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.

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Overview

* Accepting applications
* Open & closing dates

02/08/2024 to 12/27/2024

* Salary

$113,102 - $147,036 per year

* Pay scale & grade

GS 13

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Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

* Cleveland, OH

* Remote job

No

* Telework eligible

Yes-as determined by the agency policy.

* Travel Required

Not required

* Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

* Appointment type

Permanent -

* Work schedule

Full-time -

* Service

Excepted

* Promotion potential

None

* Job family (Series)

0180 Psychology

* Supervisory status

No

* Security clearance

Not Required

* Drug test

Yes

* Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

* Trust determination process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness

* Announcement number

CBSR-12309182-24-RB

* Control number

775710500

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This job is open to

* The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

United States Citizens

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Duties

This announcement will remain open until December 27, 2024. All qualified applications will be forwarded to the selecting official for a review based on the hiring needs of the service. A selection may be made at any time during the open period of the announcement.

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.

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) 93141-A, 93142-A, 93091-A

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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

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.
* English Language Proficiency Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English.
* Education Requirement - You 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 a respecialization program meeting both of the following conditions: a) the respecialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and b) the 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.
* Internship Requirement - You must 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). NOTE: 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.
* 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.
* Valid State Driver's License

In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following:

Grade Level Requirements for a Staff Psychologist (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.

Experience at the GS-12 level may include:

* 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.

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.

References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18 Psychologist Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-13.

Physical Requirements: This position requires recurring travel to Veterans' homes, typically by government vehicle. Face-to-face and virtual mental health care is primarily sedentary in nature. It requires English language proficiency in accordance with Public Law 102-585, and the ability to effectively communicate in verbal and written formats.

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.

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.

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* Benefits

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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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Areas of Consideration - Applicants will be considered based on the following areas of consideration.

* All Preference Eligible Veterans including: CPS/CP: A veteran who served at any time and who has a compensable service-connected disability rating of at least 10 percent, XP: A veteran who served at any time and has a present service-connected disability or is receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension from the military or the Department of Veterans Affairs but does not qualify as a CP or CPS; or is a purple heart recipient, TP: 5 point preference based on eligible active duty service, SSP (Sole Survivorship Preference): Discharged from active duty from the armed forces, after August 29, 2008, by reason of a sole survivorship discharge.
* Veterans with no preference and all other qualified U.S. Citizens.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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