USA Staffing

Position Title: Staff Psychologist
Agency: Veterans Health Administration
Announcement Number: CBFF-11519819-22-EJ Opens in new window
Open Period: Thursday, June 2, 2022 to Monday, October 10, 2022

For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.

1. Do you claim Veterans’ Preference?

A. No, I do not claim Veterans' Preference

B. 0-point Sole Survivorship Preference (SSP)

C. 5-point preference based on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (TP)

D. 10-point preference for non-compensable disability or Purple Heart (XP)

E. 10-point preference based on a compensable service connected disability of at least 10% but less than 30% (CP)

F. 10 point preference based on widow/widower or parent of a deceased veteran, or spouse or parent of a disabled veteran (XP)

G. 10-point preference based on a compensable service connected disability of 30% or more (CPS)

1. Select the lowest grade you are willing to accept for this position.

2. Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?

If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.

A. Yes, I am considered a political appointee as described under 5 U.S.C. sections 5312 through 5316.

B. Yes, I am considered a Non-career Senior Executive Service (SES), Limited Term SES, Limited Emergency SES Executive Branch employee.

C. Yes, I am considered a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or appointee who served in a political capacity under agency-specific authority in the Executive Branch.

D. Yes, I am considered a political appointee in the Executive Branch (as described in a., b. or c above) in a covered position in an agency having an interchange agreement with OPM, which allows movement from the agency's system to the competitive civil service.

E. None of the above. I am not considered a current or recent (last 5 years) political appointee as described above in items a, b, c, or d.

Resume Reminder- Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:

Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held

Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.

Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.

Select the appropriate answer to each of the following questions based on your current level of education and/or experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. When answering the questionnaire, remember that your experience and education are subject to verification by investigation. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation of experience or education as proof to support your answers, or you may be required to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed ability to perform a task.

Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).

1. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: 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. Are you proficient in spoken and written English?

A. Yes

B. No

2. BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT: From the statements below, please select the one that best describes your educational background.

A. I possess 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. NOTE: The specialty area of the degree must be consistent with the assignment for which you are applying.

B. I possess a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, have successfully completed 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 I am applying. NOTE: You must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship.

C. I possess a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.

D. I am currently employed in VHA as a psychologist and have been since the effective date of this qualification standard (February 7, 2018) and am considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education (i.e., degree and internship requirements) and licensure/certification that are part of the basic requirements of this occupation.

E. I do not have the required education or meet any of the substitutions in the above responses.

3. INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENT: Please select the response below that best describes your successful completion of the required internship program.

A. I 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 I am applying.

B. I have successfully completed a New VHA psychology internship program that is in the process of applying for APA accreditation and is acceptable in fulfillment of this internship requirement, provided that such program was sanctioned by the VHA Central Office Program Director for Psychology and the VHA Office of Academic Affiliations at the time I was an intern.

C. I have successfully completed a full-time, one-year pre-doctoral internship offered by a VHA facility prior to PL 96-151 (pre1979) which is considered to be acceptable in fulfillment of this internship requirement.

D. I have successfully completed an internship that was not accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed but may be considered eligible for hire based on my current board certification by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty area that is consistent with the assignment for which I am applying. (NOTE: Once board certified, you are required to maintain this board certification.)

E. I possess a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature to fulfill this internship requirement by having the equivalent of a one-year supervised internship experience in a site specifically acceptable to my doctoral program. NOTE: 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.

F. I am currently employed in VHA as a psychologist on the effective date (February 7, 2018) of this qualification standard and considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education (i.e., degree and internship requirements) and licensure/certification that are part of the basic requirements of this occupation.

G. I have not successfully completed an internship or meet any of the substitutions in the above responses.

4. 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. NOTE: At the GS-11 and GS-12 levels non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment as a "graduate psychologist" 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. Do you meet the licensure requirement and/or understand the conditions if you are not license yet as described above?

A. I possess 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.

B. I do not possess 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. However, I would like to be considered at the GS-11 or GS-12 levels as a "graduate psychologist".

C. I do not possess a a full, current, and unrestricted license or meet any of the substitutions in the above responses.

Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).

5. Minimum Requirements for GS-12 level:
Experience - In addition to meeting all the basic requirements listed above you must have at least 1 full year of experience as a professional psychologist at 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.
Do you meet this experience and KSAs? Note: Your resume should reflect both the specialized experience and KSAs.

A. Yes

B. No

6. Minimum Requirements for GS-13 level:
Experience - In additional to meeting the basic requirements, you must also have at least 2 addition years of experience, with at least on 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.
Do you meet this experience and KSAs? Note: Your resume should reflect both the specialized experience and KSAs.

A. Yes

B. No

TRANSCRIPT REMINDER - If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) or if the position requires a college education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.

LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION REMINDER - If the position requires a licensure/certification to qualify, you must submit a copy of your licensure/certification with your application.

MERIT PROMOTION DOCUMENTATION REMINDER - If you are a current or former Federal employee, you must provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notice of Personnel Action." The SF-50 must identify your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). If you have previously held a higher grade and are applying based on that grade, you must provide a copy of the SF-50 showing you held the higher grade IN ADDITION to your last or most recent SF-50 indicating proof of status.

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