Psychologist (Assistant Chief)

Veterans Health Administration • White City, OR

12d

About The Position

The Psychologist (Assistant Chief) supports the Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Behavioral Health in the service’s strategic, clinical, and operational functions. The role provides clinical and administrative oversight of Behavioral Health activities, including staffing, budget, equipment, supplies, accreditation, regulatory compliance, performance standards, chart audits, scope-of-practice processes, and service policies and procedures. The Assistant Chief may supervise interdisciplinary personnel, supports workforce development, and serves as Acting Service Chief during absences. The position also contributes to program planning, analytics, resource management, facility-level reporting, and coordination with other service lines and community partners.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ad-hoc telework may be available at the supervisor’s discretion; this is not a virtual position. The role is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to individual eligibility, application, and program approval. The program may provide up to $200,000 in student loan repayment over an eligibility period of one to five years. Recruitment/relocation incentives and permanent change-of-station assistance are not authorized.

Candidates must meet VA psychologist qualification requirements, including a qualifying doctoral degree in psychology, an acceptable professional psychology internship, and a current, unrestricted doctoral-level psychology license. For the GS-14 grade, applicants must have at least three years of professional psychologist experience, including at least one year equivalent to GS-13, and demonstrate the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. The position is in the Excepted Service and may require a one- or two-year trial period.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Doctoral degree in psychology from a qualifying APA-, PCSAS-, or CPA-accredited program, or an allowed alternative route described in the announcement; school psychology degrees do not qualify for VHA appointment.
• Successful completion of a qualifying professional psychology internship, or an allowed alternative described in the announcement.
• Full, current, unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• At least three years of professional psychologist experience, including at least one year equivalent to GS-13.
• Knowledge of evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines, and ability to guide staff in their use.
• Ability to provide professional advice and consultation related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines.
• Ability to supervise and manage subordinate employees effectively.
• Interpersonal relationship skills, including conflict resolution.
• Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards.
• Must meet applicable pre-employment requirements, including background/security investigation, drug screening for testing-designated positions, physical evaluation, and seasonal influenza vaccination.

Nice To Haves

• Previous leadership experience within Behavioral Health.

Responsibilities

• Plans, implements, and tracks action plans and analytics-based improvement initiatives on behalf of the ACOS for Behavioral Health.
• Monitors and responds to Mental Health Same Day Service data and alerts PCMHI leadership to workflow delays.
• Monitors bookability, utilization, productivity, and new-patient wait times; identifies potential resource needs and prepares data-driven FTE requests.
• Monitors performance-improvement metrics and prepares or oversees corrective action plans for review by the Behavioral Health Oversight Council.
• Reviews labor mapping biweekly for accuracy and alignment with operational requirements.
• Provides clinical and administrative oversight of Behavioral Health service activities, including staffing, budget, equipment, and supply requirements.
• Ensures compliance with accreditation, regulatory requirements, and performance standards; may monitor staff performance and develop programs based on Veteran needs and current research.
• Oversees chart audits for non-OPPE staff and the biannual scope-of-practice process for non-privileged staff, coordinating with discipline leads.
• Maintains knowledge of Behavioral Health and RRTP MCPs and SOPs, updates policies, and provides staff training.
• Provides staff guidance and may directly supervise interdisciplinary Behavioral Health personnel.
• Participates in candidate selection and recommends appointments, advancements, or disciplinary actions as appropriate.
• Develops position descriptions and functional statements, assigns personnel, and mentors employees.
• Resolves staff conflicts affecting service delivery and supports service recovery by responding to PATS-R inquiries.
• Identifies training and continuing education needs to strengthen staff competencies.
• Serves as Acting Service Chief during absences and shares delegated managerial responsibilities with the ACOS.
• Develops responses to controlled correspondence at facility, VISN, and VACO levels, including elected representative inquiries and OIG Hotline submissions.
• Assists with the annual Management Briefing and ensures Behavioral Health sections provide required information.
• Consults with other service lines and facility leadership on behavioral health service development and programmatic needs; maintains interdepartmental relationships and collaborates with community partners.
• Assists the ACOS and RRTP Chief in coordinating behavioral health responses during critical incidents, violence events, disasters, or mass-casualty situations.
• Coordinates psychological first aid training for VA SORC.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with awards up to $200,000 over one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, and paid Federal holidays.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Potential childcare subsidy for eligible full-time employees, subject to eligibility, after 60 days of employment.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting.
• Federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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