Psychologist Section Chief and Program Manager

Veterans Health Administration • Memphis, TN

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Section Chief is responsible for ensuring the highest quality of health services in a broad spectrum of clinical environments, with managerial and supervisory oversight, to all GEC Teams within the GEC Service. GEC teams provide routine and urgent health evaluation and intervention in outpatient, inpatient, and home-based settings. The incumbent serves as the program manager with broad program management responsibilities for an assigned GEC program that delivers specialized, complex, and highly professional services which significantly affect the health care provided to Veterans at the VA Medical Center at Memphis. Program management responsibilities include the development of short and long-range goals and plans, development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure goal attainment, management of administrative and programmatic resources, and outcomes monitoring using data-driven quality assurance processes. Broad latitude and independent judgment are exercised in making decisions affecting staff and other resources associated with the managed program in achievement of medical center management goals and objectives, including performance monitors. The program manager ensures the efficient day-to-day administrative and clinical operation of the program, conducts regularly scheduled case reviews and care planning meetings, and coordinates and monitors completion of clinical evaluations. The incumbent facilitates communication with patient, referring treatment team, and clinical team to ensure effective treatment and timely resolution of problems. The incumbent assigns work to administrative assistant(s) and monitors progress/completion. The incumbent maintains involvement in hiring of personnel who will be assigned to the program, serving on selection panels across healthcare disciplines. The incumbent facilitates development and maintenance of cooperative relationships with community agencies associated with the program to assure the achievement of objectives and maintains active involvement with and serves as liaison to VISN and VACO leadership as indicated. The incumbent works with chiefs and supervisors of other services/organizations to resolve any substantive problems or areas of concern; when deemed necessary, advises higher level management of problems, and assesses the impact of those problems on GEC Service programs and those of related services/organizations. The incumbent is responsible for coordinating and facilitating education and training related to the program's area of focus for nursing personnel, medical staff, allied health staff, and trainees in the Medical Center. The incumbent will supervise all Psychologist who will report directly to the section chief. The incumbent is required to exercise independent judgment and render sound final decisions in the development, modification, and management of designated programs. The incumbent performs duties of the position independently. The incumbent establishes deadlines for all work accomplished by the section. Work is evaluated in terms of results achieved in meeting the overall objectives of the VA Medical Center at Memphis and its affiliate clinics and the Geriatrics & Extended Care Service.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• Must serve a 1 or 2-year trial period.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
• 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.
• 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).
• At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level.
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines.
• Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools.
• Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups.
• Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives.
• Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations.
• Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards.
• Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.

Nice To Haves

• Board Certified in Clinical Health Psychology, Gero-Psychology, and/ or Rehabilitation Psychology.

Responsibilities

• Ensuring the highest quality of health services in a broad spectrum of clinical environments, with managerial and supervisory oversight, to all GEC Teams within the GEC Service.
• Serving as the program manager with broad program management responsibilities for an assigned GEC program that delivers specialized, complex, and highly professional services.
• Developing short and long-range goals and plans for the program.
• Developing and implementing policies and procedures to ensure goal attainment.
• Managing administrative and programmatic resources.
• Monitoring outcomes using data-driven quality assurance processes.
• Ensuring the efficient day-to-day administrative and clinical operation of the program.
• Conducting regularly scheduled case reviews and care planning meetings.
• Coordinating and monitoring completion of clinical evaluations.
• Facilitating communication with patient, referring treatment team, and clinical team to ensure effective treatment and timely resolution of problems.
• Assigning work to administrative assistant(s) and monitoring progress/completion.
• Maintaining involvement in hiring of personnel, serving on selection panels across healthcare disciplines.
• Facilitating development and maintenance of cooperative relationships with community agencies associated with the program.
• Serving as liaison to VISN and VACO leadership as indicated.
• Working with chiefs and supervisors of other services/organizations to resolve substantive problems or areas of concern.
• Advising higher level management of problems and assessing their impact on GEC Service programs and related services/organizations.
• Coordinating and facilitating education and training related to the program's area of focus for nursing personnel, medical staff, allied health staff, and trainees.
• Supervising all Psychologist who will report directly to the section chief.
• Exercising independent judgment and rendering sound final decisions in the development, modification, and management of designated programs.
• Establishing deadlines for all work accomplished by the section.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree