Psychologist

The Staff Psychologist - Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) serves as a core member of the interdisciplinary HBPC team within the Mental Health & Behavioral Sciences Service (MH&BSS). The psychologist provides a full range of evidence-based psychological services to medically complex chronically ill and geriatric Veterans in their homes including psychological assessment cognitive and capacity evaluations psychotherapy prevention-focused interventions and behavioral medicine strategies that support treatment adherence and improved health outcomes. The psychologist functions as an independent privileged provider and offers ongoing consultation to HBPC team members to support high-quality patient-centered care.

Major Duties but not limited too:
- Provide comprehensive psychological assessments and diagnose mental disorders including for complex or unusually difficult patients.
- Deliver evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions including individual family and group psychotherapy.
- Conduct psychological cognitive and capacity assessments for older adults and chronically ill Veterans enrolled in HBPC.
- Provide neuropsychological screening and cognitive testing to evaluate functioning and determine the need for specialized assessment.
- Develop implement and document individual treatment plans including timely completion of clinical reminders and CPRS documentation.
- Offer prevention-oriented services and behavioral medicine interventions to help Veterans manage chronic health conditions and improve medical compliance.
- Serve as a consultant and resource for HBPC team members and other professionals regarding psychological services and patient care needs.
- Function independently with full clinical privileges assuming responsibility for clinical assessments patient care decisions and documentation.
- Assist in designing developing and implementing clinical activities within HBPC MH&BSS and the Extended Care Program.
- Participate in program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement initiatives.
- Adhere to operational policies and documentation standards.
- Attend and participate in required administrative meetings at the service program and medical center levels.
- Serve on committees or task forces at the facility VISN or national VA level and participate in outreach activities as assigned.
- Provide clinical supervision and instruction for psychology practicum students interns and residents when assigned.
- Participate in program evaluation and research activities including assistance with RFPs and grant proposals as assigned.
- Demonstrate sensitivity to age-related developmental and cultural needs of all patients served ensuring appropriate care for young adults middle-aged adults and older Veterans.
- Comply with computer security requirements and protect sensitive data per VA policy.
- Perform physical requirements of the position which are generally sedentary with occasional light lifting and routine movement throughout the facility.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Adhoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 41866F 41867F & 40834F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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.

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:

• 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. 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 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 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 (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.
• 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.

• Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.

• Experience: At least one (1) 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.

• Experience: At least two (2) years of experience as a professional psychologist with at least one (1) year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.