Deputy Chief-Mental Health Service Line-Senior Psychology Program Manager

Summary

Serves as Deputy Chief (Senior Psychologist Program Manager), Mental Health Service Line (MHSL) and has programmatic responsibilities for the delivery of mental health services at all sites of care. The incumbent reports to the Chief of the MHSL for all clinical, administrative, and quality performance matters.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

03/25/2024 to 04/01/2024

• Salary

$182,125 - $221,900 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 15

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Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

• Atlanta, GA 1 vacancy

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

No

• Travel Required

Not required

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent -

• Work schedule

Full-time -

• Service

Excepted

• Promotion potential

None

• Job family (Series)

0180 Psychology

• Supervisory status

Yes

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

Yes

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CBTB-12330471-24-CL

• Control number

782908400

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This job is open to

• Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

Current Permanent Atlanta VA Employees Only

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Duties

Duties to include but not limited to:

• Provides support to the Chief, MHSL in all areas of management, leadership and oversight of mental health clinical, educational, and research activities at the Atlanta VAMC.

• Key member of the organization's clinical leadership team and reports directly to the MHSL Chief. He/she ensures observance of federal, national, and local regulatory policy and accreditation requirements governing the medical center.

• Responsible for supporting strategic planning, budget oversight, staff recruitment and management, and quality assurance.

• Functions as a liaison to the Chief, MHSL for Education and affiliated health professional schools for undergraduate and graduate education issues. Incumbent ensures that mental health practitioners demonstrate effectiveness in teaching and comply with necessary trainee supervision requirements

• Functions as a liaison to the Chief, MHSL for Research, in order to facilitate research grants and expand research opportunities and initiatives. Expected to maintain all necessary credentials in his/her respective discipline in order to provide clinical care approximately 20% percent of the time.

• Responsible for planning, organizing, developing, implementing, coordinating, and refining a comprehensive patient management/clinical support/administrative program which provides services and technical counsel necessary to meet clinical, procedural, legal and administrative requirements relating to the care and treatment of inpatients and outpatients.

• Provides a climate in which clinicians can care for patients with an awareness of administrative implications of his/her actions, without feeling he/she is working under unnecessary constraints.

• Manages multiple programs from the Service Line level (see attached org chart). As such, incumbent is responsible for managing issues elevated to service line, monitoring metrics relevant to these units (including productivity, budget, accreditation issues, etc.) and providing management support and oversight as needed.

• Contribute in implementing VA Headquarters policies and regulations governing broad administrative aspects of the medical center. In order to affect the policies, incumbent must have the skills in management theory, cost-benefit analysis, data gathering and statistical analysis.

• Serves on a variety of medical center planning committees, advisory groups and chartered action teams.

• Oversees clinical and administrative performance measures.

• Assists with service line strategic planning, budget and resource management.

• Assist with developing formal, systematic improvement plans for quality measures, access and medical services delivery.

• Provides clinical consultation to Psychiatry Fellows, General Psychiatry Residents, predoctoral Psychology Interns, postdoctoral Psychology Residents, Psychologists, Registered Nurses and Addiction Therapists in the MHSL.

• Maintains a clinical caseload including individual and/or group therapy within the MHSL.

• Provides leadership, guidance, teaching and consultation on staff education and development to hospital and psychology staff.

• Responsible for timely completion of all program evaluations and documents required by the Chief of the MHSL, the Medical Center, VISN and VACO, ensuring compliance with appropriate accrediting bodies (such as the Joint Commission).

• Consults with and serves as a resource for other professional personnel concerning the need for development of additional MH services and participates and/or leads writing and submitting proposals or other requests for resources to implement

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job

• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required

• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

• You may be required to serve a probationary period

• Subject to a background/security investigation

• Must be proficient in written and spoken English

• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

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:(1) Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The specialty area of the degree must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.(2) Have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program that has been accredited by APA .Exceptions: (1) 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 Central Office of Academic Affiliations at the time that the individual was an intern and (2) VHA facilities who offered full one-year pre-doctoral internships prior to PL 96-151 (pre-1979) are considered to be acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement.

GRADE DETERMINATIONS: Grades and salaries will be determined by the Professional Standards Board (PSB).

Minimum Qualifications Requirements: At the GS-15: Licensure. Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States (e.g., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia.(b)

Experience. At least four years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-14 grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Skill in managing and directing the work of large, complex organizational units and in applying effective management practices.

• Skill in persuasion, negotiation, and motivation to negotiate multiple program policies.

• Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees and other managers using advanced consultation and problem solving skills.

• Skill in the application and analysis of measurement tools to systems issues.

• Ability to balance responsibilities in a complex environment and to work with great autonomy; ability to set priorities and delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze complex organizational problems; and ability to develop and implement effective solutions for those problems.

• Ability to assess need for basic and complex services across multiple programmatic contexts.

• Ability to coordinate the efforts of multiple program elements across a complex system.

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).

References: VA Handbook 5005 , Appendix G-18.

Physical Requirements: No special physical demands are required for this position. Employee frequently carry light items such paper files, records, etc. The work is primarily performed while sitting though some work may required periods of standing. Must pass pre-employment examination. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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• Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window

Learn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.