Staff Psychologist

Veterans Health Administration • Wausau, WI

2d

About The Position

The Staff Psychologist provides psychological services primarily to Veterans enrolled in Home Based Primary Care (HBPC). Services include psychological assessment, diagnosis, brief cognitive evaluation, evidence-based psychological intervention, and treatment planning. The role focuses particularly on the clinical and functional needs of geriatric Veterans receiving care in the home.

The psychologist conducts mental-health screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment; uses measurement-based tools and appropriate psychological testing; and integrates interview data, assessment findings, observations, medical context, and information from the home-based setting into diagnosis and treatment. The position also supports Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA, VISN, and facility policies and procedures, and may serve on facility committees, work groups, and task forces. The full-performance level is GS-13, with selection at GS-11 through GS-13. The role may be authorized for ad hoc telework, but is not a virtual position.

Requirements

• Doctoral degree in psychology from an APA-, PCSAS-, or CPA-accredited graduate program, with a specialty consistent with the assignment; or an eligible doctoral degree with a qualifying re-specialization program; or a qualifying 1951–1978 doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution with a primarily psychological dissertation.
• Successful completion of a qualifying professional psychology internship consistent with the assignment, subject to the stated exceptions for eligible programs, board certification, and qualifying older doctoral degrees.
• 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 appointed temporarily as graduate psychologists under supervision for up to two years, subject to the stated conditions.
• For GS-12: at least one year of professional psychologist experience equivalent to GS-11, plus the specified knowledge, skills, and abilities. No experience beyond the basic requirements is required for GS-11.
• For 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.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when recruiting qualified citizens is not possible.
• Meet applicable pre-employment conditions, including background/security investigation, drug screening when applicable, physical evaluation, influenza vaccination requirements, and onboarding documentation.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period if selected.

Responsibilities

• Conduct screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental-health disorders in Veterans, primarily those enrolled in HBPC, with attention to geriatric Veterans’ clinical and functional needs in the home.
• Administer, score, and review rating scales, questionnaires, and other measurement-based tools to assess emotional, behavioral, functional, and psychological conditions and support individualized treatment planning within the HBPC plan of care.
• Administer and/or evaluate results of appropriate psychodiagnostic, intelligence, personality, and other psychological assessments and tests.
• Integrate interview data, assessment findings, observations, medical context, and information from the home-based setting when diagnosing and treating mental-health disorders.
• Support the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA, the appropriate VISN, and the facility.
• Serve on facility committees, work groups, and task forces as deemed appropriate by the supervisor.
• Maintain productivity and quality consistent with assignment complexity and Office of Mental Health Operations standards.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) student-loan payment reimbursement, subject to eligibility and program approval; awards may be up to $200,000 for a one-to-five-year eligibility period.
• Federal employee benefits package for employees and their families; specific benefits depend on position and eligibility.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior federal work or military service, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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