Psychology Program Manager

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Open to current, permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees.

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

Program Manager Responsibilities:

Administrative Management:

• The incumbent serves as a manager and exercises ultimate staff responsibility for the design, development, implementation, modification, evaluation, and ongoing operation of the REC ICC administrative programs. The incumbent is responsible for developing short and long-range plans, formulating and administrating relevant directives and policies, conducting systematic reviews, orienting/training new staff and assuring documentation and reporting of REC ICC transactions, activities, workload, etc. Serves as the principal administrative advisor and manager for the programs within the REC ICC, and as a consultant and resource about rehabilitation and programs. The incumbent will provide support across REC programs as needed and assigned.
• Evaluates the activities of the REC ICC programs with respect to economy/efficiency and provides recommendations in health care planning, organization and management to the REC ICC Director and relevant stakeholders. Incumbent works with leadership and other stakeholders to assess patient satisfaction to improve the delivery of health care to the veterans we serve. Incumbent will oversee the work conducted by the REC ICC Automated Data Processing Application Coordinator (ADPAC). Duties may require occasional travel.

Quality Management/Performance Improvement:

• The incumbent is responsible for assuring the quality review of records and coordinates these activities with the Performance Improvement (PI) External Peer Review Program (EPRP) department. Actively promotes PI and EPRP in the inpatient and outpatient setting. Incumbent develops and implements REC ICC Quality Improvement programs and performs fact-finding reviews when indicated.
• The incumbent assures that the requirements of both the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and other accrediting bodies affecting the REC ICC are maintained and well-known to the staff.
• Incumbent is responsible for developing, modifying, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of the objectives and operations of the REC ICC performance improvement program. Incumbent collaborates with the REC ICC leadership and relevant stakeholders in keeping policies current and consistent with Central Office and Joint Commission Directives.

Budgeting/Financial Management Work:

• The incumbent is a Control Point Official for all REC ICC control points and is responsible for implementing and maintaining several contractual agreements. The incumbent authorizes all expenditures annually and plans, formulates, and implements budget requirements using sound fiscal judgment; assuring that sufficient funds are available to cover projects and services.

Personnel Management:

• Directs the personnel management program for the REC ICC, performing or overseeing the full range of personnel management in partnership with REC ICC leadership and REC supervisors and acts as a liaison with Human Resource Management Service concerning personnel-related matters. Provides assistance to staff concerning Federal and agency personnel processes.
• The incumbent exercises proper Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) practices and promotes the EEO policy of this Hospital.

Space and Supply Management:

• The incumbent is responsible for the accounting of equipment and providing assistance for the procurement and maintenance of equipment and facilities in a scheduled manner. The incumbent oversees the inventory of all non-expendable property assigned to the REC ICC. The incumbent advises and assists the REC ICC Director in determining program space and supply needs and is responsible for maintaining the Service equipment and for submitting requests as needed.

Clinical Responsibilities:

• Collaborates with REC ICC Psychology Program Manager regarding aspects of clinical and administrative psychological services in the REC ICC service line, including those conducted by trainees and staff.
• Consults with and serves as a resource for other stakeholders regarding the need for and development of psychological services, case conceptualization, education, treatment planning, and utilization of evidenced based treatments and clinical practice guidelines.

Academic/Teaching/Training:

• May hold faculty appointment at affiliated university (i.e., University of Minnesota).
• May be involved in the Psychology Training Program and Training Committee.
• May be involved in the training of psychology practicum students, interns, and postdoctoral residents with the larger training programs and discipline supervisors.

Work Schedule: 08:00 to 16:30; Monday through Friday
Telework: Ad-Hoc only.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• 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.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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: Applicants must meet the English Language Proficiency requirement for positions in this occupation. To be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, or to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA, applicants must be proficient in written and spoken English.

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. 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).

OR

• Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully complete a respecialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the respecialization 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.

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 (pre1979) 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(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 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.

Grade Determinations:
Psychology Program Manager, GS-14:

Experience: At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meets multiple deadlines.
2. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools.
3. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view.
4. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives.
5. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations.
6. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards.
7. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

• Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
• All other permanent VA employees.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• License
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• License
• Optional KSA responses (KSAs found in job announcement under Qualifications)
• Clinical Resume/CV (Can be greater than 2 pages)
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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