This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP). A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be offered to a highly qualified candidate. Please see the Duties section of this announcement for more details. 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. English Language Proficiency Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. Education Requirement - You must 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 completed a respecialization program meeting both of the following conditions: a) the respecialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and b) the specialty in which you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for; 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). NOTE: 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: 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 (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. Preferred Experience: 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 VA Experience providing additional trauma therapies including Written Exposure Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Experience with personality assessment Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following: GS-11 Level: no additional experience beyond the basic requirement GS-12 Level: at least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-11 level, and are able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities: Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties). 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 NOTE: Staff Psychologists at the GS-12 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. GS-13 Level: at least 2 addition years of experience, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level, as a professional psychologist that was obtained through employment as a psychologist or through participating in a supervised post-doctoral psychology training program that demonstrates 1) active professional practice that was paid/non-paid employment and/or 2) a full, current and unrestricted license. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics associated with current psychology practice: Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to a full range of patient populations. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health. Knowledge of clinical research literature. *Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed. Reference: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. This full-performance level of this position is GS-13. The grade at which a candidate may be select ranges from GS-11 to GS-13. Physical Requirements: Light lifting/carrying, under 15 lbs Use of fingers Both Hands required Walking/standing, 1 hr Operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other Both eyes required Depth perception Ability to distinguish basic colors Hearing (aid permitted) ["The Evidence Based Psychotherapy (EBP) for PTSD Treatment Team Psychologist at the McAllen Outpatient Clinic is administratively within Psychology Section Line within the Mental Health Service Line. The incumbent will provide a full range of face-to-face and/or telehealth psychological services to Veterans located at the VATVCBHCS McAllen facility, with special attention to delivering Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy to Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. In their primary role as a PTSD specialist, psychological services may include conducting assessments, delivering psychotherapy (in individual and/or group formats), and provision of consultation to medical staff regarding Veteran care issues. The Staff Psychologist: 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. May coordinate programming within the various mental health programs with managers of other programs in mental health as well as with discipline supervisors of affected staff assigned to these programs. May manage the work of various clinical programs and their staff, ensuring that work is assigned in a systematic way and meets facility and VA guidelines/standards. May serve as the representative for Psychology Section on various Psychology Section, Mental Health Service Line, System, or VISN administrative committees or work groups. May actively participate in and accept leadership roles in local, state and/or national professional organizations specific to Psychology and/or Compensation and Pension Unit functions. Diagnoses all mental disorders using the nomenclature of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DMS-5). Provides an assessment of each Veteran using the system as set forth in DSM-5. Determines when clinician-administered psychometric testing is necessary and integrate the results of such testing into the report of the examination. Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including the use of psychological testing for patients within VATVCBHCS in areas of special interest/expertise. Performs psychological evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations. Provides a range of psychological therapeutic interventions with individuals with mental health and medical disorders utilizing empirically supported modalities when indicated. Provides evidence-based interventions for PTSD, including CPT and/or PE. Consults with and serve as a resource for other professional personnel concerning the need for, evaluation of, and development of psychological services in VATVCBHCS. May be asked to assist in the selection, training, and supervision of staff at lower grade within assigned program area, Psychology Section, or VATVCBHCS. 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. May be asked to prepare and teach seminars/workshops for VATVCBHCS trainees/staff on topics within interest/competency areas. May be asked to serves as a member of various VATVCBHCS Mental Health, VATVCBHCS, and/or VISN committees. May choose to conduct approved psychological research that supports the mission of VATVCBHCS alone or in collaboration with other professionals in VATVCBHCS or affiliated academic institutions. May choose to apply for a faculty appointment Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Title/Functional Statement #:Staff Psychologist (PTSD) - Education Debt Reduction Program - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive/PD000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be offered to a highly qualified candidate. EDRP Authorized: 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. The VISN 17 EDRP Coordinators can be reached at VISN17EDRP2@va.gov. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required"]

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