Staff Psychologist-Pain Management
Job Location:
Des Moines, IA - USA
Yearly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
The Active Pain Management (AMP) Psychologist position primary duties are to provide pain services as an integrated part of the Pain Clinic and in support of the Pain Management Team.
Position(s) listed under this Open Continuous Announcement (OCA) MAY be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) a student loan payment reimbursement program. Applicants selected for an EDRP-eligible position will be notified in their conditional job offer. The selectee must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program approval award amount (up to $200000) and 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 are ineligible to apply.
DUTIES:
. Remainder of time spent providing patient care in person or within team format to include IDT and individual evaluation.
. Provides comprehensive evidence-based behavioral interventions for pain including individual and group therapy.
. Demonstrates an understanding of the biopsychosocial approach to pain care and need to work in an integrated collaborative team-based fashion with other pain specialists.
. Provides a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses mental health disorders based on patient presentation and need; refers to other mental health providers and specialists in facility as indicated.
. Provides pain-focused education to patients family members and significant others.
. Demonstrates expertise in assessing planning implementing and evaluating treatment plans for adult patients with complex pain problems. As part of the pain team provides feedback and coordinates care with associated health care team members.
. Coordinate and employ a multimodal treatment approach to accomplish complex treatment objectives.
. Demonstrates expertise in assessing planning implementing and evaluating treatment plans for adult patients with complex pain problems. As part of the pain team provides feedback and coordinates care with associated health care team members
. Evaluation and treatment are completed in a timely fashion; chart review will allow the opportunity to assess appropriateness of the referral. Consults are scheduled considering priority and frequency of care and coordination of schedules with other members of the treatment team.
. Functions independently as a member of the Facility Medical Staff with full clinical privileges; assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings patient care decisions and documentation.
. Utilizes evaluation data to plan and implement comprehensive patient treatment involving patient in the goals setting and treatment processes as feasible. Modifies treatment plan according to evaluative findings to meet short- and long-term goals.
. Assesses patients learning needs and plans and implements appropriate patient education involving the patient family and significant others in the instructional process.
. Exercises the highest degree of independence and professional judgment in planning and carrying out treatment plans to meet complex objectives for the chronic pain population. Demonstrates originality in solving problems not covered by these guides making innovative adaptations and modifications of treatment plans and procedures in order to meet the complex and highly varying needs of patients and routinely collaborates with other health care team members
Administrative
. Participates in program development activities related to AMP including data collection/management policy development/adherence and documentation.
. Participates in multidisciplinary team meetings as well as pain committee meetings as indicated by Pain Clinic leadership as well as section and service leadership.
. Complies with national and local performance measures
. Complies with all electronic health record documentation procedures including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures
Program Evaluation/Research:
. Provides clinical outcomes measures to all AMP participants as instructed and assists with ensuring that information is shared as indicated
Academic/Teaching/Training
. Participates in program development activities related to AMP including data collection/management policy development/adherence and documentation.
. Participates in multidisciplinary team meetings as well as pain committee meetings as indicated by Pain Clinic leadership as well as section and service leadership.
. Complies with national and local performance measures including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact . the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
- 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.
- 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.
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-By the time of hire the applicant must:
- (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.
- 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.
- OR
- (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
- Internships-By the time of hire the applicant must: (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.
- OR
- (e) 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-At the GS 13 level the applicant 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.
- 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.
Grade Determinations:
GS-11Staff Psychologist (Entry Level)
(a) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.
GS-12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level)
(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.
GS-13 Staff Psychologist (Full Performance Level)
(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 psychology and behavioral health.
3. Knowledge of clinical research literature.
References: For more information on this qualification standard please visit Experience: Pain Management
The 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: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges universities schools or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information visit:
This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. Eligible applications will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38 and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care you will operate in a model with three core elements seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veterans community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor Americas Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations Security and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required Experience:
Staff IC
