Staff Psychologist – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PCT)

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. Applicants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18. Education. Applicants must possess one (1) of the following: (1) 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- (2) 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 CPA accredited doctoral program; AND (b) The specialty in which the application is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. -OR- (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature Internship. Applicants must have completed one of the following: (1) 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- (2) 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- (3) 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- (4) 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- (5) 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. If the internship experience is not noted on the applicant’s official transcript, the applicant must provide a statement from the doctoral program verifying that the equivalent of a one-year supervised internship experience was completed in a site acceptable to the doctoral program. Licensure. Applicants at this grade level must have a current, full, active and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e. Puerto Rico) of the U.S. or District of Columbia. NOTE: At the GS-11 and GS-12 levels, non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility criteria may be given a temporary appointment as a Graduate Psychologist 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. 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). Grade Requirements In addition to the basic requirements listed above, applicants at the GS-12 and GS-13 grade levesl must meet the following experience requirements: Applicants at the GS-12 level must have at least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-11 level and be able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities: (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); and (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. Applicants at the GS-13 level must have at least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-12 level and be able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities: (1) Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to the full range of patient populations; (2) Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health; and (3) Knowledge of clinical research literature. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-18 Psychologist Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination
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.