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Form of workThis 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.
Qualifications: BASIC REQUIREMENTS. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA psychologist are
prescribed by Public Law 96-151 codified in 38 U.S.C. 7402. To qualify for appointment, all
applicants for the position of psychologist in VHA must meet the following:
Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not
possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.g, this part.)
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. 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.
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.
[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.
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.
(1) Exception. Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be
given a temporary appointment as a "graduate psychologist" at the GS-11 or GS-12 grade under the
authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 [(c)(2)(B)] for a period not to exceed two years from the date of
employment on the condition that such a psychologist provide care only under the supervision of a
psychologist who is licensed.
(2) Loss of Credential. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be
removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment.
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.
Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following
criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:
(1) Staff Psychologist, GS-11 (Entry Level)
(a) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.
(b) 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.
(2) Staff Psychologist, GS-12 (Developmental Level)
(a) Experience. At least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next
lower grade level (GS-11). Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the supervision of a
licensed psychologist but with less intense supervision than at the GS-11 grade level.
(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the
candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or
assessment methods to a variety of patient populations.
2. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies.
(c) 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.
Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance, Level)
(a) Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one
year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.
(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the
candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of
patient populations.
(c) 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.
References: FEBRUARY 7, 2018 VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 PARTII APPENDIX G18
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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.Employment Type: FULL_TIME
