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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: Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. Licensure. Applicants must 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. Education. Applicant must 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 applicants are 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; -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. AND Internships. Applicants must 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 -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. Grade Determinations: GS-11 Experience: None beyond the basic requirements listed above. GS-12 Experience: Applicants must have at least 1 year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties). Ability to perform basic research tasks of scholarship and research execution within the context of an established research team, including research participant relations, research documentation, data acquisition, maintenance, and collaboration. Assignment. Staff psychologists at this level diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders, and may conduct research. They may be assigned to any program area. GS-13 Experience: Applicants must have at least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations. Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health. Knowledge of clinical research literature. Assignment. This is the full performance level for staff psychologists. At this level, psychologists are licensed to practice independently in the provision of psychological services, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. They may be assigned to any VHA program and setting, such as inpatient or outpatient medicine, primary care, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, Compensation and Pension, Vet Centers, and the VHA National Center for Organization Development. Psychologists diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders. Among the modalities provided are individual, family, and group psychotherapies and other interventions such as behavioral health and community interventions. Psychologists consult with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues. Staff psychologists may be involved in program evaluation, teaching, training, and research activities. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G18- Psychologist Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary with prolonged periods of sitting. The work requires moderate lifting, carrying, 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. ["The Behavioral Health Care Line (BHCL) at New Mexico VA Health Care System (NMVAHCS) is one of the largest clinical care lines within the Southwest Region Veterans Integrated Service Network. BHCL provides mental health services to Veterans statewide and to the VA catchment area of SW Colorado. Services and programs provided by BHCL include three acute psychiatric inpatient units, four residential rehabilitation programs, consult-liaison psychiatry services, and a large outpatient behavioral health care division which includes general mental health, specialty SUD and PTSD programs, a psychiatry primary care clinic, and a psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery program. Applicants for this position must be licensed clinical or counseling psychologists or license-eligible clinical or counseling psychologists, and must have the knowledge, skills, and ability to complete psychosocial and diagnostic assessments, engage in treatment planning, and provide evidenced-based psychotherapy and psychoeducation in individual and group formats. The successful applicant will have had experience with evidence-based approaches to the assessment and treatment of PTSD (e.g., CPT, PE) as well as with assessment and treatment of a broad range of co-occurring mental health problems, particularly co-occurring substance use issues. VA provider status in CPT and/or PE is highly desirable; if these are not present, further training in CPT or PE would be expected. VA telehealth certification, experience with couples' therapy for PTSD, and experience supervising psychology trainees are also desirable. The facility is located on a beautiful and well-maintained campus in view of the Sandia and Manzano Mountains. It is an affiliated training site for the University of New Mexico, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, and other area schools of Nursing and Social Work. Albuquerque has an extraordinary climate combined with cultural, academic, and outdoor opportunities, providing an exceptional setting for a fulfilling professional life and a well-balanced personal lifestyle. The applicant may have an opportunity to apply for a faculty appointment at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, and may have the opportunity to participate in education and research activities at that institution. Faculty track and rank would be determined based on qualifications and experience. The VA and UNM are Equal Employee Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employers/Educators. Clinical Responsibilities: Military Trauma Treatment Program/PTSD Care Team Provides a full range of psychodiagnostic services including appropriate selection of assessment instruments and methods leading to sound diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Provides services based on the results of psychodiagnostic assessment such as intervention development and treatment planning. Provides a full range of PTSD therapeutic interventions including individual, group and evidenced based psychotherapy. Provision of evidence-based psychotherapies such as Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) for the purpose of enhancing health behavior change and treatment of psychological problems related to PTSD is a requirement of this position. Performs evaluations for veterans with a variety of psychological disorders including substance abuse/dependence, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, and personality disorders with additional knowledge in PTSD desired. Remains involved in program development, evaluation and/or research activities. Provides administrative duties including: Scheduling of Veterans and related issues. Returning Veterans' phone calls. Report writing. Attending organizational meetings. In addition to outpatient care provided on-site, psychologist must be certified in the provision of telehealth forms of care, including facility-to-facility and home telehealth services. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, hours negotiable based on operational need Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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