Behavioral Health Provider

Summary

The Supervisory Behavioral Health Provider oversees clinical performance, program evaluations, and behavioral health services at ICE detention facilities. Responsibilities include biopsychosocial assessments, case management, staff training, and suicide prevention coordination. Requires a PhD/PsyD in Clinical Psychology or MSW, licensure, 5 years clinical, and 2 years supervisory experience.

This position is only open to USPHS officers and Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates.

This job is open to
The public

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

Clarification from the agency

Applicants must be a current USPHS Commissioned Corps Officer or USPHS Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidate. Civilians are not eligible for this position.

Duties

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides biopsychosocial/psychological assessment and evaluation of detainees.

• Provides appropriate referral to outside treatment facilities for those cases of extremely severe mental disorders and/or conditions.

• Provides referral, identification, and evaluation for those identified as having a serious mental illness using Mental Health Review form (IHSC-883). Works in conjunction with ICE/OPLA to manage serious mental illness (SMI) caseload.

• Provides on-site counseling, psychotherapy, behavioral analysis, substance abuse education, and therapy as required.

• Possesses a high level of skill in assessing, recognizing, and treating problems of adjustment and maladaptive behavior or other conditions to establish appropriate plan of care.

• Determines the need for and provide direct mental health services to detainees with identified mental health and substance abuse problems utilizing psycho educational and treatment modalities as appropriate in the treatment of mental disorders.

• Utilizes the interdisciplinary approach in the treatment planning process for detainees identified with mental health problems.

• Provides consultation to medical, ICE, contract staff regarding issues that include, but are not limited to risk assessment for violence, housing recommendations for handling difficult demanding, and mentally ill detainees.

• Serves as the lead SME for mental health and substance abuse consultation within the facility.

• Provides education and training to ICE and medical staff in the area of mental health to include, but not limited to, suicide prevention, hunger strike, abuse, neglect and trauma, and integrative case management.

• Establishes and maintains liaison with other health services professionals and mental health organizations.

• Assists in preparation towards accreditation/compliance with the local facility health program manager (FHPM) and in completion of clinical performance improvement activities/risk identification and management directly related to mental health.

• Coordinates alongside HQ behavioral health unit for continuity of care for placement in, or treatment of, detainees in appropriate settings as required by the conditions of release outlined by ICE, to include case management which may involve community treatment, hospital placement, or other after care situations.

• Responsible for all case management which may involve community treatment placement, hospital placement, or other after care situations.

• Utilizes EMR system for completing treatment authorization request, case entry and exit reports.

• Administer and track quarterly behavioral health provider peer reviews to include completion and dissemination of peer review reports to IHSC behavioral health unit administration for program and credentialing reviews.

• Provide tele-behavioral health services to other ICE facilities as needed.

• Performs other collateral duties as assigned.

Supervisory Duties and Responsibilities

• Serves as a field expert on BHU policy administration, implementation and review for accreditation compliance.

• Lead contact for spearheading implementation of mental health initiatives.

• Provides administrative supervision to PHS officers and federal (GS) staff, and clinical oversight and competency training for all staff.

• Develops facility-specific training to address gaps in clinical competencies for behavioral health staff, in consultation with Regional Behavioral Health Consultants

• Works in conjunction with HSA and RBHC in responding to CRCL findings. Provides input regarding the mental health process review.

• Facilitate an interdisciplinary approach at assigned facility from a behavioral health treatment standpoint.

• Attend bi-monthly Regional BHU program administration meetings.

• Serves as the suicide prevention program coordinator to include: policy administration, intervention and prevention program development, milieu and patient risk-analysis and data collection for program evaluation.

• Identify challenges that impede provider productivity and offer solutions to RBHC.

• Travel to HQ for training and education, as required.

• Complete special behavioral health-related assignments as requested by IHSC Behavioral Health Unit.

