Staff Psychologist

Veterans Health Administration • Eglin AFB, FL

27d • Onsite

About The Position

The Staff Psychologist is administratively aligned with the Mental Health Service and assigned as a Collocated Collaborative Care (CCC) behavioral health consultant in Primary Care. Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) is part of the interdisciplinary Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). The position collaborates with primary care providers and the interdisciplinary PACT to support coordinated care at patient and programmatic levels. The full performance level is GS-13; applicants may be selected at GS-11, GS-12, or GS-13.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• A doctoral degree in psychology from an APA-, PCSAS-, or CPA-accredited graduate program, with a specialty consistent with the assignment; alternatively, a qualifying doctoral degree with an accredited respecialization 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 consistent with the assignment and accredited by APA or CPA, or meeting one of the stated VHA, board-certification, or historical-program alternatives.
• A full, current, unrestricted doctoral-level license to practice psychology in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. Certain otherwise eligible unlicensed candidates may receive a temporary GS-11 or GS-12 graduate psychologist appointment under licensed supervision for up to two years.
• GS-11: no experience beyond the basic requirements.
• GS-12: at least one year of professional psychologist experience equivalent to GS-11, plus the specified knowledge, skills, and abilities in psychological treatment and assessment, treatment planning, clinical procedures, and applicable research activities.
• GS-13: at least two years of professional psychologist experience, including at least one year equivalent to GS-12, plus the specified knowledge, skills, and abilities in psychological treatments, professional consultation, and clinical research literature.
• Meet applicable pre-employment requirements, including background/security investigation, required identification and onboarding, and pre-employment physical examination; testing-designated positions are subject to pre-employment urinalysis.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA health care personnel.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Complete the application requirements in the announcement's Required Documents section.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, during which continued employment is evaluated and requires written certification.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with primary care providers and the interdisciplinary PACT to support high-quality, effective, coordinated service delivery at patient and programmatic levels.
• Maintain daily open-access appointment slots and encourage same-day warm handoffs within PACT.
• Complete most individual appointments, approximately 75%, within 30 minutes.
• Use Measurement Based Care in accordance with nationally recommended PCMHI guidelines.
• Conduct focused initial functional assessments addressing the main reason or reasons for referral; these assessments are less extensive than traditional mental health intake evaluations.
• Write clear, concise notes optimized for collaboration within PACT and consistent with PCMHI CCC functional assessment and follow-up visit guidelines.
• Document important elements for team collaboration, such as Measurement Based Care, curbside consultations or team-care discussions, and liaison with specialty-care providers, as appropriate.
• Participate in PACT huddles and meetings to foster collaborative team functioning and provide behavioral-health subject matter expertise.
• Educate PACT on behavioral health and health behavior issues, effective patient communication, motivational enhancement, and behavior change.
• Serve on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces when endorsed by supervisors.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with 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.
• Selected applicants may receive 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 of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a child-care subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility rules.
• 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.
• Education Debt Reduction Program student-loan reimbursement, subject to individual eligibility and program approval; awards may be up to $200,000 over one to five years.

What This Job Offers

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