Staff Psychologist - Home Based Primary Care

Veterans Health Administration • Grand Junction, CO

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Staff Psychologist is the primary mental health provider for the Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) team. The psychologist provides mental health prevention, assessment, treatment, management, and professional consultation services, primarily in the homes of HBPC veterans and, when appropriate, through telehealth or VVC. The position also contributes to multidisciplinary medical and mental health teams in inpatient, outpatient, or specialty care settings.

Clinical services include comprehensive psychological assessment and diagnosis; evidence-based and evidence-informed psychotherapy; screening and treatment for depressive, anxiety-related, substance-use, behavioral, and psychosocial concerns; cognitive screening; and capacity or competency assessments. The psychologist supports veterans and, when care relates directly to the veteran’s treatment plan, families of veterans with dementia. Services also include prevention for patients at significant psychological risk, support for grief and life transitions, and assessment of patients’ understanding of advance directives and consent materials.

The position includes clinical supervision and education for staff and trainees, consultation with professional personnel, patient and family education, risk assessment and crisis response, clinical documentation, and participation in quality assurance and performance improvement activities. The full performance level is GS-13; candidates may be selected at GS-11, GS-12, or GS-13. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Flexible or compressed scheduling may be available at the supervisor’s discretion. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• A doctoral degree in psychology from an APA-, PCSAS-, or CPA-accredited graduate program, with a specialty consistent with the assignment; alternatively, qualifying doctoral education and re-specialization or grandfathering pathways described in the announcement.
• Successful completion of a professional psychology internship meeting the stated accreditation or alternative eligibility conditions.
• A full, current, unrestricted doctoral-level psychology license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, except that eligible non-licensed applicants may receive a supervised temporary graduate psychologist appointment for up to two years.
• Board certification by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty consistent with the assignment if the applicant completed an internship that was not accredited at the time, with the certification maintained as required.
• For GS-11: no experience beyond the basic requirements.
• For GS-12: at least one year of professional psychologist experience equivalent to GS-11, plus the stated knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• For GS-13: at least two years of professional psychologist experience, including at least one year equivalent to GS-12, plus the stated knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Complete required application materials and pre-employment onboarding, background/security screening, and drug testing if tentatively selected for a testing-designated position.
• Meet the seasonal influenza vaccination requirement for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable, subject to written certification for continued employment.
• Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited institutions may qualify; foreign education requires the specified equivalency documentation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in geriatrics and palliative care.
• Experience working with an interdisciplinary team.
• Postdoctoral hours and licensure as a psychologist.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive psychological assessments and formulate diagnostic impressions using standardized and clinically appropriate methods.
• Deliver evidence-based and evidence-informed psychotherapy for mental health, substance-use, behavioral, and psychosocial concerns within granted clinical privileges.
• Complete clinical documentation and charting in accordance with healthcare-system timelines, quality standards, and accreditation requirements.
• Provide clinical supervision to unlicensed staff and trainees, and guidance and education to assigned staff in psychological service delivery.
• Consult with professional personnel regarding psychological services and treatment planning.
• Educate patients, patients’ family members, professional staff, and trainees about mental health conditions and treatment approaches.
• Assess risk of self-harm or harm to others and implement suicide-prevention and crisis-management procedures.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary medical and mental health teams in inpatient, outpatient, or specialty-care settings.
• Participate in performance-improvement and quality-assurance activities related to psychological services and assigned clinical programs.
• Screen, assess, diagnose, and treat depressive and anxiety-related disorders and other Axis I conditions, emphasizing time-limited, evidence-based approaches.
• Assess and treat subclinical dysphoria and anxiety, adjustment difficulties, and excessive use or misuse of alcohol or other drugs.
• Provide psychological prevention services to patients at significant risk for psychological problems.
• Provide services to families of veterans with dementia when directly related to the veteran’s treatment plan and supportive of care in the home.
• Provide clinical services primarily in HBPC veterans’ homes and, when appropriate, through telehealth and/or VVC.
• Screen for cognitive deficits to address specific functional questions or determine whether referral for a full neuropsychological evaluation or dementia assessment is needed.
• Perform capacity or competency assessments concerning medical decision-making, specific functions, or independent living.
• Assess patients’ understanding of advance directives and consent forms, and help staff present treatment options and related information in an understandable format.
• Provide individual and group interventions supporting patients coping with grief, disability, and other life transitions.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with an award of up to $200,000 over an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on qualifications or VA needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• 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 after 60 days for eligible full-time employees, up to 25% of eligible childcare costs and subject to income, child-age, and monthly limits.
• 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 may be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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