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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs · 2 months ago

PTSD Psychologist - Evidence Based Psychotherapy-EDRP-Recruitment/Relocation Incentives

Corpus Christi, TX

Full-time

Onsite

Mid, Senior Level

$83K/yr - $154K/yr

1+ years exp

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a PTSD Psychologist to provide evidence-based psychotherapy services to Veterans. The role involves conducting assessments, delivering psychotherapy, and providing consultation to medical staff regarding Veteran care issues.

GovernmentMedicalNational SecurityPublic Safety

Comp. & Benefits

No H1B

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Provide a full range of face-to-face and/or telehealth psychological services to Veterans located at a VATVCBHCS facility, with special attention to delivering Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy and EMDR to Veterans diagnosed with PTSD

Conduct assessments, delivering psychotherapy (in individual and/or group formats), and provision of consultation to medical staff regarding Veteran care issues

May have clinical program management responsibilities, which include the operation and management of various psychology or mental health programs within the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (VATVCBHCS)

May serve as clinical supervisor for employees in lower grades

May have responsibility for and oversight of the administrative and programmatic resources of various clinical programs that are specialized/complex and significantly impact the delivery of health care service to veterans in the VATVCBHCS

Diagnose all mental disorders using the nomenclature of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DMS-5)

Provide an assessment of each Veteran using the system as set forth in DSM-5

Determine when clinician-administered psychometric testing is necessary and integrate the results of such testing into the report of the examination

Provide a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including the use of psychological testing for patients within VATVCBHCS in areas of special interest/expertise

Perform psychological evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations

Provide a range of psychological therapeutic interventions with individuals with mental health and medical disorders utilizing empirically supported modalities when indicated

Provide evidence-based interventions for PTSD, including CPT, PE, and/or EMDR

May be asked to serve as a clinical supervisor for psychology pre-doctoral interns, postdoctoral fellows, and doctoral level graduate practicum students in psychology and other related disciplines

Qualification

Doctoral degree in psychologyAPACPA accredited internshipLicensed psychologistCognitive Processing TherapyProlonged Exposure TherapyEMDRDifferential diagnosisPsychological assessmentsResearch skillsConsultation skillsCommunication skills

Required

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

The specialty area of the degree must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed

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

AND Internships: 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 candidate's doctoral program

If the internship experience is not noted on the applicant's 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

Physical Requirements: See physical requirements listed below

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

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: GS-11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level) Experience: None beyond the basic requirements

GS-12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level) Experience: At least 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

Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate 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) Experience: At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level

Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate 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

Licensed within discipline

Experience providing both of the following psychotherapies: Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure with trauma populations

Experience with differential diagnosis of Trauma and Stressor related disorders - anxiety disorders - personality and mood disorders

Experience as a therapist in the Department of Veterans Affairs

Experience providing additional trauma therapies including Written Exposure Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Experience with personality assessment

Benefits

Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for a Highly Qualified Candidate

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)

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66

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)

Telework: Available-AD-HOC