Summary Psychology Program Manager is assigned to the Psychology Section under Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences of the Salisbury VA Health Care System (SVAHCS). Specialized knowledge and expertise in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of general mental health disorders/conditions and will have direct oversight of neuropsychological services, psychological assessment services located at the SVAHCS, Kernersville Health Care Center, and/or Charlotte Health Care Center. Responsibilities Responsible for program management of neuropsychological and psychological assessment services at the respective locations, including Inpatient, Residential and Specialty Treatment Programs Responsible for managing all psychological services that operate within these programs Manages the workload of various clinical staff, ensuring that work is assigned in a systematic way and meets facility and VA guidelines/standards for inpatient, residential and specialty programs Serves as the representative for the Psychology Section on administrative committees or work groups within Psychology Section, Mental Health Service Line, and VISN in reporting back the effectiveness of neuropsychological and psychological assessment services Manages performance standards, measures, and clinical utilization rates within the neuropsychological and psychological assessment services and is responsible for ensuring adherence to the UMHSH, Joint Commission; develops Memorandum of Agreements and adherence to SVAHCS facility requirements Develops and leads recovery oriented interdisciplinary team meetings Serves as a consultant/liaison to regular outpatient and other Mental Health programs to ensure transition of patients between clinics is smooth and efficient Coordinates with discipline supervisors of matrixed staff assigned to the neuropsychological and psychological assessment services to ensure staff are working in accordance with the service agreements of SVAHCS and reviews workload productivity targets Attends weekly Program Managers meetings with the Chief of Mental Health to review effective service delivery and maintenance of structure Works in conjunction with MH Leadership on responding to VACO and VISN on tracking data, performance measures, access monitoring, wait times and panel sizes Completes the Mid-Year and Annual Performance Evaluations for assigned staff Completes OPPE's, FPPE's and Performance Appraisals for new and existing staff as needed Approves leave requests, reviews wRVU productivity and CUSS reports for supervisees, and supervises graduate psychologists Provides a range of psychological diagnostic services for patients enrolled in neuropsychological and psychological assessment services at the SVAHC Performs psychological and neuropsychological evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations Provides a range of psychological therapeutic interventions utilizing empirically supported modalities when indicated Consults with and serves as a resource for other professional personnel concerning the need for, evaluation of, and development of psychological services in SVAHCS May be asked to assist in the selection, training, and supervision of staff at lower grade within assigned program area, Psychology Service, or SVAHCS Serves as a clinical supervisor for psychology pre-doctoral interns, postdoc fellows, and doctoral level practicum students in psychology and other disciplines Prepares and teaches seminars/workshops for SVAHCS trainees/staff on topics within interest/competency areas Serves as a member of the SVAHCS Psychology Training Committee Work Schedule: 8:00a-4:30p Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact the Salisbury EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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. 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 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 .Internship: 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. 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. Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. Experience. At least 3 years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of and ability to understand and communicate existing policies and regulations. Knowledge of and ability to utilize resource materials as well as ability to develop new materials when needed. Ability to relate to individuals at many different levels both within and external to the organization. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with a diverse group of professional staff. Ability to provide information about policy to various stakeholders or audiences in a useable and understandable manner. Ability to develop and recommend new or revised policies that are consistent with organizational goals and objectives. 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: Psychology Program Manager, GS-14 Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is 14. Physical Requirements: The position is primarily sedentary, with some bending, walking, and stooping required. This position requires the ability to read printed material and distinguish colors, such as reading computer screens and the ability to accurately perceive depth so as to move around workspace safely and to appropriately make contact with patients and staff. 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 Receiving Service Credit for 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. 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. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
