Staff Psychologist-Primary Care Mental Health Integration

Veterans Health Administration • Salt Lake City, UT

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Staff Psychologist practices independently in providing psychological services, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. The role includes diagnosing mental disorders; conducting psychological or neuropsychological assessments; treating mental disorders through individual, family, and group psychotherapy and other interventions; providing adjunctive interventions for medical disorders; and consulting with medical center staff on patient-care issues. Psychologists may also participate in program evaluation, teaching, training, and research.

In Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI), the psychologist provides functional assessment, triage, brief intervention, education, and consultation on a wide range of mental health and behavioral medicine concerns referred by PACT providers. The position provides psychological services in Primary Care, including the Women's Clinic and other medical settings. It evaluates patients identified by primary care providers or requesting assessment, delivers brief, time-limited interventions, develops and implements treatment strategies based on clinical need, and incorporates new clinical procedures as indicated.

The psychologist consults with Primary Care and Women's Clinic staff and inpatient teams, facilitates referrals to specialty Mental Health Services when indicated, and participates in training and outcome-monitoring activities. The role may include clinical oversight of psychology students, interns, or postdoctoral fellows, and training medical students, psychiatric residents, and nursing students. The psychologist completes required clinical documentation on time and participates in program-wide outcome evaluation studies. The full performance level is GS-13; selection may be at GS-11 through GS-13.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is not a virtual position; ad hoc telework may be authorized. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to individual eligibility and program approval. EDRP awards may be up to $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years. A 1- or 2-year trial period is required.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Doctoral degree in psychology from an APA-, PCSAS-, or CPA-accredited program in a specialty consistent with the assignment; alternatively, a qualifying doctoral degree with an approved accredited re-specialization program, or a qualifying 1951–1978 doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution with a primarily psychological dissertation.
• Successful completion of a professional psychology internship meeting the stated APA/CPA accreditation or VA program criteria, unless an applicable stated alternative is met.
• Full, current, and unrestricted doctoral-level psychology license in a U.S. State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; qualifying non-licensed applicants may be temporarily appointed as graduate psychologists under supervision for up to two years.
• For GS-12 consideration, at least one year of professional psychologist experience equivalent to GS-11 and demonstrated knowledge and abilities in psychological treatments or assessment, treatment strategy design and implementation, and clinical procedures; research-related abilities are specified for applicable research duties.
• For GS-13 consideration, at least two years of professional psychologist experience, including one year equivalent to GS-12, and demonstrated ability to apply psychological treatments across patient populations, provide professional advice and consultation, and knowledge of clinical research literature.
• Meet the requirements of the VA application and pre-employment process, including background/security investigation, applicable drug testing, onboarding, and seasonal influenza vaccination.
• Serve a 1- or 2-year trial period and receive written certification to continue employment after its completion.

Nice To Haves

• Preferred experience in Health Psychology Fellowship training.
• Preferred experience in Health Psychology education.

Responsibilities

• Provide independent psychological services, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate.
• Diagnose mental disorders and conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments.
• Treat mental disorders using individual, family, and group psychotherapy and other interventions; provide adjunctive interventions for medical disorders.
• Provide functional assessment, triage, brief intervention, education, and consultation on mental health and behavioral medicine concerns referred by PACT providers.
• Provide psychological services and conduct evaluations in Primary Care, including the Women's Clinic and other medical settings.
• Deliver brief, time-limited behavioral health and psychotherapeutic interventions in Primary Care and Women's Clinic settings.
• Design and implement treatment strategies based on clinical need and incorporate new clinical procedures as indicated.
• Consult with Primary Care and Women's Clinic staff and inpatient ward teams on mental and behavioral health patient-care issues.
• Facilitate referrals to specialty Mental Health Services when clinically indicated.
• Participate in the Psychology Training Program and provide clinical oversight of psychology students, interns, or postdoctoral fellows as assigned.
• Train medical students, psychiatric residents, and nursing students in the PC-MHI Clinic.
• Participate in monitoring performance measures for Outpatient Mental Health Services and PC-MHI.
• Complete clinical charting and documentation required by Mental Health Services and VASLCHCS in a timely manner.
• Participate in program-wide outcome evaluation studies and, as applicable, program evaluation, teaching, training, or research activities.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with awards up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of 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 11 paid federal holidays.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service experience.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment for qualifying birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility requirements.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and 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: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree