Staff Psychologist

Summary

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for a Staff Psychologist (Pain Medicine). The Staff Psychologist (Pain Medicine) will function in Pain Medicine Service.

Duties

The GS-13 Pain Medicine Staff Psychologist is an advanced practice behavioral health provider with a high level of autonomy and ability to exercise independent decision-making within their clinical privileges and scope of practice. The Pain Psychologist is assigned as behavioral health provider in the pain Clinic. Duties will include:

Duties include, but are not necessarily limited to:

Clinical Responsibilities (80-85%)

• Provides a full range of assessment and therapeutic interventions by applying advanced professional psychological theories and techniques for Veterans who are established within the interdisciplinary Pain Clinic.
• Diagnoses mental disorders in the pain population.
• Conducts psychological assessments to include psychological and personality testing and provides screening for cognitive deficits to address specific functional questions or to determine if a referral for a complete neuropsychological evaluation or cognitive assessment is needed.
• Develops person-centered, culturally sensitive, coherent treatment plans for patients with psychological problems secondary to medical and health problems that result in pain.
• Treats psychological problems related to medical issues, especially pain, through a variety of evidence-based modalities, and provides adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders and pain.
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions including individual and group psychotherapy, consultation, family therapy, rehabilitation, and psychoeducation.
• Based on knowledge and understanding of clinical research literature, recommends and incorporates evidence based clinical procedures including psychoeducational and rehabilitation interventions for behavioral medicine problems, particularly pain, in both individual and group treatment formats.
• Applies advanced professional psychological theories and techniques to the full range of patient populations, particularly populations with pain and other medical psychology presentations.
• Provides professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology, especially pain management.
• Incorporates new clinical procedures and demonstrates openness to engage in competency-based supervision to learn evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) as needed.
• Works within the interdisciplinary team context to provide recommendations regarding patient ability to participate in pharmacologic/implantable technology treatment for chronic pain, considering mental health diagnosis, cognitive status, SUD, and other pertinent concerns.
• Provides collaboration and consultation with affiliated departments and programs (e.g., Primary Care Mental Health Integration, General Mental Health Clinic, Substance Abuse Disorder Treatment Program, Suicide Prevention).
• Tracks consults and provides timely contact with newly referred patients.
• Produces timely, appropriate documentation of care in accordance with agency policies.
• Serves as an integrated member of the interdisciplinary Pain Clinic treatment team(s) for Veterans, collaborating closely on a daily basis with the team regarding care for patients.
• Assists with referrals to specialty mental health care as needed.

Academic/Teaching/Training (5-10%)

• Serves as faculty member and member of training committee for the facility's APA-accredited clinical psychology internship. Provides training and clinical supervision to interns in the program. Contributes to meetings and faculty training associated with the internship.
• May serve as faculty member for regional psychiatry residency. As requested, provides training and consultation for psychiatry residents doing rotations in psychiatry. Seeks and maintains clinical appointment through residency-affiliated university.
• May provide training and clinical supervision to trainees in other behavioral health disciplines, medical students, nursing students, and trainees of other disciplines, as assigned.

Other (5-10%):

• Serves on the faculty's Pain Committee, Opioid Safety Initiative Committee, and STORM review team.
• Meets regularly with Interdisciplinary Pain Team for internal team patient review and shared updates/care coordination.
• Assists Behavioral Medicine Program Manager in developing, monitoring, and reporting on outcome and performance measures.
• As assigned, serves on other Service, Medical Center, VISN, and/or National committees or task forces related to assigned program(s).

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Compressed/Flexible:Compressed or alternate work schedules may be considered for highly qualified applicants.

Telework: May be available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Title/Functional Statement #: Staff Psychologist (Pain Medicine A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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