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. 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. Learn more 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. 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: (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 Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.] AND 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 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. NOTE: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the requirements of this qualification standard. 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. English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English. 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: 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: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-14. Physical Requirements: Physical Demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary, although the stress involved in dealing continually with persons in emotional distress and who may be uncooperative and occasionally violent makes this work notably more demanding than most sedentary jobs." For additional information on Physical Standards please see VA Directive and Handbook 5019. http://www.va.gov/vapubs/ ["Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm\nTelework: Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized to highly qualified candidates\nEDRP Authorized: Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required Incumbent serves as the Program Manager and Supervisor for the Mental Health (MHC) at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System (VASNHCS). The program manager has direct responsibility for all aspects of the Mental Health Clinic, including access, supervision of staff, coordination of care between outpatient programs and veterans transitioning from inpatient to outpatient levels of care, program administration, personnel management, data collection and review, quality assurance/improvement, continues process improvement, and ensuring the program meets all federal policies and guidelines. Services are provided within the medical center; the MHC treats a variety of clinically complex veterans who have a variety of mental health conditions. Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Coordination of day-to-day staffing schedules, evaluation of staff productivity, program/staff efficiency, monitoring and coordinating access to care, coordinating program/staffing cost effectiveness, coordination of performance outcomes and/or coordination of clinic effectiveness. Ensure that the MHC is implementing Measurement Based Care (MBC) and engages in review of data collected by the program. Makes recommendations for process improvements, as needed. Assists in the development and implementation of follow-up systems to track completed tasks or other issues of concern. Ensures that services provided in the MHC meet the requirements of the Uniform Mental Health Services Handbook, and all VA regulations and policies. Advise the Deputy Chief, Mental Health Service on the goals, objectives, and needs of the program. Works with several community agencies, including Veteran's Courts, local law enforcement, for-profit and state hospitals, and social service agencies, to ensure veterans have access to MHC services. The program manager supervises an interdisciplinary group of employees performing work at various levels and provides administrative and technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the MHC. Exercises supervisory authority and responsibility involving work assignment and review, as well as the administrative and personnel management functions relative to the staff supervised. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff, including performance standards for employees assigned to the section. Ensures guidelines, expectations, and performance standards are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system. Provides informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance. Resolves informal complaints and grievances. Develops work improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary. Advises, counsels, and instructs staff on both clinical and administrative matters; and is responsible for working with administrative staff on recruitment and hiring for the MHC. Recommends appointments, promotions and reassignment, resolves problems, and refers serious matters to the next higher level of management or source of resolution. Responsible for ensuring that organizational training objectives are met by assessing training needs for employees and ensuring that a mechanism for achieving the objectives are met. Continually seek out process improvements (QA/QI initiatives) for all work assignments in MHC, which will increase efficiency and decrease operating costs. Works with LR/ER staff to effect disciplinary measures as appropriate to the authority delegated in the area. Provides psychological assessment services, psychological testing, and diagnoses mental disorders, particularly for complex or unusually difficult patients. Provides a full range of comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, couples/family, and group psychotherapy. Identifies patient problems requiring consultation with other medical center staff and making appropriate referrals. Assures that appropriate referrals to specialty programs, including community resources, are accomplished. Provides education to patients, family members, and significant others. Refers patients, families and significant others for counseling in health maintenance and disease prevention. Assumes complete professional responsibility for their clinical findings, patient care decisions, and documentation. Actively contributes to training programs and provides clinical supervision to various disciplines and levels of training. Other duties as assigned by management."]