Summary

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. Program 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.

Duties

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Duties:

• The PCMHI psychologist functions as part of the interdisciplinary primary care team, serving Veterans, Primary Care Providers, and allied Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) members. PCMHI provides services for a wide range of concerns, resolving problems within the primary care service context. PCMHI provides functional assessment and brief intervention, with the aim of population-based, preventative care. Our aim is to see Veterans the same day they see a PCP, normalizing meeting with the team psychologist as a routine primary care service. The primary management members with identification, treatment, and management of mental health and behavioral medicine conditions in the Veteran population.
• This position is a designated as team Subject Matter Expert and Point of Contact related to Women's Health. The incumbent serves as liaison between Women Veteran's Primary Care Clinic providers and other mental health providers working with female patients who are receiving ongoing services in general and subspecialty MH clinics. This role includes, but is not limited to:
• Performing direct in-person or virtual face-to-face functional assessment and intervention when indicated.
• Ongoing screening for common MH concerns peri- and post-partum, following Veterans in screening for up to 12 months.
• Communicating frequently with other women's primary care staff and attends women's primary care clinic meetings and/or huddles.
• Providing chart-based consultation, including E-consults as needed/requested.
• Providing ongoing support to other Women Veteran's Primary Care Clinic members.
• Maintaining availability for same-day appointments/warm handoffs, informal and curbside consults as needed by Women Veteran's Primary Care Clinic members
• Ensuring ongoing availability for urgent or emergent situations.
• Offering and providing formal education sessions as desired by other team members.
• Serving as liaison between Women Veteran's Primary Care Clinic providers and other mental health providers working with female patients who are receiving ongoing services in general and subspecialty MH clinics.
• Providing consultation to other Psychiatry staff, as needed.
• Works closely with other mental health clinics and staff to identify patients whose episode of illness has been successfully treated to plan termination from specialty care and return to Women Veteran's Primary Care Clinic for long term follow-up.
• Our PCMHI psychologists provide education to PACT members on behavioral health issues as well as consultation on tips for successful care management, even when there is no direct patient contact. Typical shift will match the primary care clinic's hours (e.g., 0730-1600 or 0800-1630), though occasional evening and Saturday hours (0800 to noon) may be required. When properly credentialed and licensed, the incumbent will operate independently in all areas, consulting with peers and supervisors when warranted.

Work Schedule:

• Full Time
• 0730-1600 or 0800-1630
  
  

Telework: Available

An exemption for Return to Office has been submitted for review. If approved the agency will act in accordance with the determination issued. The VA will categorically exempt military spouses authorized to engage in remote work and spouses of U.S. Foreign Service members from Agency plans to return all eligible employees to in-person work instead of remote or telework arrangements. Any selected candidate must live within 50 miles of a VA Medical Center.

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

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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.
• 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 -Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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.
• Internship: 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.
• 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.
• 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: Primary Care 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 13Promotion 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: The physical demands of the position involve standard office requirements such as using the telephone, retrieving files, writing reports, data entry and maintenance of computer databases, etc. Work is typically performed sitting at a desk and using a computer. This position may require occasional travel. The position requires periods of walking, standing, sitting and bending.

Education



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/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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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.

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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.