Staff Psychologist Home Based Primary Care (HBPC)

Summary
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.
Qualifications
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.
Basic Requirements
Citizenship
Be a citizen of the United States
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
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): (a) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program
and - 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
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
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
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
Loss of Credential
A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation - which may result in termination of employment
Board Certification and Loss of Credential 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
Loss of Credential
Once board certified - psychologist must maintain a full - valid and unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment
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
GRADE REQUIREMENTS Creditable Experience Current Professional Psychology Practice
To be creditable - psychological work experience can be obtained through paid or non-paid employment providing psychological work or through participating in a supervised postdoctoral psychology training program (i.e. - fellowship or residency)
Quality of Experience
Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties to be performed
Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to or exceeding professional psychology experience at the next lower level
Part-time Experience
Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to a full-time work week
Post-Doctoral Degree Fellowships
Postdoctoral fellowships or residencies are training programs in an advanced area of clinical practice
Training as a fellow or resident is considered to be creditable experience on a year-for-year basis
Grade Determinations
In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Staff Psychologist - GS-11 (Entry Level) Experience
None beyond the basic requirements
Assignment
Staff psychologists at this level 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
Staff Psychologist - GS-12 (Developmental Level) 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
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
Assignment
Staff psychologists at this level 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
Staff Psychologist - GS-13 (Full Performance - Level) 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
Assignment
This is the full performance level for staff psychologists
At this level - psychologists are licensed to practice independently in the provision of psychological services - consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate
Preferred Experience: Gero-psychology or Home-Based Primary Care experience preferred
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-13
The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13
May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision.
Duties
This Staff Psychologist position is a full-time position with duties in Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) in the Greenville HCC catchment area and HBPC in the Durham VA Medical Center catchment area
It is noted that the Psychology practice of HBPC is part of the Behavioral Medicine Division in Mental and Behavioral Health Services (MBHS) within the Durham VA Health Care System (VAHCS)
The incumbent's responsibilities are focused on conducting assessment and psychotherapy to patients - who are primarily older - who have highly complex medical - mental health - and psychosocial needs
The duties in HBPC will involve providing needed psychological services in the homes of Veterans in the Greenville - NC catchment area and remote psychological services to the Durham - NC catchment area
Primary (Clinical) Responsibilities 1
Provides a full ra

Work arrangement
Yes