Staff Psychologist (BHIP) EDRP, RecruitmentRelocation Incentive Authorized

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The BHIP Psychologist is administratively within Psychology Section within Mental Health Service Line and functions as part of a multidisciplinary general mental health team diagnoses and treats mental disorders conducts psychological and cognitive assessments and provides consultation to other providers regarding mental disorders. The core of the incumbents duties is general service delivery for a wide range of mental and emotional concerns especially treatment of and consultation on disorders considered to be serious mental illnesses (e.g. mood disorders personality disorders schizophrenia spectrum disorders); whereas metal disorders of mood anxiety and trauma-adjustment of mild to moderate severity can often be treated with Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI). The incumbent is expected to conduct treatment sessions that are generally 30-45 minutes in length and can span in number from 12 to 20 visits for most concerns. Overall treatment duration of personality disorders can span from between 12 to 24 months. The BHIP Psychologist can expect to treat 6-8 patients per day and will coordinate with providers of various disciplines for completion of intakes and treatment plans with patients.

The Staff Psychologist:

• May have limited responsibilities for and oversight of the administrative and programmatic resources of various clinical programs within the VATVCBHCS.
• May assist in coordinating programming within the various mental health programs with psychology Program Managers as well as with discipline supervisors of affected staff assigned to these programs.
• May serve as the representative for Psychology Service on various Psychology Service Mental Health Service Line System or VISN administrative committees or work groups.
• Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including the use of psychological testing for major and secondary psychological disorders for patients within VATVCBHCS in areas of specific interest/expertise.
• Performs psychological evaluations for individual with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations. These evaluations employ a comprehensive diagnostic interview review of available records collateral contract when available as well as objective and cognitive tests when indicated.
• Provides a range of psychological therapeutic interventions with individuals with mental health and medical disorders with an emphasis on the application of time-limited evidence-based treatments for common disorders.

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

VA HPTs pending the completion of education or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Applicants pending license requirements may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate psychologist not to exceed 2 years at the GS-11 or 12 grade levels depending on years of creditable experience.

Basic Requirements:
United States Citizenship: You must be a U.S. Citizen
English language proficiency: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English

• Education: To be qualified for a GS-0180 Psychologist you must possess 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:(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. OR
• Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
• Internship Requirement - You must 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: Candidates must 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. 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 (a)(1)(D) 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.

• VA or DOD experience
• Work experience in community settings
• Experience incorporating outcome measures into treatment
• Experience with evidence-based psychotherapies for individuals groups couples and families
• Experience in case management in complex settings.
• Experience in outpatient general mental health clinics.
• Full-unrestricted license