Duties
Duties:
- A full range of psychodiagnostic services including assessment, and using the most appropriate, evidence-based psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care in the delivery of a full range of psychological and multidisciplinary services in the outpatient programs of the Mental Health Clinic at the West 10th Street location of Veterans Health Indiana and at other locations as required
- The incumbent may participate in telemental health or similar activities in order to provide service for Veterans located a prohibitive distance from VA facilities
- The incumbent provides evidence-based therapies, including but not limited to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). For all clinical duties, the incumbent works in the BHIP team, participates in interdisciplinary team dispositions of patients within the BHIP, and provides consultation services to medical center and CBOC staff on a wide variety of patient care issues
- The incumbent provides ethical individual and group mental health services to eligible Veterans diagnosed with mental and behavioral health conditions. General duties also include, but are not limited to, assessment and referral services, design and preparation of diagnostic assessments, providing entry-level services for Veterans of all service eras, formulating and providing individual and group treatments, preparing initial and updated treatment plans, and planning for follow-up care after completion of treatment. When properly credentialed and licensed, the incumbent will operate independently in all areas, consulting with peers and supervisors when warranted
- The incumbent will serve as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assist in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients
- The incumbent will need to work some early morning/evening hours and/or work variable tours of duty to possibly include weekend treatment delivery to accommodate needs of Veterans. FS #92037-0
- The incumbent may provide clinical supervision to trainees (e.g., graduate and post-graduate students, Externs, Interns, and/or Post-doctoral Fellows, and similar trainee positions) in accordance with VHA Handbook Policy 1400.04. Incumbent reviews and rates externship, internship, and/or postdoctoral fellow applicants and interviews prospective applicants. Incumbent may serve on the internship/fellowship didactics committee and participate in didactic training.
- The incumbent participates in monthly psychologist and weekly mental health team meetings. The incumbent serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assists in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding patients
- The incumbent may participate in monthly BHIP chart reviews, compile resulting data, and submit data to the BHIP Coordinator. The incumbent may participate in program evaluation. The incumbent is responsible for timely completion of all clinical documentation as required by the medical center and health care system, performing at highest standards on performance measures, timely completion of Psychology Clinical Pertinence Reviews, and compliance with internal and external continuing education requirements
- The incumbent may serve on hospital-wide committees, Psychology Internship Consortium Didactics Committee, or in other capacities that promote program improvement and development, mental health, or psychology as a discipline
- The incumbent will perform others duties as requested or assigned
Work Schedule:
- Full Time
- 0730-1600 or 0800-1630
Telework: In accordance with VA Policy and at supervisors discretion
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
EDRP Authorized: Contact VISN10HREDRPSLRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.
Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Psychologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Psychology-Career-Flyer.pdf
Requirements
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.
- You may be required to serve a probationary period.
- 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
Qualifications
Basic Requirements:
- United States Citizenship
- English Language Proficiency
- Education - 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 are specialization program meeting both of the following conditions:
- a) specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and
- b) 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.***See Education below
- 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.
- Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above:
- 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
- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- 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.
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- GS-13 Level: At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. 1) active professional practice that was paid/non-paid employment and/or 2) a full, current and unrestricted license.
- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the 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 for the Psychologist if it is post-doctoral degree experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties performed.
Preferred Experience: Behavioral Mental Health experience and/or behavioral medicine experience.
The full performance level of this position if selected as Psychologist 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
Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
Physical Requirements: Walking, standing, bending, lifting, periods of sitting
Whole Health Statement:
VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) 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 Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
Education
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
- Education - 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 are specialization program meeting both of the following conditions:
- a) specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and
- b) 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
Education and, Internship-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 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.
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:
http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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:
https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Benefits
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.
Review our 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.
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.
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.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
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
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Other (1)
- Other (2)
- Other (3)
- Performance Appraisal
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
Veterans Preference
Although Hybrid Title 38 occupations follow Title 5 Veterans' preference rules, as required by the Merit Systems Protection Board (Graves v. A, 117 M.S.P.R. 697 (2012)), 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference to external applicants for appointments made during the fiscal year to hybrid title 38 occupations reported among the occupations with the largest staffing shortages. This announcement occupation(s) is reported to be among the largest staffing shortages. Veterans preference does not apply to this job announcement per the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (PL 113-146, dated August 7, 2014) Therefore, Veteran's Preference will not be applied to this posting's applicant scores and selection process.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/19/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12733396.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account,
https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service.
HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities.
HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities.
HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.