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Posted: 19-Sep-23
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Sector:
Internal Number: 748744300
The Homeless Programs Psychologist will work in the continuum of Veteran housing services. This position's primary assignment (50%-100%) is in the Housing and Urban Development/VA Supportive Housing Program (HUD/VASH). The emphasis is on Veterans who are experiencing chronic homelessness, who have disabilities, and who need ongoing case management services to obtain and maintain stable housing. This program utilizes a housing first approach with an emphasis on harm reduction. The Veterans in this program are frequently unwilling to engage in treatment for Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder and even general medical treatment. Often this population requires lengthy effort to engage them in treatment and treatment planning starts from where the Veteran is willing to begin. Housing assistance is not contingent upon mental health or substance use stability. The Homeless Programs Psychologist works as part of a multi-disciplinary team and will provide direct care with Veterans in their homes and the community along with other HUD/VASH staff. The Homeless Programs Psychologist will also work with the other homeless programs (0%-50%), including Healthcare for Homeless Veterans, Grant Per Diem, and Contract Residential. We sponsor psychology internship and postdoctoral training programs as well as a mental health social work internship program in addition to hosting medical students and psychiatry residents from Wayne State University, our main academic affiliate.
Duties include:
- The Homeless Programs Psychologist works as part of a multi-disciplinary team and will provide direct care with Veterans in their homes and the community along with other Homeless Program staff.
- Provides a full range of psycho diagnostic services including assessment and using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care.
- Performs routine and in-depth psychological evaluations and neuropsychological screenings.
- Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions for Veterans in Homeless Programs both in the facility and in the community. There is an emphasis on clinical work within the Veteran's home.
- Performs capacity/competency assessments when there are questions about a patient's ability to make medical decisions, perform other specific functions, or live independently.
- Provides behavioral medicine interventions to manage pain, disability, address sleep problems, promote smoking cessation, and enhance medical compliance.
- Assesses and provides treatments for subclinical symptoms of dysphoria and anxiety, adjustment difficulties, excessive use or misuse of alcohol or other drugs.
- Provides psychological prevention services to patients at significant risk for psychological problems.
- Provides psycho educational and supportive interventions for the veteran, for spouses, family members/caregivers, and others that are crucial to the Veterans' well-being.
- Consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues.
- Serves as a general psychologist as part of the Homeless Programs multidisciplinary team.
- Promotes communication/interactions between team members, patients, and their families to facilitate the treatment in support of housing stability.
- Provides clinical supervision to trainees as appropriate
- Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assists in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients.
- Staff psychologists may be involved in research activities, such as preparing RFP 's and grant proposal and/or presenting outcome data and research results at VA and regional or national scientific or professional meeting or peer-reviewed journals
- May serve on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces, as assigned by the Supervisor, or the Associate Chief of Staff, Mental Health.
- May represent psychology on decision-making committees at the Medical Center or Healthcare System, as assigned by the Supervisor, or the Associate Chief of Staff, Mental Health.
- May represent the Medical Center or Healthcare System at professional/program community group/events and committees.
Work Schedule: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday thru Friday
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Telework: May be available on ad hoc basis, based upon needs of agency
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidate
EDRP Authorized: Eligible
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 91305
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Requirements
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
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 respecialization program meeting both of the following conditions: a) the respecialization 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.
- Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following:
- GS-11 Level: no additional experience beyond the basic requirement
- GS-12 Level: at least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the GS-11 level, and are able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities:
- 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.
- GS-13 Level: at least 2 addition years of experience, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level, as a professional psychologist that was obtained through employment as a psychologist or through participating in a supervised post-doctoral psychology training program that demonstrates 1) active professional practice that was paid/non-paid employment and/or 2) a full, current and unrestricted license. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics associated with current psychology practice:
- Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to a 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.
Preferred Experience:
- Work experience in the provision of psychological services in a community outreach/home-based setting
- Work experience with homeless individuals and/or families
- Work experience with Veterans.
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: Requires ability to access various treatment settings within the facility and in the community, including the homes of Veterans. Work may be performed inside and outside. Will require working closely with others. Hearing (aid permitted) is required. Ability to use computers throughout the day for data input. May require an individual to sit for extended periods of time, walk moderate distances, manage light lifting and carrying (under 25 pounds), climbing stairs as needed , and operation of a motor vehicle.
This is an Open Continuous Announcement that will be used for filling Psychologist positions located at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center until December 29, 2023. Qualified applicants will then be considered and referred as vacancies become available.
We utilize Open Continuous announcements to accept applications in anticipation of vacancies. Extended announcements provide us a readily available source of applicants when vacancies do occur and are approved. If a vacancy does not occur for the location and grade for which you are qualified and apply, no further notification concerning the announcement will be provided.
Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Apply online at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/748744300