Senior Psychologist Program Manager (Psychology Profession Chief & WPV Program Section Chief)

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship Education 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. 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: The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and, 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. Internship 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. (NOTE: Once board certified, the employee is required to maintain board certification.) 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. 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: 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. English Language Proficiency: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. 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 Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. Psychologist GS-15 Senior Psychologist Program Manager Experience: At least four (4) years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least (1) one year EQUIVALENT to the GS-14 grade level. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge’s Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA’s for this subject position: 1. Skill in managing and directing the work of large, complex organizational units and in applying effective management practices. 2. Skill in persuasion, negotiation, and motivation to negotiate multiple program policies. 3. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees and other managers using advanced consultation and problem solving skills. 4. Skill in the application and analysis of measurement tools to systems issues. 5. Ability to balance responsibilities in a complex environment and to work with great autonomy; ability to set priorities and delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze complex organizational problems; and ability to develop and implement effective solutions for those problems. 6. Ability to assess need for basic and complex services across multiple programmatic contexts. 7. Ability to coordinate the efforts of multiple program elements across a complex system.*Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard. Selective Placement Factor (SPF): This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume. The SPF for this position is: Proficient in basic written and spoken Spanish in order to perform the duties of this position. The full performance level of this vacancy is 13. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary in climate controlled clinical and administrative settings. The incumbent will be expected to successfully negotiate various functional requirements: lifting (15-44 pounds), carrying (15-44 pounds), walking (1-3 hours), reaching above their shoulder(s), the use of hands or fingers, sitting (4-6 hours), standing (1-2 hours), repeated bending, using stairs or elevators, functional vision, clear speech, hearing, and emotional stability. There may be occasional requirements to relocate boxed materials from one area to another, equipment and room set-up, and physical inspections of the facilities.
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.