Staff Psychologist-Community Living Center/Outpatient Palliative Care-EDRP Authorized

Veterans Health Administration • San Antonio, TX

14h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Staff Psychologist is assigned to the Psychology Service of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System within the Health Psychology Section. The position is divided equally between Outpatient Palliative Care and the Community Living Center (CLC). The psychologist assesses, diagnoses, and treats a variety of general mental health disorders and conditions, applying specialized psychological knowledge and evidence-based approaches to the patient populations served. Appropriate time and resources are provided to support expected proficiencies in administration, clinical practice, education, and research as applicable.

In the CLC, the psychologist helps foster a home-like, person-centered environment. The role applies knowledge of successful aging, medical complications in older adults, and psychotherapeutic techniques to assess and treat patients, helping them work with the interdisciplinary team to address or cope with issues of aging and stabilize common psychological conditions. Services may include evidence-based psychotherapy, relaxation and stress-management techniques, education for patients’ family support systems, and ongoing consultation with CLC team members.

For Outpatient Palliative Care, the psychologist applies psychological theories and techniques across patient populations, with an emphasis on palliative-care concerns. The role requires training or experience in basic cognitive assessment and behavioral and cognitive behavioral therapy, and understanding of how health conditions and psychosocial factors affect adjustment in palliative care and at end of life. Relevant knowledge includes health-care issues associated with aging and end-of-life, and experience or training with critically ill patients and people with terminal or life-threatening illness. Understanding biological, anatomical, psychological, developmental, and social contributors to patient concerns, including cognitive impairment, is preferred. The position operates in accordance with applicable federal, national, local, regulatory, policy, and accreditation requirements.

This is a full-time position, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ad-hoc telework is available; this is not a virtual position. The vacancy’s full performance level is GS-13, with selection possible at GS-11 through GS-13. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to individual eligibility and program approval.

Requirements

• Doctoral degree in psychology meeting VA requirements, including an appropriate accredited program or an eligible alternative pathway; the specialty area must be consistent with the assignment.
• Successful completion of a professional psychology internship meeting VA requirements and consistent with the assignment, or an eligible alternative pathway.
• Full, current, and unrestricted doctoral-level license to practice psychology in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; eligible non-licensed applicants may be temporarily appointed as graduate psychologists under the stated supervision and time limits.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• For GS-12: at least one year of professional psychologist experience equivalent to GS-11, plus the stated knowledge, skills, and abilities in psychological treatment and assessment, treatment planning, incorporation of clinical procedures, and research activities as applicable.
• For GS-13: at least two years of professional psychologist experience, including at least one year equivalent to GS-12, plus the stated knowledge and ability to apply professional psychological treatments across patient populations, provide professional advice and consultation, and understand clinical research literature.
• For applicants whose internship was not accredited at the time of completion, current board certification by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty consistent with the assignment is required, with continued maintenance of certification.
• For the Outpatient Palliative Care assignment, training or experience in basic cognitive assessment and behavioral and cognitive behavioral therapy, and understanding of the interaction of health conditions and psychosocial factors in palliative and end-of-life adjustment.
• Knowledge of health-care issues associated with aging and end of life, and experience or training working with critically ill patients and patients with terminal or life-threatening illness.
• Meet applicable VA employment conditions, including background/security investigation, onboarding requirements, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Understanding of biological, anatomical, psychological, developmental, and social contributors to palliative-care concerns, including cognitive impairment.
• GS-12 preferred experience: working on interdisciplinary teams or in a large medical center; working with veteran and diverse populations; and experience or training in evidence-based psychotherapies.
• GS-13 preferred experience: working on interdisciplinary teams or in a large medical center; working with veteran and diverse populations; and experience or training in evidence-based psychotherapies.
• GS-13 preferred qualifications: completion of an APA-accredited postdoctoral fellowship and administrative or process-improvement experience.

Responsibilities

• Assess, diagnose, and treat a variety of general mental health disorders and conditions.
• Help develop and maintain a home-like, person-centered environment in the Community Living Center.
• Apply knowledge of successful aging, medical complications in older adults, and psychotherapeutic techniques to assess and treat patients.
• Help patients partner with the interdisciplinary team to address or better cope with issues of aging and stabilize common psychological conditions.
• Use evidence-based psychotherapies, relaxation techniques, stress management, and other appropriate psychological techniques.
• Provide educational services to patients’ family support systems to facilitate and generalize treatment gains.
• Participate as a full member of the Community Living Center team and provide ongoing consultation to other team members.
• Provide psychological assessment, diagnosis, intervention, and behavioral-health advice and consultation to professionals from varied disciplines.
• Apply psychological theories and techniques to palliative-care patients, considering the interaction of health conditions and psychosocial factors in adjustment and end-of-life care.
• Support expected proficiencies in administration, clinical practice, education, and research, as applicable.
• Observe applicable federal, national, and local regulatory, policy, and accreditation requirements.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program reimbursement, with a potential award of up to $200,000 subject to eligibility and approval.
• 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, comprising 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, subject to program conditions.
• Child care subsidy for eligible full-time employees, subject to eligibility and program limits.
• Traditional federal pension and federal 401(k), with VA contributions of up to 5%.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Ad-hoc telework availability.

What This Job Offers

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