates in leadership roles on local, state, and national professional organizations
• Represents the Medical Center or Healthcare System at professional/program community group/events and committees
• Continually promotes teamwork by cooperating with and supporting staff, visitors and customers in achieving hospital goals/mission
• Consistently communicates with and assists customers, visitors, and staff in a courteous and professional manner
• Regularly creates and maintains an environment that ensures confidentiality and privacy for patients

VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional




Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact James Grimm, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
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)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
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.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
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: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

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.
• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States
• Education: 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
• 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;
• (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) Have 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) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature, fulfilling 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
• Licensure: Must holda 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
• Exception. Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment as a "graduate psychologist" at the GS-11 or GS-12 grade for a period not to exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that such a psychologist provide care only under the supervision of a psychologist who is licensed. Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j

Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Grade Determination
GS-11: Experience. Education and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-12: 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(1) Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.(2) Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.
(3) Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures.
(4) Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).
(5) 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: Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(1) Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations.
(2) Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
(3) Knowledge of clinical research literature.

Licensure: GS-11/12 - Must obtain licensure at the doctoral level within two years of appointment.
GS-13 - Must currently possess a full, current, and unrestricted license at the doctoral level.

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

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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Transcript

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps