Psychology Program Manager (PCMHI)
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, 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 complete review of the EDRP application. Responsibilities Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Psychologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Psychology-Career-Flyer.pdf Duties include, but are not limited to: Administrative (Supervisory) Responsibilities (40%): The duties of this position are highly complex, as programmatic decisions have significant wide-spread impact on multiple services across sites, including staffing and resources. Standardization of training and programming improves efficiency and effectiveness of programming. The incumbent is responsible for ensuring standardization of processes within each key clinical program noted below, including the development of relevant SOPs and job aids. The Psychology Program Manager has full responsibility for the oversight of the practice of the psychologists, registered nurses, and administrative support personnel in the PCMHI Program detailed below to ensure the highest quality of service delivery provided to Veterans throughout the Hampton system of care. Supervisory responsibilities include ongoing evaluation of staffing needs and personnel assignments, periodic updating of position descriptions and functional statements, coordination of competency evaluations, completing performance appraisals, and professional and administrative supervision as appropriate and necessary. The incumbent is responsible for strategic planning to ensure the provision of high quality services to meet the needs of the Veterans being served in the clinical programs detailed below. In addition, the Psychology Program Manager has broad management responsibilities, including full administrative and operation responsibility for the following key clinical programs: PCMHI Behavioral Health Lab Measurement Based Care, The National PCMHI Competency Training Program, PCMHI Self-Management Support Programming, and PCMHI Research Development and Implementation. Clinical Responsibilities (40%): Independently provides psychological services at all levels of complexity and consults with peers and supervisors as appropriate. Provides assessment, therapy, education, and support services for, and interacts with, patients from young adult to geriatric levels on an inpatient & outpatient basis. Establishes and maintains appropriate patient treatment records in conformance with VA, medical center, service line, Joint Commission, CARF, and other applicable standards. Remains thoroughly cognizant of the latest professional techniques and developments in the assigned specialty area and applies them, when suitable, to his/her work. Other Administrative (Supervisory) Responsibilities (10%): The incumbent consults with and serves as a resource for other professional staff concerning the need for the development of behavioral health and health behavior services. Other responsibilities include working with mental health policy, procedures, and initiatives that are complex in scope that interface with the programs noted above. Academic/Teaching/Training (2%): Develops and/or makes available relevant education and training programs for all Primary Care staff to ensure that culturally competent care is provided. May provide clinical supervision to Psychology trainees at all levels of training or unlicensed staff as needed. Program Evaluation/Research (3%): The incumbent coordinates ongoing Process Improvement Projects to support the provision of timely quality care. Other Significant Responsibilities (5%): Serves on decision-making committees and task forces at the medical center. Regularly reviews, revises, and writes service line policies. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact veronica.richardson3@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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. Education (1) 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. 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. OR (2) 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:(a) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and,(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. OR (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. AND (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. OR (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; OR (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; OR (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 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 (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 candidates doctoral program. If the internship experience is not noted on the applicants 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. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: GS-14 Education: Doctoral degree in psychology from American Psychological Association accredited graduate program in an area of training consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. Internship in professional psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association. Preferred Experience: At least 3 years of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-13). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meets multiple deadlines. 2. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives, and ability to devise ways to adapt work operations to new and changing programs, staffing, and budget requirements, etc. 3. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations. 4. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards. 5. Knowledge of, and ability to appropriately utilize, evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines and ability to guide staff in using these tools. 6. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view. 7. 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-14. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary in nature and usually occurs within climate controlled clinical and administrative settings. The work may require moderate lifting/carrying (15 pounds or less), pushing, standing; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; ability to read without strain; ability to hear the whispered voice with or without hearing aid; emotional & mental stability. Use of fingers may be required to operate computers. There may be occasional equipment and room set-up, and ambulation related to physical inspections of the facilities. 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 During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.