This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. 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). 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. 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Staff Psychologist, GS-11 (Entry Level) (a) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. (b) 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. Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the close supervision of a licensed psychologist. Staff Psychologist, GS-12 (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. (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 (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. Preferred Experience: Substance Abuse Disorder training and experience preferred. References: 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: Work is primarily sedentary. May require prolonged standing, moderate walking, and manual dexterity. Requires carrying light items such as books, files, or laptop computer. ["Responsibilities/General Description: The Stepped-Care Substance Use Disorder Psychologist (SC-SUD) is embedded within, and functions as a member of, the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP), and works across teams, providing support within Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI). The psychologist supports Veterans in low level interventions (ASAM Level 1.0 and lower) for substance use disorders, and facilitates warm handoffs/transitions between levels of care. The SUD Psychologist works within a stepped care model, treating Veterans with Substance Use Disorders as well as other concurrent mental health problems that impact a Veteran's risk and protective factor profile for relapse. The psychologist operates on the understanding that there is \"no wrong door\" for Veterans to enter care for substance related problems. They therefore engage Veterans as an initial and ongoing point of contact in these mental health locations, functioning as the Veteran's Mental Health Treatment Coordinator (MHTC), supporting Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT) providers, and provide referrals to other teams/agencies as necessary. The psychologist works in cooperation with the PCMHI SUD Peer Support Specialist, Substance Abuse Treatment Program (SATP) staff, Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT), as well as the staff at other locations of care. The incumbent will be able to fully assess and objectively diagnose mental health disorders, particularly SUD related disorders, conduct psychological and/or neuropsychological screenings and/or assessments, and provide Evidence Based Psychotherapy (EBPs), specifically pertaining to the diagnoses of SUD. The incumbent's primary function is the delivery of individual and group psychotherapy for SUD, which may include, but is not limited to Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for SUD (CBT-SUD), as well as other Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) consistent interventions. The incumbent's clinical work may also at times include the use of evidence based practices for other related conditions such as chronic pain (CBT-CP), depression (IPT, ACT, CBT-D), insomnia (CBT-i), anxiety, etc. as needed, and in support of the primary goal of abstinence/harm reduction and maintenance for substance use disorders. Treatment is provided in person or via telemental health modalities, such as Clinical Video Teleconferencing (CVT) or VA Video Connect (VVC). Training in, or a willingness to obtain and complete training in the SUD treatments mentioned above, in addition to others that are job consistent, is expected. Other therapies consistent with the VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) pertaining to the treatment Veterans with SUD, and to their families, may be utilized. The incumbent will develop, implement, and document the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients, including prompt completion of clinical reminders. The psychologist consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues. Staff psychologists may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 0800-1630 Telework: Part time telework available in accordance with agency policy and supervisor approval. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Recruitment and Relocation Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact Stacey.Hermann@VA.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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