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Position Title
Psychologist (PTSD EBP) - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive & Education Debt Reduction Authorized
Agency
Veterans Health Administration
Announcement Number
CAZM-12705075-25-LGJ Opens in new window
Open Period
Monday, March 3, 2025 to Friday, August 8, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1. Do you claim Veterans’ Preference? (limit characters)
2. Are you currently employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).  Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted).  Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
(limit characters)
3. Are you an employee of the facility indicated for this position?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).  Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted).  Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
(limit characters)
4. Are you a current/past/upcoming VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT) Graduate?

An HPT may be VA-paid, Without Compensation (WOC), or a participant of the VA Health Professional Scholarship Program that has been appointed to a temporary position in one or more VHA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experience to satisfy program or degree requirements.

To verify your standing as a current/past/upcoming HPT graduate, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), the FL-294 (or a WOC appointment letter).
(limit characters)
5. Are you a current permanent Federal employee from an agency other than Department of Veterans Affairs?

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
(limit characters)
Preferences
1. 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.
(limit characters)
By submitting your application, you are certifying, to the best of your knowledge and belief, all the information submitted by you with your application for employment is true, complete, and made in good faith, and that you have truthfully and accurately represented your work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education (degrees, accomplishments, etc.). The information you provide as part of your application may be investigated. You are also certifying, and acknowledging, that misrepresenting your experience or education, or providing false or fraudulent information in, or with your application, may affect your eligibility for appointment and/or continued employment. False or fraudulent statements may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (18 U.S.C. 1001). (limit characters)
2. I authorize my application information being shared with hiring managers for similar positions. I understand this option may not result in further consideration for additional positions nor will it impact my application for this announcement. (limit characters)
3. Applicants are required to undergo and successfully pass a pre-employment drug screening test and must submit to random drug testing after employment. Will you comply with this requirement? (limit characters)
4. Please indicate the highest grade you have held in the Federal government. (limit characters)
5. Please indicate dates of the highest grade you have held in the Federal service (if applicable). (limit characters)
6. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Are you proficient in basic written and spoken English? (limit characters)
7. What is the highest grade you have held on a non-temporary basis in the federal service? If you have never held a federal position, please type "N/A". (limit characters)
8. What was the start and end (if applicable) date of promotion/appointment for the highest grade held above? Your response will assist in verifying the time in grade requirement if applicable to this position. If you have never held a federal position, please type "N/A". (limit characters)
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in a position within the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Administration. The following section is used to determine basic requirements for appointment in the federal government and qualification for a Psychologist (PTSD EBP) position. 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.

The following KSAs should be reflected within your resume or on a separate document with your application package:
GS-12
  • 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.
GS-13
  • Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the 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
Select the appropriate answer to each of the following questions based on your current level of experience and/or education that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. When answering the questionnaire, remember that your experience and/or education are subject to verification by investigation. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation of experience and/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.

Health Professional Trainee (HPTs) who have successfully completed or are expected to successfully complete an affiliate sponsored or VA sponsored training program may be considered based on completing the requirements listed below by the date of appointment. Please ensure you provide all supporting documentation regarding your training program and expected completion. Ensure you provide details in the provided narrative sections of this assessment.
(limit characters)
1. Are you a past, current or upcoming Health Professional Trainee (HPT) who has spent all or part of your clinical training experience at a VA facility or are you a Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) recipient?
(limit characters)
2. Please provide the following information regarding your HPT clinical training experience:
Location of VA facility
Dates attended
(limit characters)
3. Please choose ONE statement below that best describes your education. (limit characters)
4. Please provide the following information regarding your education:
*School attended
*Degree obtained
*Date it will be or was awarded
(limit characters)
5. Please choose ONE statement below that best describes your internship. Supporting documentation of your internship is required. (limit characters)
6. Please provide the following information regarding your internship:
*School/Instituition
*Dates
*Location
If you are an HPT, please include information regarding your projected completion of an internship.
(limit characters)
7. Do you 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? Please submit a copy with your application.
(limit characters)
8. Please provide the following information regarding your licensure (active and expired):
*License type
*State issued
*Date of original issuance
*Date of expiration
If you are a graduate student or HPT and have not yet obtained your license, please indicate anticipated date.
(limit characters)
9. GRADE DETERMINATION GS-11: I meet the basic requirements for appointment for a GS-11 Psychologist. (limit characters)
10. GRADE DETERMINATION GS-12: In addition to the basic requirements, I have at least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). Experience such as: diagnosing mental disorders, conducting psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treating mental disorders through a variety of modalities, providing adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders and may conduct research. Assigned to any program area. (limit characters)
11. GRADE DETERMINATION GS-13: In addition to the basic requirements, I have at least two years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one-year equivalent to the GS-12 level.  Experience such as:  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) and 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. (limit characters)
***Application Package Notification & Important Information***

We appreciate your interest in available positions within the VA Heart of Texas Health Care Network.  It is our goal to forward every eligible and qualified candidate for consideration. 

Due to the nature of our systems, it is imperative that your application package be accurate and complete.  Therefore, prior to finalizing your application package and submitting for consideration:
  • Ensure all documents are appropriately selected, are legible, and have uploaded successfully (we recommend viewing them a second time to ensure no errors have occurred in the process).  Missing documents may cause your application package to be ineligible for consideration.
  • Ensure that all responses to the assessment questions are accurate and correctly reflect your current situation.  Question responses are used in determining if you meet specific eligibility and qualification requirements.
Please Note:  Until the closing date of the announcement, you can update or edit your package.  However, once your application package is submitted and the announcement period closes, we are unable to add documentation or alter your responses.  By submitting your package for consideration, you are attesting that your application package is complete and accurate.

Some helpful tips:
*Resume - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:
  • Job title
  • Grade Level (for federal positions)
  • Duties (be as detailed as possible and ensure they demonstrate how you meet the specialized experience and/or Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position)
  • Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2019 to April 2020)
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
*Education - 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.

*Veteran's Preference - In order to receive appropriate preference consideration, you must submit proper documentation if you are claiming eligibility for Veteran's preference, which includes a copy of your DD-214 (Member Copy 4 or earlier version that shows character of service). Applicants claiming 10-point preference should also submit an SF-15, Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference along with the required documentation listed on the SF-15 form (such as verification of service-connected disability percentage).

*Current or former VA or Federal Employees - You must submit a copy of a current and/or highest grade held SF-50 - Notification of Personnel Action (not an award SF50)

*Proof of current certification, licensure, or registration (if applicable).

https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/students/transcripts/

https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/

https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/
(limit characters)