Requirements
Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• You must successfully pass a drug screen.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service.
• Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• Service Remaining Requirement Agreement: Upon appointment to this position, officers will be required to serve an 18 to 24-month commitment to IHSC.
• ASSIGNMENT PAY AGREEMENT: You must not have a current Assignment Pay Agreement. However, if you have a current Assignment Pay Agreement, it must be fulfilled within 90 days of your application submission.
• Applicants must be a current USPHS Commissioned Corps Officer or USPHS Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidate. Civilians are not eligible for this position.
• PHS officers must participate in IHSC TDY On-Call Schedule (ITOS.) ITOS is either an entire month or two 16-day periods a year where, depending on the needs of the agency, the officer is required to be available to serve.

Qualifications

COMPETENCIES:

• Superior oral/written communication skills

• Leadership Skills

• The flexibility to work independently, as well as in a team-centered environment

• Active Listening Skills

• Reading Comprehension

• Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills

• Demonstrates strong organizational and time management skills

• Demonstrates strong problem solving, judgment and decision-making skills

• Integrity/Honesty

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Required to walk unaided at a normal pace for up to 5 minutes and maintain balance.

• Required to jog/fast walk up to ¼ mile.

• Required to perform CPR/emergency care standing or kneeling.

• Must have the ability to assist sick, injured or aging detainees or staff exiting the building (may require lifting, dragging, wheeling or carrying someone who weighs significantly more oneself).

• Must be able to see, hear and smell with aids if necessary.

• Must easily alternate between kneeling and standing.

• Must be able to lift, push, or carry 30 pounds.

• Must perform the duties of my job in a stressful and often austere environment without physical limitations.

Education

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Clinical Psychologists require successful completion of a PhD or PsyD in Clinical Psychology from an accredited graduate program. A graduate program in Clinical Psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association is preferred. Psychologists must hold a full, current and unrestricted licensed by a State or Territory at the Doctoral level for psychologists. The Clinical Psychologist license must be maintained in a permanent, full, independent, and unrestricted status during the term of employment. This position requires clinical privileging by IHSC.
  
  -OR-
• Clinical Social Workers require successful completion of a Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) from a graduate program in social work accredited by Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Licensed Clinical Social Workers must hold a current, active, valid, and unrestricted clinical license to practice clinical social work independently offered by a U.S. State, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth, territory, or jurisdiction is required. The clinical social worker license must be maintained in a permanent, full, independent, and unrestricted status during the term of employment. The clinical social worker license must be the highest clinical license of clinical social work designated by the licensing board where it was received. This position requires clinical privileging by IHSC.
  
  Minimum of 5 years of clinical experience.

Minimum of 2 years administrative experience in a supervisory capacity.

• Social Work - Knowledge of the case management process commensurate with training and education at the MSW level.

• Psychologist - Knowledge of specific functions of Psychology to include, but not limited to: Observation, Description, Testing, Evaluation, Interpretation, Diagnosis and Treatment.

• Knowledge of the indications and contraindications, complications and techniques in the various psychiatric treatment and diagnostic modalities.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and electronic health record system clinical documentation.

• Flexible and able to adapt to sudden changes in schedules and work requirements.

• Experience in a correctional setting - preferred.

• Credentialed and privileged with a current, permanent, full and unrestricted license to practice psychology or social work in any state jurisdiction.

Additional information

This position is located within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC), Office of the Deputy Assistant Director of Clinical Services, Behavioral Health Unit. The incumbent will report directly to the site or local Clinical Director with clinical governance by a Regional Behavioral Health Consultant. As a Supervisory Behavioral Health Provider for IHSC, the incumbent is responsible for clinical performance peer reviews and program evaluations, monitoring and surveillance of behavioral health programs and services, timely and consistent delivery of quality, comprehensive and integrative health care at the designated detention facility.

