Clinical Psychologist (Sex Offender Program Psychologist)

Clarification from the agency

• THIS IS A DELEGATED EXAMINING ANNOUNCEMENT OPEN TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS. • Duty Location: FCI Marion, IL

Responsible for the administration, scoring and interpretation of a wide variety of psychological testing instruments and procedures, including objective instruments of personality assessment, risk assessment instruments and procedures, intelligence and cognitive tests, neuropsychological assessment instruments and inventories of interest, aptitude, criminality and achievement.

Administers and interprets specialized, sex offender specific assessment instruments and procedures.

Based on data from testing, interviewing and records containing social, educational, personal and institutional adjustment data, responsible for preparation of psychological reports for various uses.

Performs both individual and group psychotherapy with sex offenders on a regularly scheduled basis.

Serves as a source of expert advice and opinion, and demonstrates knowledge of research techniques and findings as relevant to the area of the evaluation and treatment of sex offenders.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution.

The staff's correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is Required.
• See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
• Selective Service Requirement: http://www.sss.gov

Career Transition Programs (): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

• 1. Meet eligibility criteria;
• 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
• 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your eligibility.

NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established category rating criteria.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements:

Basic Requirements:

Satisfactory completion of all the requirements for a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) directly related to full professional work in clinical psychology is required.

NOTE: Applicants may have received this degree in either clinical or counseling psychology.

AND

In addition to the basic requirement, applicants must also have:

Education:

GS-12 and GS-13: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.

Experience:

GS-12 and GS-13: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically be in or related to the position to be filled.

Some examples of the qualifying experience are:

GS-12:

• Experience in administering, scoring and interpreting a wide variety of psychological testing instruments and procedures.
• Experience in planning the course of therapy for psychological problems and developing discharge reports detailing risk assessment considerations.
• Experience in performing individual and group psychotherapy on a regularly scheduled basis.
• Experience in providing assessment and referral services for staff requesting assistance with problems of alcohol use, drug use, or emotional problems which are affecting job performance.

GS-13:

• Experience administering, scoring and interpreting specialized, sex offender specific assessment instruments and procedures.
• Experience in providing discharge reports for U.S. Probation to assist in the effective management of sex offenders while on supervised release. Discharge reports include psychological and psychosexual assessment, risk factors for sexual reoffending and specific recommendations for effective management of the offender in the community.
• Experience in performing both individual and group psychotherapy with sex offenders on a regularly scheduled basis.
• Experience in serving as a source of expert advice and opinion, and demonstrating knowledge of research techniques and findings relevant to the area of the evaluation and treatment of sex offenders.

AND

Selective Placement Factor:

Applicants applying for this position MUST also possess the following Selective Factor. In the event that you do not possess the Selective Factor, you will be found ineligible for the position.

• Applicants must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States (e.g., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia.

NOTE: All applicants must electronically upload a copy of their license at the time they apply to the vacancy announcement. The documentation provided MUST show the expiration date of the license. Failure to provide this documentation will result in loss of consideration for this position.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Based upon your responses to the assessment questions during the application process, your application will be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Applications will be reviewed from the top quality category. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are found qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to the responses you provided on the online assessment.

NOTE: Candidates within the top quality category and who are eligible for veterans preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

If you are entitled to veterans preference, you should indicate the type of veterans preference you are claiming on your resume. Although veterans preference points are not assigned under the category rating procedures described under "How You Will Be Evaluated", veterans preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-veterans within each category for which they are qualified.

Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). As noted above, an agency may not select a non-preference eligible in lieu of a preference eligible in the same category unless there are grounds for a passover and the agency has complied with the passover procedures at 5 U.S.C. § 3318(b).

What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?

The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:

GS-12 and GS-13:

• Ability to conduct psychological assessments.
• Ability to recommend and implement treatment interventions for various disorders.
• Skill in conducting individual and group psychotherapy.
• Knowledge of the field of evaluation, treatment and management of sex offenders.
• Ability to make sound decisions and act quickly in critical circumstances.

You may for this vacancy.

Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration. If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts.

•  Veterans' Preference Documentation:
  • Failure to submit all required documents at the time of application will result in the loss of claimed preference eligibility.
  • DD-214: Veterans MUST provide a DD-214 demonstrating that they have been discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions (i.e., the individual must have received either an honorable or general discharge).
  • SF-15: If you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit:
    • A completed Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" AND all required documentation identified on the SF-15. 
    • NOTE: A Department of Veterans Affairs letter must contain the Veteran’s Name and Combined Service-Connected Evaluation. For a copy of the most current SF-15, .
  • If you are on active duty and expect to be discharged or released from active duty service within 120 days, you may submit a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty from the appropriate Branch Personnel Office containing the following information: (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; (2) and the character of service (must be an honorable or general discharge); and (3) any qualifying service/campaign/expeditionary medals.
• Resume: Resume (includes name and contact information) limited to 2 pages showing relevant experience (cover letter optional). Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF-52, etc.)
• To receive credit for experience contained in an application, the experience must be documented:
  • Reflecting start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND
  • Include the number of hours worked per week.
• College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable).
  • NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.
• SF-50: for proof of prior LEO coverage, if applicable.
• Proof of a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level.

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