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.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.g, this part.) 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. 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. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) 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 (or will complete) as part of the re-specialization program) meeting both of the following conditions: Must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program, and, the specialty in which the applicant is retained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) AND Internships: 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. 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. 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. Board Certification: Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be 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. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education. Grade Determinations: Senior Psychologist Program Manager, GS-15 Experience. At least four years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-14 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1. Skill in managing and directing the work of large, complex organizational units and in applying effective management practices. 2. Skill in persuasion, negotiation, and motivation to negotiate multiple program policies. 3. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees and other managers using advanced consultation and problem solving skills. 4. Skill in the application and analysis of measurement tools to systems issues. 5. Ability to balance responsibilities in a complex environment and to work with great autonomy; ability to set priorities and delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze complex organizational problems; and ability to develop and implement effective solutions or those problems. 6. Ability to assess need for basic and complex services across multiple programmatic contexts. 7. Ability to coordinate the efforts of multiple program elements across a complex system. Preferred Experience: Leadership experience and experience in evidence-based treatments for mental health. 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-15. Physical Requirements: Sitting for long periods of time. Environmental factors include working closely with others and working alone.
Responsibilities for the Senior Psychologist Program Manager - Community and Residential Care Services (CRCS) include, but are not limited to: Senior Program Management: Provides broad program management responsibilities of a clinical care team. Leads a number of multidisciplinary teams, which include psychologists, physicians, physician assistants, social workers, nurses, and other health care professionals and trainees. Responsible for the development, implementation, and oversight of operational policies and procedures for the treatment team. Conducts ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects that monitor the effectiveness of clinical operations within their respective program(s). Allocates resources within the Community and Residential Care Service at VAPSHCS. Organizes and leads team meetings to facilitate case disposition, care management, effective delivery of clinical interventions, and the adherence to administrative demands. Monitors and distributes provider-specific workload reports to program managers and ensures provider adherence to workload standards. Provides clinical supervision, as appropriate, to assigned program managers. Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs in order to effectively coordinate services. Oversees survey readiness for all programs in their respective section, in collaboration with MHS Leadership and the QI Manager. Responsible for the timely completion of all program evaluations and documents required by the Medical Center, VISN and VACO, ensuring compliance with appropriate accrediting bodies including The Joint Commission and CARF. Coordinates closely with the assigned administrative partner to ensure section administrative support, human resources, strategic planning, space and budget needs are met. Clinical: Independently provides psychological assessment and diagnostic services for Veterans with a broad range of psychopathology receiving care within the clinic setting. Provides education to both patients and family members regarding relevant mental health concerns. Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions. Provides consultation to health care providers about assessment findings and treatment plan for patients to ensure that care is coordinated, collaborative, and integrated within the Medical Center. Develops, implements, and documents the mental health treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients. Adheres to all Facility and Service Line policies and practices for delivering clinical care. Supervisory: Administrative and professional supervision of subordinates. Provides administrative oversight and clinical consultation to over 50 other interdisciplinary team members. Provides clinical supervision to psychology interns and other trainees as appropriate. Assumes responsibility for taking appropriate disciplinary actions for employees with performance problems in a timely and effective manner. Approves leave for employees directly under their supervision. Initiates performance awards for outstanding employees, and complete administrative paperwork with both accuracy and timeliness. Education and Training: Provides clinical supervision and instruction for psychology trainees assigned to the primary work setting. Provides clinical supervision and/or training for medical residents, medical students, social work interns, or other trainees not enrolled in a psychology training program. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: 8AM - 4:30PM, Monday - Friday Compressed: Available (Requires prior approval) Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHAEDRPProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). 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. 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. Functional Statement #: 00000