Staff Psychologist (Mental Health - PCHMI)

Veterans Health Administration • Chesapeake, VA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

This Staff Psychologist position is aligned under the Primary Care Mental Health Integration Program (PCMHI) and Behavioral Health Laboratory (BHL) Hub, administratively aligned under the Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Service Line. The psychologist provides timely clinical assessment and collaborative care and treatment for patients experiencing mental health symptoms or behavioral health issues. The work includes individual and group interventions for health psychology concerns, psychosocial stressors, grief and life transitions, and mild-to-moderate mental health presentations. The position uses collaborative, stepped, measurement-based care and appropriate longitudinal follow-up for common conditions in primary care. The psychologist works with a multidisciplinary team, offers consultation and education to patients, families, staff, trainees, and primary care providers, and may engage Veterans’ families in empirically supported treatment for caregiver burden. The role also includes risk assessment, cognitive screening, staff training, program development, quality assurance and outcome monitoring, clinical documentation, and research activities. The position is full-time, with a schedule of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual. The full performance level is GS-13; selection may be at GS-11 through GS-13. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to individual eligibility and program approval; awards may be up to $200,000 for an eligibility period of one to five years. Relocation assistance and sign-on incentives are not authorized.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Full, current, unrestricted doctoral-level psychology license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; eligible non-licensed applicants may receive a temporary graduate psychologist appointment under the stated conditions and supervision requirements.
• A qualifying doctoral degree in psychology from an APA-, PCSAS-, or CPA-accredited program, with a specialty consistent with the assignment; specified alternative degree and re-specialization pathways are also accepted. School psychology alone does not qualify for VHA appointment.
• Successful completion of a qualifying professional psychology internship, subject to the listed alternatives and exceptions.
• 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 specified 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.
• Ability to apply professional psychological treatments or assessment methods across patient populations, design effective treatment strategies, and incorporate new clinical procedures.
• For applicable research duties, ability to conduct research activities and perform basic research tasks within an established research team, including participant relations, research documentation, data acquisition, maintenance, and collaboration.
• For GS-13, knowledge of clinical research literature and ability to provide professional advice and consultation in professional psychology and behavioral health.
• Meet applicable pre-employment requirements, including background/security investigation, drug testing when applicable, onboarding, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the announcement’s Required Documents section.

Responsibilities

• Provide immediate clinical assessment and appropriate collaborative care and treatment for patients experiencing mental health symptoms or behavioral health issues.
• Provide individual and group interventions for health psychology concerns, psychosocial stressors, grief, phase-of-life difficulties, and mild-to-moderate mental health presentations.
• Practice collaborative, stepped, measurement-based care, including appropriate longitudinal follow-up, for common mental and behavioral health conditions in primary care.
• Work as a member of a multidisciplinary team and consult with professionals from various disciplines on mental health diagnoses and treatment plans.
• Provide cognitive screenings to address specific functional or cognitive ability questions as indicated.
• Provide education to patients, patients’ family members, professional staff, and trainees; engage Veterans’ families in empirically supported caregiver-burden treatment when necessary.
• Complete risk assessments and follow mental health crisis procedures as indicated.
• Consult with and train Primary Care Service Line staff in identifying and managing common mental and behavioral health disorders in primary care.
• Develop programs with other staff to teach or improve primary care providers’ core behavioral health skills and make relevant education and training available to providers to support culturally competent care.
• Consult with medical center staff on team functions and provide in-service training related to the team’s mission.
• Establish program monitors and outcome measurements using data-driven quality assurance processes.
• Complete clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system in a timely manner.
• Plan and oversee personal research programs that provide information relevant to program planning and treatment approaches.
• Meet applicable professional, clinical, and administrative requirements of the position.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to individual eligibility and program approval; awards may be up to $200,000 for one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or special VA needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays.
• Selected applicants may qualify for 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.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility 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 can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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