The psychologist serves as a Program Manager for the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) at the American Lake/Olympia CBOC division, Tacoma, WA of the VA Puget Sound Health Care Systems. The team provide outpatient mental health care which is comprehensive and integrated; recovery oriented; evidence based; and minimizes the need for Veterans to move between multiple mental health programs to obtain necessary mental health services. 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. Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. Education. 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. 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). OR 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: The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and, the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature Internship. 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.) OR 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. 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. Grade Determinations: 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. Physical Requirements: This work requires sitting for long periods of time, working closely with others, and working alone. ["Program Managers have broad program management responsibilities which include the operation and management of key clinical, training, and/or administrative programs. Program Management Responsibilities Provides broad program management responsibilities of a clinical care team, including leadership in the development, implementation, evaluation, and oversight of a complex program responsible for comprehensive clinical care of Veterans. Leads a multidisciplinary team that may include other health care professionals and trainees. Responsible for the development, implementation, and oversight of operational policies and procedures for the treatment team. Conducts ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects that monitor the effectiveness of clinical operations. Organizes and leads team meetings. Monitors and distributes provider-specific workload reports to team members and ensures provider adherence to workload standards. Plans work to be accomplished by team members. Ensures timely access to care of patients assigned to the team. Initiates and maintains liaisons with associated VA health care programs. Monitor's compliance of team members with VA performance measures and effectively shapes provider practice patterns. Provides clinical supervision, as appropriate, to assigned team members regarding adherence to VA medico-legal stands and policies, documentation of CPRS procedures, and the clinical management of difficult, complex, and dangerous patients. Provides leadership in hiring of new staff members for the team. Resolves conflicts among team members and adjudicates complaints and problems of employees in a timely and effective manner. Assumes responsibility for taking appropriate disciplinary actions for employees with performance problems. Ensures that appropriate coverage is arranged for patient care responsibilities when staff members are on leave. Initiate's performance awards for outstanding employees and completes administrative paperwork. Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs to effectively coordinate services. Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings. Attends monthly Psychology Service Staff Meetings; Psychology Training Faculty Meetings; and participates in the Psychology Service biannual competency review process (OPPE and FPPE), periodically serving on the Psychology Service Clinical Pertinence Review Committee. Supervisory Responsibilities Has direct or indirect administrative and professional supervision of subordinates. Functions as the first line supervising authority for team. Provides administrative oversight and clinical consultation to other interdisciplinary team members. Provides clinical supervision to psychology interns and other trainees as appropriate. Clinical Responsibilities Independently provides psychological assessment and diagnostic services for Veterans with a broad range of psychopathology receiving care within the clinic setting. Demonstrates expertise in using and teaching others about contemporary interview and psychometric assessment methods for these disorders. Provides education to both patients and family members. Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy and psychoeducation. Provides consultation to health care providers about assessment findings and treatment plan for patients to ensure that care is coordinated, collaborative, and integrated within the Medical Center. Develops, implements, and documents the mental health treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients. Complies with all Service Line documentation requirements. Adheres to all Facility and Service Line policies and practices for delivering clinical care. Achieves minimal clinical workload expectations as established by the Service Line. Assume complete professional responsibility for their clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation. Education and Training Provides clinical supervision and instruction for psychology trainees assigned to the primary work setting. Serves on a Psychology Service committee concerned with oversight of the training program. Holds a faculty appointment at the University of Washington or other affiliated university that requires accomplishments in clinical supervision, training, and education. Provides clinical supervision and/or training for medical residents, medical students, social work interns, or other trainees not enrolled in a psychology training program. Provides leadership guidance and consultation. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm\nTelework: Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.