Staff Psychologist Assessment and Blind Rehabilitation EDRP Approved

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Provides a full range of psychodiagnostic services including the use of psychological testing for Veterans and VA police officers
• Performs presurgical evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and mental health clearance for relevant medical procedures. These evaluations employ a clinical interview mental status examination review of available records collateral contact when available as well as objective psychological tests when indicated.
• Performs mental health evaluations for VA police applicant suitability as well as fitness for duty.
• Performs compensation and pension examinations for Veterans with potential mental health related conditions claimed to be caused by or to have originated during military service. These evaluations also involve clinical interview mental status examination review of available records and collateral information provided by Veterans Benefits Administration as well as the use of objective psychological assessment instruments when indicated.
• Approximately one day per week will provide group therapy to individuals in the Blind Rehabilitation Unit providing both psychoeducational intervention and supportive treatment. Assistance may also be provided via individual therapy for Veterans requiring individual contact who may be identified as in crisis. Admission reviews for potential incoming Veterans will also be performed as needed.
• May be asked to serve as a clinical supervisor for psychology pre-doctoral interns and doctoral-level practicum students in psychology and other disciplines.
• Performs capacity/competency assessments where there are questions about a patients ability to make medical decisions perform other specific functions or live independently.
• Contributes to the gathering of assessment information and the development of a detailed treatment plan for veterans.
• Conducts evidence-based treatment interventions for Veterans with cognitive impairment.
• Participates as a member of medical center hospital committees as directed.
• Serves as an advisor consultant and/or resource person to the staff within the medical center.
• Maintains appropriate records and follow-up data on patients who are their responsibility.
• Complies with national and local performance measures including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients.
• Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g. entering diagnostic and procedure codes).
• Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings as held by CTVHCS and MH&BM management.
• Attends regular Psychology Service staff meetings Medical Staff meetings MH&BM staff meetings and complies with Psychology Service peer review procedures.
• Provides clinical supervision to psychology interns practicum students fellows and residents as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

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.
• 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. The specialty area of the degree must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. For the purpose of meeting this requirement the term specialty area refers to the specific specialty areas recognized by the accrediting body & not to specific job duties that might require special skills. Currently APA accredits doctoral programs in the specialty areas of clinical psychology counseling psychology school psychology or combinations of two or more of those areas. PCSAS accredits doctoral programs in psychological clinical science. CPA accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology counseling psychology clinical neuropsychology & school psychology. There are no job assignments in VHA that require the skills of a school psychologist; therefore an applicant with a degree in the specialty area of school psychology is not eligible for appointment. OR
  • Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology & 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:
    • Re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program &
    • Specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript &/or certificate documenting completion of re-specialization program which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship. Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above & who were employed by the Department of VA prior to implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards. OR
    • Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 & 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. AND
• Internships
  • 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 candidates doctoral program. If the internship experience is not noted on the applicants 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 & unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or District of Columbia.
  • Exception. Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate psychologist at the GS-11 or GS-12 grade under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 (c)(2)(B) for a period not to exceed two years from 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.
  • Loss of Credential. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation which may result in termination of employment.
  • Board Certification and Loss of Credential
    • Board Certification. Persons hired to psychology positions in VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be 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. Board certificate must be current & applicant must abide by the certifying bodys requirement for continuing education.
    • Loss of Credential. Once board certified psychologist must maintain a full valid & unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required board certification must be removed from the occupation which may result in termination of employment.
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive & Handbook 5019.
• English Language Proficiency: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken & written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 Part II Chapter 3 section A paragraph 3j.

• Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.