Staff Psychologist - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive - EDRP

Department of Veterans Affairs•Dallas, TX

30d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a Highly Qualified Individual. The Organizational Location of the Position is: ,Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP), Mental Health Service, VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS), Dallas, TX. The Primary Purpose of the Position is: To serve as the Staff Psychologist on an Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP) to provide a wide array of psychological services to Veterans expressing complex signs of psychosocial stress, mental health diagnoses, and substance use disorders.

Responsibilities

Serve as a Staff Psychologist providing a full range of therapeutic interventions for a SARRTP team including time-limited individual therapy, process and time-limited group therapy, and psychoeducation in individual and group format. Cognitive and behavioral therapy approaches are used most frequently, with an emphasis on time-limited evidence-based treatments.
Continually monitors patient's progress using Measurement Based Care principles and adjusts treatment as needed.
Administer and interpret a variety of psychological assessment tools. Psychological interviews, testing, and assessment skills are used to work with Seriously Mentally Ill patients and a variety of other patient conditions. He/she is aware of complicating factors such as substance abuse/dependence, medical/neurological conditions, personality, and other psychological functioning factors, including the co-morbidity of substance abuse and psychiatric conditions.
Ability to use a variety of modalities to treat Substance Use Disorders as well as other mental disorders. Provide and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders and crisis management.
Respond to patient crisis situations in a timely manner with the goal of assisting the patient to maintain a positive and effective relationship with the staff, family and other patients. Patient and staff safety will take priority in any crisis.
Provide suicide risk assessment and safety planning as needed. This includes providing triage services for patients at elevated risk of harm to self or others.
Consult with medical center staff regarding various patient care issues. As such it is necessary that the incumbent communicate and interact well with other disciplines and treatment providers.
Engage in all team related activities, including attendance of team/program meetings, monthly Psychology staff meetings, and main overall compliance with Psychology peer review procedures.
Although the regular tour of duty is normal business hours, the applicants should be aware that they will be called on to provide coverage periodically on weather & safety leave days, holidays and weekends.

Benefits

Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP)
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a Highly Qualified Individual
Competitive salary and regular salary increases
Higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)