Summary

The Staff Psychologist (Weight Management) is assigned to the Whole Health System Department (WHS) - at the Wilmington Veterans Affairs Medical Center (WVAMC). The psychologist serves as the Weight Management Psychologist having responsibilities for coordinating the interdisciplinary weight management program in the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL clinic)- an interdisciplinary clinic for wrap around services pertaining to medical weight management.

Qualifications

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 Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Chapter 3 - Section A - Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. - chapter 73 or 74 - to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English
• Education Requirement - You 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 applicant is to be employed
• OR - have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and - in addition - successfully completed a 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 you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for
• OR - have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature
• Internship Requirement- You 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
• (NOTE: Once board certified - the employee is required to maintain board certification)
• NOTE: 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: Candidates 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
• 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
• Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment
• 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
• Grandfathering Provision
• [All persons employed in VHA as a psychologist on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series and grade held - including positive education (i.e. - degree and internship requirements) and licensure/certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• Employees grandfathered under this provision for this revision may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level - or changed to lower grade within the occupation - but VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 FEBRUARY 7 - 2018 PART II APPENDIX G18 II-G18-4 may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions or beyond the assignment currently held for those being grandfathered to assignments above FPL.] Psychologists who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• Psychologists initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• NOTE: If psychologists who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation - the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation
• Grade Determinations: Staff Psychologist - GS-13 (Full Performance Level) Experience
• At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level
• Specialized experience includes but is not limited to: Practice independently in the provision of psychological services - consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate
• 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
• Provides individual - family - and group psychotherapies and other interventions such as behavioral health and community interventions
• Consult with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues and may be involved in program evaluation - teaching - training - and research activities
• Preferred Experience: Two or more years of clinical experience comparable to what one would get in a VA setting - either by post-doctoral employment or two years of employment as a psychologist
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Duties

• The Incumbent may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities and provides a broad range of professional psychological services at the full level of professional licensure and granted clinical privileges
• Clinical Responsibilities (50% of time) Provides a full range of mental and behavioral health interventions - including individual and group psychotherapy and psycho-education interventions - demonstrating sensitivity to the special needs of all patients in respect to age - gender - ethnicity - developmental requirements - and culturally-related factors
• Provides direct clinical care including evidence-based treatments in the area of Health Behavior Change and evidenced based treatments for a wide range of eating disordered behaviors
• Provides education to patients - family members - and significant others
• Provides consultation to professional staff within Wilmington VAMC and to community providers - concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients
• Develops - implements - and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients
• Supervises pre-doctoral and post-doctoral Psychology trainees and may participate in the supervision of trainees
• Provides CIH services by offering several modalities relevant to weight management population (e.g. - biofeedback - guided imagery - mindfulness - clinical hypnosis) Fully accountable for practice including entering patient visits - completing encounters - resolving consults - appropriate clinical documentation - measuring outcomes to interventions - and meeting productivity standards
• Employee Whole Health Coordination (25% of time) Establishes and chairs the Employee Whole Health Sub-committee to the Whole Health Steering Committee
• Develops and delivers classes - seminars - workshops - etc
• on various Employee Whole Health topics - including - but not limited to - nutrition - physical activity - and mental health topics
• Ensures newly hired employees are trained and oriented to the Employee Whole Health program and key activities as part of new employee orientation (NEO)
• Oversees and manages the employee fitness center policies and procedures Professional - Research - Administrative & Other Significant Functions (25% of time) Provides leadership and guidance in carrying out program planning - outcome evaluation - and staff development activities Oversees the establishment of program monitors and outcome and other local data source measurements if/when these become required for the clinical performance and other outcome assessment or best practice guidelines - using a data-driven quality assurance process Provides leadership for coordination of care for veterans engaged in the HEAL interdisciplinary weight management program
• Participates fully in peer and professional practice reviews - assessing the quality of professional psychology services provided in the organization
• Assumes responsibility for professional development by attending relevant training and regularly reviewing the professional literature to improve clinical competencies
• May serve on Healthcare System (HCS) - Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) - and/or National VA committees or task forces specifically relating to assessment and/or intervention issues associated with Weight Management
• Basic Life Support (BLS) is required
• VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Full Time - Monday - Friday - 7:30am - 4:00pm EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VHAVISN04HREDRP@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad-hoc