Psychologist

Veterans Health Administration • Dayton, OH

34d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties include, but are not limited to: Works as a part of a multi-disciplinary team within BHIP, providing various assessment, therapy, and rehabilitative services for Veterans with a wide range of mental and behavioral health diagnoses and symptoms. Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including, but not limited to, comprehensive psychological assessments, psychological testing and interpretation, and use of the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques to provide quality care to a wide range of patient populations, including specific patient populations. Provides assessment and treatment services in a full continuum of clinical settings and modalities to include individual, group, couples/family therapy, video telehealth, telephonic, and face-to-face care formats. Makes use of evidence-based treatments for a full range of patient populations and psychiatric conditions covered in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-V). Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients with the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS). Participates in treatment team meetings with patients and interdisciplinary staff to recommend and review treatment plans. Provides education to patients, family members, and significant others as needed. Provides consultation and advice to professional staff within their BHIP team, the BHIP program, the Mental Health Service, and to community providers, concerning clinical assessment findings, appropriate treatment plans for patients, and patient care issues. Responsible for timely completion of clinical reminders, consults, return to clinic orders, open encounters, documentation, secure messages, patient correspondence, and other clinical-administrative requirements as required by the MHS, Medical Center or healthcare system, and/or VA. Returns patient phone calls and provides guidance to patients on treatment options in a timely manner. Accomplishes suicide risk screenings, risk assessments, safety plans, behavior reports, and other processes relevant to suicide prevention standards. Provides case management for identified populations as indicated. Functions independently as a member of the Dayton VAMC Staff, with full clinical privileges as requested and approved during the credentialing process. Assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation. Provides psychotherapy and/or psychological assessments to include psychological testing for other programs in the Mental Health Service when necessary. All other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
• Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• 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.
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• United States Citizenship: 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 Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
• Education: To be qualified for a GS-0180 Psychologist you must possess 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:(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.
• Internship Requirement - You must 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: Candidates 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.
• 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 (a)(1)(D) for a period not to exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that such a psychologist provide 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.
• 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.
• At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists.
• 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).
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Authorized for a Highly Qualified Applicant.
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.
• 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).

Responsibilities

• Works as a part of a multi-disciplinary team within BHIP, providing various assessment, therapy, and rehabilitative services for Veterans with a wide range of mental and behavioral health diagnoses and symptoms.
• Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including, but not limited to, comprehensive psychological assessments, psychological testing and interpretation, and use of the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques to provide quality care to a wide range of patient populations, including specific patient populations.
• Provides assessment and treatment services in a full continuum of clinical settings and modalities to include individual, group, couples/family therapy, video telehealth, telephonic, and face-to-face care formats.
• Makes use of evidence-based treatments for a full range of patient populations and psychiatric conditions covered in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-V).
• Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients with the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS).
• Participates in treatment team meetings with patients and interdisciplinary staff to recommend and review treatment plans.
• Provides education to patients, family members, and significant others as needed.
• Provides consultation and advice to professional staff within their BHIP team, the BHIP program, the Mental Health Service, and to community providers, concerning clinical assessment findings, appropriate treatment plans for patients, and patient care issues.
• Responsible for timely completion of clinical reminders, consults, return to clinic orders, open encounters, documentation, secure messages, patient correspondence, and other clinical-administrative requirements as required by the MHS, Medical Center or healthcare system, and/or VA.
• Returns patient phone calls and provides guidance to patients on treatment options in a timely manner.
• Accomplishes suicide risk screenings, risk assessments, safety plans, behavior reports, and other processes relevant to suicide prevention standards.
• Provides case management for identified populations as indicated.
• Functions independently as a member of the Dayton VAMC Staff, with full clinical privileges as requested and approved during the credentialing process.
• Assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation.
• Provides psychotherapy and/or psychological assessments to include psychological testing for other programs in the Mental Health Service when necessary.
• All other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP)
• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience.
• This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.
• Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

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