This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Learn more Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Be a U.S. Citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part) 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. NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship. [Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards.] 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. NOTE: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the requirements of this qualification standard.] 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. 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 under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 (c)(2)(B) 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. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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: Staff Psychologist, GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements GS-12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level) Experience: At least 1 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: Please provide a response to the below KSAs demonstrating how you have performed these in current or previous positions. 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. Please refer to the Additional Information Section regarding the GS-13 grade requirements. References: VA Handbook 5005/103, Part II, Appendix G18, dated February 7, 2018. The full performance level of this vacancy is at the GS-13 level. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to the GS-13 level. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. ["The Psychologist position is located in Canandaigua, NY. As part of the Pain Management Integration and Expansion Team, the psychologist will focus on the assessment and treatment of the behavioral and psychological aspects of acute and chronic pain, within a patient-centered and interdisciplinary model. The Pain Management Team will operate primarily out of three VA sites: the Canandaigua VAMC, the Bath VAMC, and the Rochester Community-Based Outpatient Clinic, but will also provide services at the other CBOCs in the Finger Lakes HCS area, as well as through the Home-Based Primary\nCare programs and through televideo modalities.\nMajor duties include the assessment and treatment of chronic pain, including the provision of\nevidence-based psychological approaches to the management of chronic pain, including CBT for Chronic Pain, as well as third-wave therapies such as Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness-based approaches, such as MBSR and related approaches. In addition, the psychologist will provide consultation to the team and to FLHCS providers at large on issues regarding psychological aspects of chronic pain assessment and treatment.\nIndependently provides specialized psychological services at all levels of complexity for patients with chronic pain, including for the treatment of concurrent and complicating mental health conditions which might interact with chronic pain and psychological treatment, with service delivery to include intake evaluation, treatment planning, diagnostic assessments, psychotherapy and patient education.\n-Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions including individual therapy, group therapy, and psychoeducation classes. Best practices, practice guidelines and evidence-based treatment protocols are utilized to the extent feasible in all therapeutic interventions.\nAttends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the Manager of the Pain Management Interdisciplinary Program (or duly appointed designees).\nTimely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system, as appropriate.\n-In collaboration with client, constructs and manages treatment plan using approved software; ensures collaboration of other involved clinicians.\nParticipates actively in Psychology Department activities, in particular those activities supporting the Psychology Doctoral Internship Program (rotation or other training supervision; review, interviewing, and selection of interns; didactics presentations in specialty area) and in activities related to credentialing/privileging of psychologists (completing clinical pertinence reviews of the work of other psychologists). Note: The Finger Lakes Health Care System prioritizes a strong value for cultural diversity and cultural humility across our staff and training programs. We strive to foster and encourage the life-long practice of professional multicultural competence through embracing an ongoing process of openness, self-reflection, and professional and personal development. A recruitment incentive may be authorized for highly qualified applicants. Federal employees are not eligible for the recruitment incentive. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday: 8 am to 4:30 pm\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement: Psychologist\nRecruitment Incentives: Authorized\nEDRP Authorized: Christine.Mcmahon2@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.