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. Program 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.
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 07/11/2025 Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Required. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA policy. No person will be appointed to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. Education - must have ONE of the following (further details in Education Section): 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 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: The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and, the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. Internship - must have ONE of the following: 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: 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. GS11 and GS12 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 not to exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that a graduate psychologist provides 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. 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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. Staff Psychologist GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience: None beyond the basic requirements listed above. Staff Psychologist GS-12 (Developmental Level) Experience: At least one (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. Staff Psychologist GS-13 (Full Performance Level) Experience: At least two (2) years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one (1) year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. 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. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard, dated Feb 7, 2018. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13. Physical Requirements: The work requires patience and emotional regulation. The work may also require assisting physically disabled Veterans. Day-to-day work involves sitting, walking, standing and carrying light objects.
This position is part of the Orlando VA Healthcare System but may be located on site at any of the following 3 locations: Lake Nona, Baldwin or Daytona. The final candidate selection will be able to choose their location of interest. Staff Psychologists diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological and/or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders. They consult with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues. Staff psychologists may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities. Professional supervision of the incumbent will be provided by the Psychologist TRuST Supervisor until the individual is fully credentialed and privileged. Clinical Duties Specific to the TRuST - (Trauma Recovery Specialty Team - PCT): Provides a full range of psychodiagnostic services including psychological assessment services and diagnoses of mental disorders, working with complex patients seen in the PTSD Outpatient Clinic. Provides quality direct patient care that will include cognitive screening assessments, treatment planning, individual psychotherapy/assessment sessions, and individual and group therapy sessions. Provides education to patients, family members and significant others related to psychological conditions and their impact, with a particular focus on PTSD. Provides comprehensive Evidence Based Psychotherapeutic Interventions, including individual, family and group psychotherapy for patients seen in the Trauma Recovery program. Provides consultation to professional staff within Orlando VAHCS and to community providers, concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for the patients in his/her care and in the Trauma Recovery program. Develops, implements and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients, including prompt completion of clinical reminders. Assists in the design, development and implementation of clinical activities within Mental Health Service, to include program development. Assists in the execution of on-going program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program. Complies with the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check-out procedures (e.g. entering diagnostic and procedure codes). Preferred Experience: Those candidates with the below are highly preferred. Experience with assessing PTSD using the CAPS5 and in at least 1 of the 3 primary treatments of PTSD - Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), or EMDR. Experience with other evidence-based psychotherapies (e.g., DBT, CBT-Eating Disorders, CBT-Nightmares, CBT-Insomnia) Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8am-4:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 80498F, 80497F, 80496F - Staff Psychologist EDRP Authorized: May be authorized for a highly qualified candidate subject to further facility leadership approval, available funding, and in accordance with agency policy. Once selected and approved, contact VISN8CCOE@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Additional Benefits 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) 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) 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. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional