Staff Psychologist- Home Based Primary Care

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.

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Duties

Clinical Responsibilities in HBPC:

• Provides screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of depressive and anxiety- related disorders, as well as other Axis I conditions, with an emphasis on the application of time-limited, evidence-based approaches.
• Assesses and provides treatments for subclinical symptoms of dysphoria and anxiety, adjustment difficulties, and excessive use or misuse of alcohol or other drugs.
• Provides psychological prevention services to patients at significant risk for psychological problems.
• Provides services to the families of veterans with dementia being served by HBPC, when such care is directly related to the overall treatment plan for the veteran and will allow better care for the veteran and allow the family to sustain the veteran in the home environment.
• Provides clinical services in the homes of HBPC veterans, and when appropriate, through the use of telehealth and/or WC.
• Provides screening for cognitive deficits to address specific functional questions or to determine if a referral for a complete neuropsychological evaluation or dementia assessment is needed.
• Performs capacity/competency assessments when there are questions about a patient's ability to make medical decisions, perform other specific functions, or live independently.
• Assesses patients' understanding of advanced directives and other forms of consent and assisting staff in determining how to present treatment options and other such material to patients in a format they can understand.
• Provides individual and group interventions to support patients that are coping with feelings of grief and loss associated with disability and other life transitions.
• Provides psycho-educational and supportive interventions, in conjunction with the veteran, for spouses, family members/caregivers, and others that are crucial to keeping the veteran at home.
• Provides effective interventions with couples or families, when appropriate, to relieve relationship difficulties, provide support to caregivers of veterans with dementia or other significant frailty, and/or promote collaboration with the HBPC team, for the benefit of the veteran.
• Facilitates transition and adjustment to new living situations (e.g., nursing home, assisted living facility), and providing seamless intervention services, as appropriate.
• Provides behavioral medicine interventions to manage pain, disability, address sleep problems, facilitate weight loss, promote smoking cessation, and enhance medical compliance.
• Promotes communication/interactions between medical team members, patients, and their families to facilitate the medical treatment process.
• Participates as a provider in the On Call system, responding to consultation in the Emergency Department and all other hospital wards, facilities admission to inpatient mental health unit, conducts treatment rounds on inpatient unit on weekends, evenings, and holidays.
  
  

Administrative Responsibilities:

• Completes all mandatory training requirements expected of Grand Junction VHC employees.
• Assists the HBPC Program Manager or coordinator in the design, development, and implementation of clinical programs for a team of treatment providers.
• Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the treatment team, established by the affiliated Associate Director of Patient Care Services and/or Chief of Mental Health Service.
• Assists the HBPC Program Manager or coordinator in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program.
• Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs to effectively coordinate services.
• Complies with national and local performance measures and clinical reminders, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients.
• Complies with all electronic medical record (EMR) documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes).
• Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the HBPC Manager, Chief of Geriatrics and Extended Care Service, Section Chief of the Psychotherapy and Psychosocial Services, Chief of Mental Health Service, Chief of Staff and Facility Director.
• Attends weekly HBPC and Psychotherapy and Psychosocial Service staff meetings and complies with Mental Health Service peer review procedures, and ongoing professional practice evaluations.
  
  

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am- 430pm

Compressed/Flexible:May be Authorized

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 54189-O

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact Jillana.Martinez@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
  
  

Qualifications

• This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT & will remain open until December 6, 2024. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be August 22, 2024. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. ***
  
  

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

U.S Citizen: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

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.
  
  

OR

• Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully complete a re-specialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the re-specialization program) meeting both of the following conditions:
• The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; &
• The specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.
  
  

NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript &/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship.

OR

• Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 & 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 & 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 & 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 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.)
  
  

OR

• Applicants who have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 &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: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the requirements of this qualification standard.

Licensure: Hold a full, current, & 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.
  
  

Grade Determinations:

GS-13

Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of, & ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations.
• Ability to provide professional advice & consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
• Knowledge of clinical research literature.
  
  

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in Geriatrics and Palliative Care or Primary Care.
• Requires experience and autonomy caring for complex Veteran Populations.
• Experience working with an interdisciplinary team.
  
  

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 FEBRUARY 7, 2018 PART II APPENDIX G18



Physical Requirements: This position requires potentially extended periods of continued walking, standing, & sitting.

Education


IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.

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VA Western Colorado Health Care System

2121 North Avenue

Grand Junction, CO 81501

US