Psychology Program Manager (Outpatient Mental Health Clinics)
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Saint Louis, MO, United States
Summary
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) – a student loan payment reimbursement program. Applicants must meet specific eligibility requirements according to VHA policy and submit their EDRP application within four months of appointment. 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 a complete review of the EDRP application.
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.
Education: (1) Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program 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).
(2) Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and – in addition – successfully complete a respecialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the respecialization program) meeting both of the following conditions: (a) The re‑specialization program must be completed in an APA or CPA accredited doctoral program; (b) 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.
(3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally accredited institution – with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
(4) Internships: (a) 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; (b) 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; (c) 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; (d) 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 consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed; (e) 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.
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.)
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.
Board certification: Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty area consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.
The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body’s requirement for continuing education.
Grade determinations: Psychology Program Manager – GS‑14. Experience: At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist – with at least one year equivalent to the GS‑13 grade level.
Demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities: Ability to organize work – set priorities – delegate tasks – and meet multiple deadlines; Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence‑based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools; Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view; Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives; Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well‑coordinated and controlled work operations; Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards; Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard – please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS‑14.
Physical requirements: see VA Directive and Handbook 5019 – Employee Occupational Health Services.
Duties
VA Careers – Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck. Total rewards of an Allied Health Professional. The VASTLHCS is a two‑division, 1b facility providing mental health services on average to 13,000 veterans annually with 120,000 total visits.
The outpatient mental health clinic consists of six Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) teams – each consisting of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses – totaling 56 employees.
Outpatient MHC and specifically each BHIP team provides veterans with the full spectrum of mental health care including medication management, psychotherapy, evidence‑based practice, group psychotherapy, case management, and more.
Administrative responsibilities (50%) – Provide leadership and guidance within MHC to ensure quality of clinical care and fidelity to VA initiatives and requirements in a timely manner; Receive and disposition consults across MHC at the directive of the Director of Mental Health Operations and outpatient clinic manager; Monitor utilization of clinical grids to ensure both the efficiency and quality of care in accordance with MH guidelines and at the direction of the Director of Mental Health Operations and outpatient clinic manager; Address staff performance issues and manage counseling and disciplinary actions with consultation from professional leads and the Director of Mental Health Operations and outpatient clinic manager; Perform other related duties assigned.
Clinical responsibilities (50%) – Provide a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnosis of mental disorders for a wide range of patients; Provide comprehensive evidence‑based psychotherapeutic interventions – including individual, family, and group psychotherapy; Provide consultation to professional staff within VASTLHCS and to community providers concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients; Develop, implement, and document the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for patients; Perform other related duties assigned.
Teaching and training (0‑5%) – Provide clinical training to psychology interns and residents in accordance with the VA’s educational mission; Provide subject matter expertise to Mental Health and Medical Center leadership – as needed or requested – through in‑service presentations and informal consultation; Perform other related duties assigned.
Work schedule: Monday‑Friday 08:00‑16:30.
Recruitment incentive – sign‑on bonus: authorized. Permanent Change of Station (relocation assistance): not authorized. EDRP authorized: former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.
Telework: Ad‑hoc – this position is authorized for telework but has not been authorized as virtual or remote. The employee must be able to work at the location the position is being announced for. Telework eligibility may be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional statement #: 000000. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): not authorized.
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This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) – a student loan payment reimbursement program. Applicants must meet specific eligibility requirements according to VHA policy and submit their EDRP application within four months of appointment. 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 a complete review of the EDRP application.
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.
Education: (1) Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program 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).
(2) Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and – in addition – successfully complete a respecialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the respecialization program) meeting both of the following conditions: (a) The re‑specialization program must be completed in an APA or CPA accredited doctoral program; (b) 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.
(3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally accredited institution – with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
(4) Internships: (a) 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; (b) 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; (c) 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; (d) 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 consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed; (e) 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.
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.)
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.
Board certification: Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty area consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.
The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body’s requirement for continuing education.
Grade determinations: Psychology Program Manager – GS‑14. Experience: At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist – with at least one year equivalent to the GS‑13 grade level.
Demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities: Ability to organize work – set priorities – delegate tasks – and meet multiple deadlines; Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence‑based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools; Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view; Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives; Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well‑coordinated and controlled work operations; Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards; Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard – please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS‑14.
Physical requirements: see VA Directive and Handbook 5019 – Employee Occupational Health Services.
Duties
VA Careers – Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck. Total rewards of an Allied Health Professional. The VASTLHCS is a two‑division, 1b facility providing mental health services on average to 13,000 veterans annually with 120,000 total visits.
The outpatient mental health clinic consists of six Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) teams – each consisting of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses – totaling 56 employees.
Outpatient MHC and specifically each BHIP team provides veterans with the full spectrum of mental health care including medication management, psychotherapy, evidence‑based practice, group psychotherapy, case management, and more.
Administrative responsibilities (50%) – Provide leadership and guidance within MHC to ensure quality of clinical care and fidelity to VA initiatives and requirements in a timely manner; Receive and disposition consults across MHC at the directive of the Director of Mental Health Operations and outpatient clinic manager; Monitor utilization of clinical grids to ensure both the efficiency and quality of care in accordance with MH guidelines and at the direction of the Director of Mental Health Operations and outpatient clinic manager; Address staff performance issues and manage counseling and disciplinary actions with consultation from professional leads and the Director of Mental Health Operations and outpatient clinic manager; Perform other related duties assigned.
Clinical responsibilities (50%) – Provide a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnosis of mental disorders for a wide range of patients; Provide comprehensive evidence‑based psychotherapeutic interventions – including individual, family, and group psychotherapy; Provide consultation to professional staff within VASTLHCS and to community providers concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients; Develop, implement, and document the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for patients; Perform other related duties assigned.
Teaching and training (0‑5%) – Provide clinical training to psychology interns and residents in accordance with the VA’s educational mission; Provide subject matter expertise to Mental Health and Medical Center leadership – as needed or requested – through in‑service presentations and informal consultation; Perform other related duties assigned.
Work schedule: Monday‑Friday 08:00‑16:30.
Recruitment incentive – sign‑on bonus: authorized. Permanent Change of Station (relocation assistance): not authorized. EDRP authorized: former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.
Telework: Ad‑hoc – this position is authorized for telework but has not been authorized as virtual or remote. The employee must be able to work at the location the position is being announced for. Telework eligibility may be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional statement #: 000000. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): not authorized.
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