Staff Psychologist- Home Based Primary Care

Veterans Health Administration•Cody, WY

3d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is located in CODY, WY CBOC Clinic. The Staff Psychologist will work with Veterans and families experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems, utilizing evidenced-based treatments in individual, group, and family capacities. Duties include information gathering, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning, implementation, evaluation, and follow-up. The role involves making professional evaluations and recommendations, conducting psychological and/or neuropsychological assessments, and providing screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of cognitive deficits. The psychologist will perform capacity/competency assessments, assess understanding of advanced directives, and provide psychological prevention services. Services can be delivered both in person and via VTel. The role requires establishing goals through a collaborative process with the patient, providing complex crisis intervention and stabilization, and conducting mental disorder examinations. Diagnoses will be made using the most updated DSM. The psychologist will complete intake assessments and biopsychosocial evaluations annually if needed, serve as the Mental Health Treatment Coordinator (MHTC) for assigned Veterans, and communicate with community agencies for treatment, discharge planning, and continuity of care. Coordination with other outpatient VA programs and community-based programs is also a key responsibility. The position requires serving outpatients who may have severe crises, lack support, or have significant coping deficits, and requires continuing professional psychological support. Compliance with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and clinical reminders, is mandatory. The role also involves completing CPRS documentation according to timeliness standards and proper patient check-out procedures. Utilizing government vehicles to travel to veteran homes for clinical visits is expected and required within HBPC. All Veteran/family contacts must be entered in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates, ensuring completeness, confidentiality, and professionalism. The Psychologist will establish and maintain positive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and attend all appropriate staff meetings.

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 ( https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents ).
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.
Have 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. The specialty area of the degree must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 [(c)(2)(B)] 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.
Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
At least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) for GS-12.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for GS-12: 1. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations. 2. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies. 3. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures. 4. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties). 5. Ability to perform basic research tasks of scholarship and research execution within the context of an established research team, including research participant relations, research documentation, data acquisition, maintenance, and collaboration.
At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level for GS-13.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for GS-13: 1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations. 2. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health. 3. Knowledge of clinical research literature.
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).
Incumbents must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others.
Normal work of the position requires visual acuity (with the ability to read typewritten characters without strain, corrective lenses are permitted), keen hearing (aid permitted), clear, distinctive speech, and manual dexterity.
The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.
The incumbent must be able to move within ADA-compliant workspaces, including travel between buildings.
Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment.

Nice To Haves

Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Responsibilities

Independently work with Veterans and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems utilizing evidenced based treatments in an individual, group, and family capacity.
Engage in information gathering, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning, implementation, evaluation and follow-up.
Make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendations for treatment planning and implementation.
Conduct psychological and or neuropsychological assessments.
Provide screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of cognitive deficits to address specific questions or to determine if a referral for a complete neuropsychological evaluation or dementia assessment is needed.
Perform capacity/competency assessments when there are questions about a Veteran's ability to make medical decisions, perform other specific functions, or live independently.
Assess the understanding of advanced directives and other forms of consent and assisting staff in determining how to present options and other such material in a format they can understand.
Provide psychological prevention services to Veterans at significant risk for psychological problems.
Deliver services both in person and via VTel.
Establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced-based practices.
Provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress.
Provide mental disorder examinations based on competent, critical, objective and unbiased information.
Diagnose all mental disorders, including personality disorders using the most updated DSM.
Complete intake assessments and biopsychosocial evaluations on an annual basis if needed.
Serve as the Mental Health Treatment Coordinator (MHTC) for assigned Veterans and conduct the duties of this role.
Communicate with and utilize community agencies to facilitate treatment, discharge planning, and continuity of care.
Coordinate care with other outpatient VA programs to include: SUD, MHICM, PCMHI, etc. as well as community based programs as appropriate.
Serve veterans as outpatients who often have severe crises, lack family or community supports, or have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychological support.
Comply with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients.
Comply with all CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes).
Utilize government vehicles to travel to veteran homes to complete clinical visits.
Enter all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates.
Establish and maintain positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies.
Attend all appropriate staff meetings (interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, departmental/section staff meetings, other committees as appropriate, etc.).