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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. 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 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 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 provide a copy of your transcript, program information and completion date in your resume, or copy of current board certification to receive credit. 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). OR 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. You must provide an unexpired copy to receive credit. 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. Grade Determinations: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following: GS-11 (Entry Level): None beyond the basic requirements. GS-12 Level: at least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-11 level. Examples of experience include: diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders, and may conduct research. They may be assigned to any program area. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs in their resume: 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 Level: at least 2 addition years of experience, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level, as a professional psychologist that was obtained through employment as a psychologist or through participating in a supervised post-doctoral psychology training program that demonstrates. Example of experience includes: diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders, and may conduct research. 1) active professional practice that was paid/non-paid employment and/or 2) a full, current and unrestricted license. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics associated with current psychology practice. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs in their resume:: 1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to a 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. Preferred Experience: 1. Experience working with patients in a Primary Care setting! 2. Experience providing curbside consultations with Primary Care providers. 3. Experience providing brief, evidenced based interventions for insomnia, anxiety, depression and trauma-related disorders. 4. Experience conducting brief functional assessments for mental health difficulties. References: VA Handbook 5005/103, Part II, Appendix G18, February 7, 2018; The full performance level of this vacancy is GS13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS11 to GS13.. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. It occasionally requires carrying of light objects such as files, books and papers. Some walking, standing and bending is required. No special physical qualifications are required. ["This psychologist position provides psychological service for Veterans in primary care clinics. The psychologist will work closely with primary care providers, with all or most services provided in the primary care setting. The duties of the Staff Psychologist-Primary Care Mental Health Psychologist include but are not limited to: Identify at risk populations and provide psychological prevention services to Veteran at significant risk for mental and physical disorders associated with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral/lifestyle factors. Assess and provide interventions for sub-clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety, adjustment difficulties, and excessive use or misuse of alcohol or other substances (for which the Veteran may have a lower than normal tolerance due to their medical conditions and the potential for negative interactions with prescribed medication). Provide a full range of functional assessments including screening for a variety of disorders that are prevalent in Veterans of different age groups and suicide risk. Perform evaluations including psychological testing for adults of varying ages and cultural/ethnic backgrounds. Provide a variety of therapeutic interventions, including evidence-based cognitive- behavioral individual, group, family/relationship and crisis intervention therapies. Provide behavioral medicine/health psychology interventions to manage pain, disability, address sleep problems, facilitate weight loss, promote smoking cessation, and enhance medical compliance. Consult with medical center staff, including non-mental health primary care providers, on a wide variety of patient care issues. Provide psycho-educational and supportive interventions for spouses, family members/caregivers, and other that are involved in the Veteran's care, documenting the necessity for and benefit of the intervention for the Veteran. Promoting communication/interactions between medical team members, Veterans, and their families to facilitate the medical treatment process. Provide training of program staff, as needed, to ensure that the program functions efficiently. May be eligible for a faculty appointment at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. May be involved in the Psychology Training Program as a faculty supervisor for psychology residents and postdoctoral fellows when assigned. Contributes to the training of medical students, medical and psychiatric residents. nursing students, or other mental health trainees, by teaching occasional lectures and seminar and providing limited supervision for clinical practicum experiences. Oversees the establishment and interpretation of data from program monitors and outcome measurements within programs assigned using a data? driven quality assurance processes. May plan and oversee research program, in the role of principal investigator or co-investigator, designed to provide information regarding program planning and relevant treatment approaches. May present outcome data and research results at VA and regional or national scientific or professional meetings. Assists in preparation of report and proposals for program expansion/improvement as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Telework: Available (ADHOC emergencies only) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 586-00004F; 586-00005F; 586-00006F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact olympia.smith@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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