Psychology Technician

Summary

This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center (HVAMC), under the Mental Health and Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program/Outpatient Programs (BHIP/Outpatient).

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

06/25/2024 to 07/10/2024

• Salary

$60,808 - $79,050 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 9

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Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

• Hampton, VA

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

No

• Travel Required

Not required

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent

• Work schedule

Full-time

• Service

Competitive

• Promotion potential

9

• Job family (Series)

0181 Psychology Aid And Technician

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CBTA-12386164-24-ALD

• Control number

797155100

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This job is open to

• Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

This Job Opportunity Announcement is open only to current permanent VISN 6 VHA employees.

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Duties

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical Support (40%):

a. Serves as the first line of care in the assigned clinic.

The incumbent is available to respond to requests from external clinics by collecting information and providing assessments and triage. Discusses best disposition options with multidisciplinary team members and coordinates implementation of treatment recommendation.

b. Completes psychiatric and physical diagnostic questionnaires.

c. Maintains clinical records and documentation, ensuring regulatory compliance and compliance with Good Clinical Practices.

d. Maintains responsibility for the implementation of the Behavioral Health Laboratory (BHL), working under the guidance of the supervisor or the Team Lead or designee. This will include monitoring patients in BHIP or Outpatient clinics, running relevant reports, and maintaining data.

e. Organizes and assists in the scheduling of patient appointments as needed.

f. Provides psychoeducation to Veterans using standardized individual and group protocols.

g. Provides care management services to Veterans.

This includes coordination with multi-disciplinary team members involved in the patient's care. Supports the LIPs' interventions through methods such as telephone-based support services. May encourage attention to health focused behaviors and

treatment adherence.

h. Completes clinical reminders on patients.

i. Oversees daily activities of the assigned clinic and facilitates the flow of care.

j. Develops a working knowledge of various treatment modalities delivered by the clinical staff.

k. Conducts follow-up interviews and ongoing monitoring of patients' symptomatology utilized structured assessment instruments. This includes gathering information regarding treatment adherence and recognition of emergent needs.

l. Conducts follow up with patients referred to other clinics or services to motivate attendance to the appointment or aid in stabilization and management of that patient before their appointment.

m. Organizes group therapy activities.

Psychological Assessment (30%) :

a. Completes structured diagnostic and clinical assessments for Veterans.

b. Performs psychological, neuropsychological, or psychophysiological tests on Veterans referred for examinations.

This includes both administration of instruments as well as scoring of said instruments. Provides timely summaries of relevant data collected within the assessment.

c. Demonstrates and uses knowledge of medical terminology and diagnostic categories in the completion of psychological assessments.

d. Reviews assessments completed by others and obtains missing information from providers, Veterans, and medical records.

e. Assists in the training of pre-doctoral psychology interns and other trainees in test administration and scoring.

Triage & Clinical Interviewing (30%):

a. Independently triages patients, identifying immediate needs. Assesses for the safety of patients with timely and appropriate hand-off to licensed

independent providers, including providing an entry level suicide risk assessment.

b. Conducts patient interviews to assist in triaging Veterans to appropriate licensed clinical providers on the assigned team.

c. Determines appropriate level of care need for patients.

d. Refers to a variety of clinical options available in the assigned team or throughout the medical center and local community.

e. Contacts patients through written correspondence and telephone calls, and conducts follow up interviews.

Performs other directly related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 8:00AM - 4:30PM - Monday - Friday

Telework: Not eligible for telework.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Psychology Technician/PD02908A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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

• 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

• You may be required to serve a probationary period

• Subject to background/security investigation

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

• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/10/2024.

GS-09 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-08 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience that involved the observation of and assistance in the application of techniques relating to behavior, capacities, traits, interests, and activities of either humans or, under laboratory conditions, animals. Experience may have been gained in connection with a program of research or direct services in psychology that gave a practical understanding of some of the principles, methods, and techniques of psychology needed to assist professional psychologists.

OR,

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed two full years of graduate education or a master's degree in Psychology.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment..You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Meets the qualification standard for the Psychology Technician as defined in VA Handbook 5005, Part IIAppendix F5, Psychology Technician Qualification Standard.

Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in an appropriate social or biological science, which included or was supplemented by 12 semester hours in psychology.

Experience: At least two years of technical work under the direction of a professional psychologist in a program of professional services, training, or research.

Substitution of Education for Experience: Two years of such study meet in full the requirements at theGS-9 level.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Analysis and Problem Solving

• Attention to Detail

• Customer Service

• Interpersonal Skills

• Psychological Assessment

• Psychology

• Technical Competence

• Writing

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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week.

Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary.

Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items, such as papers, books, or small parts. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

Applicants must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing, or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant for appointment. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid.

Reasonable accommodation may also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include but is not limited to the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

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

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy.

To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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

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.

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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 WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.

Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

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.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion.

The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the 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.