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. 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. 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 as a psychologist in VHA, all applicants must meet the following: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. 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. 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 (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, 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 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. c. 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 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. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists. Board Certification and Loss of Credential (1) Board Certification. Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be 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. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirement for continuing education. (2) Loss of Credential. Once board certified, psychologist must maintain a full, valid and unrestricted board certification to remain qualified for employment. A psychologist who fails to maintain the required board certification must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Preferred Experience: GRADE REQUIREMENTS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. (1) Current Professional Psychology Practice. To be creditable, psychological work experience can be obtained through paid or non-paid employment providing psychological work or through participating in a supervised postdoctoral psychology training program (i.e., fellowship or residency). Psychological work experience must have occurred after the doctoral degree was obtained and must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with current professional psychology practice. "Professional psychology practice" includes but is not limited to the following psychology-oriented job duties: providing professional clinical services, conducting research, carrying out education and training activities, carrying out program evaluation activities, clinical consultation, supervision and administration. (2) Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is post-doctoral experience as a professional psychologist directly related to the duties to be performed. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to or exceeding professional psychology experience at the next lower level. ["The psychologist will provide direct care for Veterans presenting to Primary Care with a wide variety of behavioral health concerns, stressors, and mental health/adjustment difficulties. This is a co-located, collaborative model, in which the psychologist will consult with a multidisciplinary Primary Care team, and provide brief, evidence-based assessment and intervention on the full range of behavioral health targets (e.g., mood and anxiety difficulties, problem substance use, stress management, grief counseling, insomnia, coping and problem-solving skills). The psychologist will have advanced knowledge and broad experience in the provision of evidence-based interventions (e.g., behavioral activation, problem-solving interventions, motivational enhancement), and will provide education to patients, family members, and significant others. The position is based at our Lowell Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (north of Boston), as well as some time at our Jamaica Plain campus; however, location of duties is subject to change based on Medical Center needs. Duties may include: 1. Integrative MH consultation with Primary Care staff and patients. Provides on-site, as-needed, MH consultation to Primary Care staff. Becomes integrated into the Primary Care clinical team, attending team meetings and other clinically relevant team functions. 2. Direct Service Provision Provides a range of evidence-based, clinical services including individual consultation, brief assessment, and brief psychotherapy and treatment planning for Veterans seen in the Lowell CBOC and Jamaica Plain Primary Care Clinics. Services will be provided both as warm hand-offs from Primary Care providers, and as scheduled appointments. Performs brief evaluation, consultations, and psychotherapy for Veterans presenting to this Primary Care team with a full range of behavioral health difficulties (e.g., mood and anxiety difficulties, insomnia, problem substance use, stress management, grief counseling, coping and problem-solving skills, etc). 3. Supporting Clinical Activities Assists in treatment planning. Completes administrative functions, including progress note writing, and attending staff and organizational meetings (e.g., Psychology meetings, Primary Care team meetings). Works in compliance with local and national performance measures. Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by local and national guidelines. Conducts additional direct care activities as needed/requested (e.g. Urgent Care Clinic coverage; compensation and pension examinations, police evaluations). Contributes to the development of new clinical programming within the Primary Care clinics. Collaborates with staff from other medical and mental health clinics to resolve issues related to coordination of care and appropriate referral practices. Participates in program evaluation, including contributing to the collection of pre- and post- outcome measure data for individual interventions. May assist with aspects of program management. ENRICHING ELEMENTS Academic/Teaching/Training The psychologist will hold an academic title at Boston University School of Medicine and/or Harvard Medical School. The psychologist may provide didactic education and, depending on their own level of experience, clinical supervision of a range of MH and Primary Care trainees (e.g., psychology pre-doctoral interns and postdoctoral fellows, and Primary Care residents) who conduct direct clinical care. The psychologist may attend regular supervisor meetings regarding psychology training. The psychologist will be involved in recruitment activities for the PCBH internship training program as necessary. The psychologist may provide research mentoring to psychology and/or Primary Care trainees. Research The psychologist will be a regular consumer of research relevant to the conduct of evidence-based evaluation and treatment of patients, as well as supervision of trainees. The psychologist will support research programs that are consistent with the mission of the medical center. The psychologist may collaborate in the preparation of research presentations, manuscripts, and grant submissions. Other significant responsibilities May serve on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces, as requested. Actively participates in local, state, and/or national professional organizations, assuming leadership roles, as appropriate Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-430pm Telework: May be available Functional Statement #: Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact Kurt.Mackey@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more"]

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