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Summary The incumbent is assigned to serve as Clinical Psychologist of the Dayton VA Substance Use Disorder Program of the Mental Health Service (MHS). The Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Staff Psychologist provides both outpatient and residential treatment services as a member of the SUD specialty care team. Responsibilities Duties include, but are not limited, to: Direct Clinical Care Responsibilities of SUD Psychologist (90%): Assessment/evaluation: Provides a full range of diagnostic and evaluation services appropriate to the care setting, especially in the areas of general psychological evaluation of emotional and behavioral problems and focused psychosocial, cognitive, or other assessments; Utilizes appropriate instruments and structured interviews; Generates psychological reports; Serves as an authoritative source of information in the use and interpretation of tests to make differential diagnoses; Provides expert consultation to other disciplines or units with regard to assessment and evaluation procedures. Clinical interventions: Offers a full range of group and individual mental health interventions consistent with training and expertise, with special emphasis on brief and evidenced-based interventions found to be effective in the treatment of SUD and co-occurring disorders; Consistently uses measurement based care to inform treatment planning; Demonstrates sensitivity to the special needs of all patients in respect to age, gender, ethnicity, developmental requirements, and culturally-related factors; Delivers appropriate evidenced-based interventions for families and identified supports, as needed. Treatment planning and monitoring: Actively engages in treatment planning and clinical care meetings within the SUD programs both with and without Veterans present, to facilitate care planning and collaborative, complex care management and coordination; Conceptualizes, develops and implements detailed intervention plans for a full range of services; Independently utilizes judgment in the adjustment of intervention plans; Continually monitors patient's progress, determines when reassessment is appropriate and adjusts intervention plans when needed. Care coordination: Facilitates care coordination including warm handoffs for Veterans with complex needs related to SUD who require a variety of addiction, mental health and primary care services at the medical center. Documentation: Provides comprehensive professional care documentation in the patient record system, adhering with timeliness standards for quality care. Administrative Duties of the SUD Psychologist (10%) may include, but are not necessarily limited to: Provides individual and team consultation and education/training regarding Veterans presenting with SUD and co-occurring disorders to MHS providers, other clinical teams throughout the medical center and CBOCs in accordance with VA/DoD CPG. It is not expected that this individual clinically treat all individuals with SUD; therefore they lead trainings and program design/development efforts across the catchment area to enhance integrated care. Participates in program development, implementation of MBC, outcomes evaluation, and performance monitoring to address and monitor the population based needs of individuals with SUD, and to aid in the development of processes to integrate clinical care for Veterans with addiction disorders. Professional, Research, & Administrative Functions (variable) Participates fully in peer and professional practice reviews, assessing the quality of professional psychology services provided in the organization. Provides clinical supervision to students, interns, fellows, and residents when requested by the Training Director or delegate. Provides didactic training experience for Psychology trainees and for interdisciplinary staff within the Medical Center. Assumes responsibility for professional development by attending relevant training and regularly reviewing the professional literature to improve clinical competencies. Attempts to enhance professional services by promoting, initiating, assisting or participating in program evaluation and/or other basic and applied research activities. Provides training, lectures or workshops to mental health staff, medical staff, and others in the community when requested to do so. Serves on Medical Center or other mental health committees intended to improve patient care processes and professional competence. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Telework: Ad Hoc, as determined by agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. EDRP Authorized: Contact visn10hredrpslrp@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. 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 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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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 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; and 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 and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship. [Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards.] OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.] AND 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 (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.) OR 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: 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, 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. Grade Determination: GS-13 Staff Psychologist (Full Performance Level) Experience: At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate 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. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 The full performance level of the vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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 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. 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. 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.