Career Center

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.

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
• 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
• 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 (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.) 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
• 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
• 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
• Physical Requirements
• See physical requirements listed below
• 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
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-11 Staff Psychologist (Entry Level) Experience
• None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-12 Staff Psychologist (Developmental Level) Experience
• At least 1 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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate 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
• 3
• Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures
• 4
• Ability to conduct research activities - such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties).
• 5
• 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 Staff Psychologist (Full Performance Level) Experience
• At least 2 years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1
• Knowledge of - and ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations
• 2
• Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health
• 3
• Knowledge of clinical research literature
• Preferred Experience: Licensed within discipline
• Experience providing both of the following psychotherapies: Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure with trauma populations
• Experience with differential diagnosis of Trauma and Stressor related disorders - anxiety disorders - personality and mood disorders
• Experience as a therapist in the VA
• Experience providing additional trauma therapies including Written Exposure Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• Experience with personality assessment
• 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
• 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: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.

Duties

• VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional This vacancy will remain open until filled
• The first cut-off date is 02/02/2026
• The Evidence Based Psychotherapy (EBP) for PTSD Clinical Team (PCT) Psychologist within Psychology Section Line within the Mental Health Service Line will provide a full range of face-to-face and/or telehealth psychological services to Veterans located at a VATVCBHCS facility - with special attention to delivering Prolonged Exposure - Cognitive Processing Therapy and EMDR to Veterans diagnosed with PTSD
• In their primary role as a PTSD specialist - psychological services may include conducting assessments - delivering psychotherapy (in individual and/or group formats) - and provision of consultation to medical staff regarding Veteran care issues
• Administrative Responsibilities:1
• May have clinical program management responsibilities - which include the operation and management of various psychology or mental health programs within the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (VATVCBHCS).May serve as clinical supervisor for employees in lower grades.2
• May have responsibility for and oversight of the administrative and programmatic resources of various clinical programs that are specialized/complex and significantly impact the delivery of health care service to veterans in the VATVCBHCS
• Clinical Responsibilities: 1
• Diagnose all mental disorders using the nomenclature of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DMS-5)
• 2
• Provide an assessment of each Veteran using the system as set forth in DSM-5
• 3
• Determine when clinician-administered psychometric testing is necessary and integrate the results of such testing into the report of the examination
• 4
• Provide a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including the use of psychological testing for patients within VATVCBHCS in areas of special interest/expertise
• 5
• Perform psychological evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations
• These evaluations employ a comprehensive diagnostic interview - review of available records - collateral contact when available - as well as objective - and cognitive tests when indicated
• 6
• Provide a range of psychological therapeutic interventions with individuals with mental health and medical disorders utilizing empirically supported modalities when indicated
• 7
• Provide evidence-based interventions for PTSD - including CPT - PE - and/or EMDR
• 8
• May be asked to serve as a clinical supervisor for psychology pre-doctoral interns - postdoctoral fellows - and doctoral level graduate practicum students in psychology and other related disciplines
• Work Schedule: 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for a Highly Qualified Candidate
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact: vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• 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: Available-AD-HOC (Employees who telework on an occasional - episodic - or short-term basis - and have completed required telework training and telework agreement.) (Portion of day acceptable) Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized