Psychologist Program Manager - Veterans Integration into Academic Leadership

About the company

The Veterans Integration into Academic Leadership (VITAL) initiative's mission is to provide world class healthcare for Veterans, support them in making a successful integration into college & university campuses, & aid them in reaching their academic goals. The VITAL Program Supervisor provides leadership within the healthcare & academic communities. Involves supervision & broad program management of the VITAL Program that significantly impacts the health care provided to student Veterans.

Your tasks

The VITAL program serves as a consultation resource for, and collaborates with, clinical services and programs across the VASLCHCS, including Primary Care, Occupational Therapy, M2VA, Speech and Language, Polytrauma Clinic, Mental Health Service programs, and Community-Based Outpatient Clinics for all concerns related to student veterans. Supervision of the Program involves coordination of outreach services to Veterans in the community across the Salt Lake VA health care system and beyond. The VITAL program engages in outreach across the catchment area including many rural areas. This outreach consists of making student Veterans aware of the benefits of services that they are entitled to, enrolling them for healthcare, and providing care coordination to connect them with needed services on campus, at the VA (VHA and VBA), and in the community. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Has full and direct responsibility for program management and supervisory responsibilities for the day-to-day functions and activities of the VITAL Program and staff. Has responsibility for development of staff competencies and performance plans as well as promotion of working relationships and an effective treatment team environment. Provides leadership in facilitating and coordinating the provision of services for student veterans throughout and beyond the VASLCHCS catchment area. Responsible for strategic planning to ensure the provision of high-quality services to meet the needs of Veterans served. Plans, develops and implements short- and long-term goals and objectives consistent with program's strategic plan. Oversees program resources and deploy resources in support of program needs. Interacts and collaborates with Human Resources, facility leadership, and professional discipline leads in all aspects of Team staff hiring, performance evaluation, and disciplinary action. Prepares grant applications to support development of the VITAL program. Develops and implements policies and procedures to meet program goals and VHA policies. Monitors outcomes using data-driven quality assurance processes, and implementation of strategies for improvement based on data gathered. Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with participating colleges and universities, including negotiation of Memoranda of Understanding and revocable licenses when applicable. Works closely with a variety of academic institution services and staff: campus Veterans services, disability resource centers, health and wellness centers, student counseling centers, financial aid, and registrar's offices. Serves as point of contact and consultation for all services related to student Veterans, including functioning as liaison between academic institutions and VHA/VBA resources. Oversees outreach activities to student Veterans, including facilitation of enrollment in VA health care and access of VBA services. Provides training pertaining to Veteran issues to faculty and staff of institutions of higher learning throughout the catchment area. Oversees telehealth services to rural campuses. Provides onsite mental health services (including assessment and treatment) to student veterans at designated colleges/universities. Offers individual psychotherapy services utilizing evidence-based approaches. Oversees educational testing of student Veterans, to include assessment of learning disability and ADHD. Work Schedule: 8AM to 4:30PM Monday-Friday Telework: May be available on an ad-hoc basis as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 616070 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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 English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken & written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. Education: 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. There are no job assignments in VHA that require the skills of a school psychologist; therefore, an applicant with a degree in the specialty area of school psychology is not eligible for appointment. ~OR~ Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology & 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: The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and The specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed 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. ~OR~ Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature Internship: 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~ 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 & the VHA Office of Academic Affiliations at the time that the individual was an intern ~OR~ 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 ~OR~ Completion of an internship that was not accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed may be considered eligible 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~ Applicants who have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 & 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature may fulfill this internship requirement by having the equivalent of a 1-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 1 year supervised internship experience was completed in a site acceptable to the doctoral program. Licensure: 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. Drivers License: A valid state drivers license is required as this position requires local travel to provide community-based care to Veterans through the use of a government vehicle or other individual arrangements. 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). Grade Determination: GS-14 Psychology Program Manager Experience: Must have at least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. ~AND~ Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program. Preferred Experience: One year of experience providing Mental Health treatment to Veterans in a college/university setting. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. The incumbent must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the incumbent or others. The incumbent must be able to pass VA requirements for operation of a government vehicle. Position may require walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position may require travel to provide clinical services to Veterans in the community, clinics, medical centers, CBOC's, etc. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. Incumbent must possess and maintain a current valid state driver's license.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.