Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), 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 Duties include, but are not limited to: Clinical Practice Provides mental health prevention, assessment, treatment, management, and professional consultation services. Determines patients' needs for psychological evaluation, specialized evaluation procedures, diagnostic procedures, individual and group psychotherapy, and specialized psychological techniques. Providing screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of a range of mental health conditions including PTSD, substance use disorders, depressive and anxiety-related disorders, as well as other Axis I conditions for which outpatient treatment or treatment in the residential setting is appropriate. Assessing and providing treatments for problems and diagnoses that are often co-morbid including adjustment disorders, personality disorders, and excessive use or misuse of alcohol or other drugs. Providing outreach and education regarding the clinic/program. Providing services to the families of Veterans served in the clinic/program, especially to help the Veteran improve functioning as a spouse/significant other and/or parent. Performing psychological testing and assessment to determine the presence and severity mental health/substance use disorder issues and other salient personality characteristics, writing reports, and making treatment recommendations based on the findings. Performing consultations to assess for appropriateness for treatment and to make recommendations to the referring provider. Providing individual and group interventions to promote resolution of trauma reactions and to improve social and occupational functioning. Developing and providing psychoeducational interventions to improve Veterans coping skills. Providing clinical supervision to students, interns, fellows, and residents within the privileges of the psychologist. Developing treatment plans, monitoring patients' progress toward goals, and modifying plans accordingly. Identifying patient problems requiring consultation with other multi-disciplinary medical center staff, specialty programs, or community resources (e.g. vocational rehabilitation, housing resources) and assuring appropriate referrals are accomplished or recommended. This will include initiating consultations consistent with medical center policy and alerting responsible professionals who may initiate other consultations that the psychologist deems to be in the best interest of the patient and recommends but that may not be initiated by the psychologist. Participating fully in peer review and quality improvement reviews of other psychologists at Battle Creek VAMC. Provides a full range of comprehensive, efficacious and evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, couples, family, and group psychotherapy as well as interview based and psychological testing based assessments. Performs consultations to other areas at this medical center less than 50% of the time, as assigned by the service chief and within the Clinical Privileges of the incumbent. Integrates clinical work with that of other professional and administrative personnel who may comprise a multi-disciplinary treatment team, maintaining the goal to reciprocally enhance the applied skill of every participating member toward the best available treatment planning for each Veteran. Participates in the development, implementation and documentation of treatment for those patients admitted to the clinic/program, including prompt completion of any relevant clinical reminders. Timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation. Provides education to patients, family members, and significant others regarding relevant psychological material. Provides consultation to professional staff within VAMC and to community providers, concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients. The incumbent also consults to and with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues. Administrative and Training Complete all workload entry in compliance with local and national VA requirements, attend Service staff meetings and Medical Staff meetings, complete required continuing education and mandatory training, and participate in program or treatment evaluation activities if asked to do so. May have limited medical center committee assignments or other limited administrative work within the Service at the request of the Service Chief. As licensure and privileges permit, the incumbent may provide clinical supervision to psychology students. Research May engage in psychological research if mutually agreed upon with the service chief and in compliance with VA policies and procedures for conducting research in a VA facility. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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 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