As a facility Supervisory Behavioral Health Provider, for IHSC, the incumbent contributes to the coordination, integration and utilization of primary and ancillary services for individuals with mental health needs in the custody of ICE; provides oversight in case coordination and monitoring on the high risk and co-occurring patient population; and is responsible for development, coordination and facilitation of discipline specific training for Behavioral Health Providers (BHP) under their purview. In addition, the incumbent will manage the development and provision of individualized patient case management and discharge planning consultation to support repatriation and/or release processes.

IHSC has a multi-sector, multidisciplinary workforce of more than 1600 employees, including

U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) commissioned officers, federal civil servants, and contract staff. The IHSC provides on-site direct patient care to ICE detainees at 20 detention facilities throughout the country and manages the provision of off-site medical care for detainees housed in approximately 240 additional Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) facilities. The ICE detainee population is approximately 34,000 detainees on a daily basis, with an average length of stay of approximately 30 days, and over 400,000 detainees annually. The IHSC also provides medical support during ICE enforcement operations in the air, on the ground and at sea.

DHS SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:

• DHS

• ICE

• ERO

HHS SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:

• DHHS

• USPHS CC

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:

The Supervisory Behavioral Health Provider works under the general supervision of the Clinical Director and receives clinical supervision from the Regional Behavioral Health Consultant or Clinical Director.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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.

Review our benefits

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.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. You may be selected for an interview at the hiring authority's discretion. You will be notified of selection or non-selection.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position. A complete application includes:

U. S. Public Health Service Officers

• Cover Letter/Letter of Interest.

• Degrees. (Place under "Diploma/GED")

• Professional license. (If applicable)

• Additional professional certificates. (If applicable)

• Three professional references. (i.e., name, title and contact information)

• Official USPHS Promotion CV - e.g., relevant experience, education, training. (Place under "USPHS Promotion CV")

• You may provide a civilian resume in addition to the USPHS Promotion CV to capture all relevant work experience.

• A copy of your Certificate of Investigation (located in your eOPF).

• Three most recent Commissioned Officer Effectiveness Reports (COER). (Place under "Performance Appraisal")

• For IHSC USPHS officers only, a copy of your current Service Remaining Requirements Agreement.

• Indicate if you have an Assignment Pay (AP) Agreement and the date of the end of your AP Agreement. If you do not, please submit a memo attesting to no AP in the Assignment Pay (AP) Agreement section in the documents section of application.

New Call to Active Duty

• Cover letter/Letter of Interest. Please include location preference here.

• Degrees. (Place under "Diploma/GED")

• Professional license. (If applicable)

• Additional professional certificates. (If applicable)

• Three professional references (i.e., name, title, and contact information)

• CV - e.g., relevant experience, education, training. (Place under "USPHS Promotion CV")

• U.S. Public Health Service - Appointment Board Decision Letter/Email or a screenshot of AES dashboard to the United States Public Health Service

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must submit the required documentation outlined under the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section below.

The complete initial Application must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/11/2025.

PLEASE NOTE: If your materials are not received by the closing date, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible. Also, if you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of the outcome of your application.

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.

Note: To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.

Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. If you need further assistance, contact the Human Resources Office representative listed on this announcement at least one day prior to the closing date for further instructions.

Agency contact information

IHSC Recruiting

Email

Address

ERO-DRO-IHSC Public Health Service

500 12th Street SW

Washington, DC 20536

US

Next steps

Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best-qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information." We expect to make a job offer within 60 days after the deadline for applications. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. View more information on applying for federal employment.

Overview

Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

10/28/2025 to 11/11/2025

Salary

$1 to - $150,000 per year

Please note that the salary is dependent on the officer's rank, years in service, and location of duty station.

Pay scale & grade

CC 5

Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

Houston, TX

Remote job

No

Telework eligible

No

Travel Required

25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Excepted

Promotion potential

None

Job family (Series)

• 0180 Psychology
• 0185 Social Work

Supervisory status

Yes

Security clearance

Other

Drug test

Yes

Position sensitivity and risk

Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process

• Credentialing
• Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure

No

Bargaining unit status

No

Announcement number

IHSC-BHP-HTX-O5-NS-2026

Control number

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