Psychologist

The incumbent will provide psychological services to Veterans participating in care at the Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (DRRTP). DRRTP is a 24/7 residential mental health treatment program serving Veterans with mental health symptoms and psychosocial stressors that have contributed to unstable housing/homelessness.

Treatment modalities include but are not limited to individual and group psychotherapies and empirically supported interventions such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Social Skills Training (SST) etc. The incumbent will also participate in interdisciplinary treatment team and milieu meetings appropriately respond to acute mental health emergencies and the need for psychiatric hospitalizations. Additionally the incumbent will support Veterans by engaging in are coordination discharge planning and ensuring continuity of care with outpatient providers and community resources.

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions within the DRRTP. The interventions include serving as an Attending Psychologist involved with the full continuum of care from admission through discharge facilitation and co-facilitation of evidence-based psychoeducational groups process groups milieu therapy and provision of individually-based treatment as indicated.
• Consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues.
• Conducts psychological assessments for diagnostic clarification and to inform treatment planning.
• Participates in legal procedures associated with mental health treatments such as initiating psychiatric holds as needed.
• Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or health care system as appropriate.
• Provides clinical supervision to Psychology trainees including practicum students interns and postdoctoral fellows and supports the Psychology Service training program by serving on committees presenting at seminars etc. as needed.
• Supports the Psychology Service training program as needed by serving on committees presenting at seminars and other activities.
• Provides training to program staff and other mental health/community care providers in evidence-based recovery practices including rehabilitation activities and interventions to address barriers to obtaining rehabilitation goals.
• Serves as a consultant for medical center staff and trainees aiding them in understanding the psychological and psychosocial aspects of rehabilitation and recovery and guiding them in setting appropriate treatment and recovery expectations for their patients.
• Assists with planning and overseeing the completion of research programs designed to provide information regarding program planning and relevant treatment approaches as needed.
• Presents outcome data and research results at local and regional or national scientific or professional meetings as needed.
• Serves on Medical Center or Health Care System VISN and/or National committees or task forces as needed.
• Represents psychology on decision-making committees at the Medical Center or Health Care System as needed.
• Provides services as needed to promote the efficient operation of the health care system. These services may include such activities as serving on health care system committees and boards of investigations.
• Represents the Medical Center or Health Care System at professional/program community groups/events and committees as needed

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8am - 4:30pm
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
Paid Time Off: 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)
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider:

• 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.

Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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
  • (1) 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 and 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 and 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. Strictly for the purpose of determining eligibility for appointment as a psychologist in VHA there is no distinction between the specialty areas (with the exception of school psychology). 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 a CPA accredited doctoral program; and
    • (b) the 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 and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship. Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards. OR
  • (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
• Internship:
  • (a) 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
  • (b) 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
  • (c) 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
  • (d) 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.)
• 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
  • (1) 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 GS12 grade under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 (c)(2)(B) 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 Determinations:

Staff Psychologist GS-11 Grade Requirements:
(a) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

Staff Psychologist GS-12 Grade Requirements:
(a) Experience. At least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the supervision of a licensed psychologist but with less intense supervision than at the GS-11 grade level.
(b) Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
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).
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.
(c) Assignment. Staff psychologists at this level diagnose mental disorders conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders and may conduct research. They may be assigned to any program area

Staff Psychologist GS-13 Grade Requirements:
(a) Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.
(b) Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Knowledge of and ability to apply professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations.
2. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional 7 psychology and behavioral health.
3. Knowledge of clinical research literature.
(c) Assignment. This is the full performance level for staff psychologists. At this level psychologists are licensed to practice independently in the provision of psychological services consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit 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: Reference VA Directive and Handbook 5019