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Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Responsibilities Provides a full range of diagnostic and evaluation services appropriate to the interdisciplinary Whole Health Pain Management team setting, especially in the areas of health psychology, evaluation of mental health/behavioral problems, and suicide risk assessment Conducts behavioral health assessments for organ transplantation, spinal cord stimulators, bariatric surgery evaluations, etc. and prepares relevant reports pertinent to these matters Facilitates patient and family education appropriate to the setting and the specific presenting issues Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients, including prompt completion of clinical reminders Provides consultation services to support team decision-making, building on physician and healthcare team interventions and improving team-patient working relationships Provides assessment and treatment planning regarding clinical issues involving pain and pain management Provides a full range of psychological interventions consistent with special emphasis on Behavioral Medicine. Must be able to offer Evidence-Based interventions found to be effective for Pain Management such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness Meditation, e.g. Mindfulness Based Stress Reductions (MBSR) Short-term individual, family and/or group intervention for management of chronic pain, adaptation to disability, support of medical interventions and/or medical and psychiatric co-morbidities interacting with pain management Uses tele-health and face-to-face contacts to consult with clinical staff and provide direct services to patients of the Health Care Centers and/or Community Based Outpatient Clinic regarding assessment and treatment of chronic pain management, opioid management for chronic pain, and substance abuse concerns Collaborates with interdisciplinary team in the development and implementation of patient-centered, value driven clinical pain care services which are inclusive of complementary and integrative modalities and consistent with the Whole Health model of care Consults with allied health care providers within Primary Care and acts as liaison to specialty programs outside Primary Care regarding pain management issues, including conjoint visits with medical providers, where indicated Serves on Medical Center, Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces, as endorsed by supervisors, especially as a facility pain champion Participates in support of Whole Health Initiative and Primary Care administrative and performance improvement activities, e.g., by taking on assigned projects and serving on committees Participates as a non-voting member of the medical staff, in accord with medical staff by-laws Completes required clinical and administrative documentation in a timely manner and in accord with governing regulations May provide oversight for psychology doctoral interns, practicum students and post-doctoral fellows in accord with training program policies and accrediting agency requirements Provides staff and student didactic training and consultation as requested in content areas of scholarly and/or clinical expertise Participates fully in educational development through staff and section meetings May participate in clinical or basic science research with endorsement of supervisor Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc EDRP Authorized: Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: May be authorized for a highly qualified applicant 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 trial period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications Basic Requirements: Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States 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 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 (b) the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed 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; (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) Have 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) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature, fulfilling 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 Licensure: 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 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 English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j Preferred Experience: Knowledge of clinical/counseling psychology and specific knowledge of the practices of behavioral medicine/health psychology and mental health care in the specialty medical setting. Prior interdisciplinary experience working in chronic pain management. Grade Determination: GS-13: Experience. At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of 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. Licensure:GS-13 - Must currently possess a full, current, and unrestricted license at the doctoral level. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.