Staff Psychologist - Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP)

Staff Psychologist - Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP)

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Huntington, West Virginia

Salary Range: $80943 - $149979 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Major Duties:

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major duties include, but are not limited to. Diagnose mental disorders and conduct psychological assessments for Veterans suffering from a wide variety of mental disorders. Provide a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care. Perform evaluations for Compensation and Pension exams if needed. Provide a full range of therapeutic interventions including: assessment, psychological testing, individual and group psychotherapy for a wide variety of mental disorders. Consult with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues. Program evaluation and/or research activities. Consistently tracks all assigned consults and verifies that consults are answered in a timely manner. Work closely with all Veteran participants to educate them regarding the importance of attending all appointments as scheduled and canceling appointments in advance when absence is unavoidable. Assure that Veterans are scheduled to be seen within 14 days of referral. Consistently reviews clinical reminders and counsels Veterans as appropriate regarding issues such as alcohol use, smoking cessation, etc. (No more than two missed clinical reminders during rating period.) Responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system, as appropriate. May present outcome data and research at VA and regional or national scientific or professional meetings, as appropriate. Supports the Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals of the Medical Center and actively participates in Performance Improvement activities. All employees are encouraged to identify opportunities to take immediate actions that are intended to increase the patient's level of satisfaction or exceed the patient's/family's expectation of service Collaborate with staff on Mental Health Treatment Team Serve on Medical Center, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces. Represent Psychology on decision-making committees at the Medical Center, VISN or National VA committees. Represent the Medical Center or VISN at professional/program community group/events and committees. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am-4:30pm. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact visn5hredrpcoordinators@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: AD-HOC, as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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: You must 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 completed a 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 you were retrained is consistent with the assignment you are am applying for NOTE: The applicant 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. [Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards.; OR, have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. Internship Requirement - A.) You must 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; OR, 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; D.) 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. (NOTE: Once board certified, the employee is required to maintain board certification); OR E.) 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- 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 English Language Proficiency Requirement- 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. 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). Staff Psychologist, GS11 (Entry Level)None beyond the basic requirements.Staff Psychologist, GS-12 (Developmental Level)a) 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 b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1.) Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations. 2.) Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies. 3.) Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures. 4.)Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties). 5.) 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.Staff Psychologist, GS-13 (Full Performance, Level)a.) Experience - In additional to meeting the basic requirements, you must have at least 2 years of experience, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level*. ANDKSA's. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:1. Knowledge of and ability to apply a wide range of professional psychological treatments or assessment methods to a variety of patient populations. 2. Ability to design and implement effective treatment strategies. 3. Ability to incorporate new clinical procedures. 4. Ability to conduct research activities, such as designing and implementing clinical research projects (staff psychologists with specified research job duties). 5. 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. Preferred Experience: Preferred previous BHIP or general therapy experience. VA experience, including BHIP rotations in practicum or internship training. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 11 to 13. Physical Requirements: You must have the mental, emotional, and physical ability to satisfactorily perform the duties of the proposed assignment and to pass the requisite laboratory and other screening as required by Federal regulatory agencies.

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/20/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12859839. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Application Deadline: 2026-01-20