Psychology Program Manager - PTSD Domiciliary

Summary

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. Program 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.

Duties

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Duties and skills needed to be successful in this position include, but are not limited to:

This Psychologist is the Program Manager of a 20 bed Domiciliary PTSD (DOM PTSD) for Veterans with PTSD related to military service. The DOM PTSD at VA ECHCS provides a specialized, complex array of psychosocial rehabilitation services which significantly impact Veterans' health care.

Responsible for the planning, development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and control of all PTSD RRTP operations.

Manages all clinical and administrative operations of the PTSD RRTP to ensure the safe, efficient, and effective provision of rehabilitation and treatment services.

Develops and implements policies relating to the PTSD RRTP in coordination with various clinical, allied health and administrative programs located within the VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System,

Develops written procedures for daily operations of the PTSD RRTP, including detection of hazardous items on the unit and safe medication management.

Completes all mandated reporting, monitoring, evaluation, and accreditation requirements relevant to the PTSD RRTP.

Serves as accountable officer for the PTSD RRTP fund control point and develops and prepares budget estimates covering requirements for procurement of supplies, equipment, and personal services.

Manages in cost-conscious fashion and finds means to substantially reduce operating costs without impairing overall operation by using innovative work methods, continuous improvements, sampling techniques and automation.

Writes grant proposals to fund staff positions and enhance residential services.

Ensures effective collaboration and integration of rehabilitation services.

Assures compliance with Joint Commission and VACO standards, as well as compliance with all other applicable standards. Directs and oversees staff in compliance activities. Establishes, comprehends and effectively communicates program emphasis, operating policy and overall treatment philosophy to other operational entities both within VA and in the community.

Delegates tasks appropriately to subordinate treatment team members and ensures compliance with local and system-wide program policy manuals and directives.

Responsible for development of staff position descriptions and functional statements.

Conducts hiring, including recruitment, selection and orientation, working with professional discipline leaders as appropriate.

Coordinates provisions for vocational rehabilitation and employment services.

Develops partnerships with Department of Defense and community providers to facilitate outreach, referrals, and care coordination; Designs and oversees processes which facilitate seamless care transitions between Active-Duty service members and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Develops admissions procedures which maximize rapid access to services for veterans with PTSD within the PTSD RRTP. Provides administrative and clinical supervision with development and application of performance standards, consulting appropriately with professional discipline leaders, and is responsible for leave approval, and completes performance appraisals and promotion recommendations for a multidisciplinary staff.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm or 7:30am-4:00pm

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [redacted], 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: Authorized Ad-HOC per agency policy

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

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
    
    • 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 (pre1979) 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.)
    • 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.
    • 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.] 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.
• 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

Grade Determinations: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.

Preferred Experience: Experience Managing Interdisciplinary Mental Health Providers. Experience Treating PTSD.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/103 FEBRUARY 7, 2018 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