Staff Psychologist (Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program) - EDRP Authorized

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.

Duties

Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) staff psychologists serve within Psychology Service of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System. In this capacity, incumbents offer treatment in the form of individual therapy, couple and family psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and provide consultation to other members of the team. Licensed Staff Psychologists practice at the Full Performance Level. In addition to observance of Federal national and local regulatory, policy, and accreditation requirements governing this Health Care System, this position encompasses following examples of responsibilities. Psychologists require appropriate time mapping and resources to ensure they are empowered to meet expected proficiencies in administration, clinical practice, education, and research. Typical duties include, but are not limited to: Clinical Responsibilities (80% - 100% of the time) Provides a full range of diagnostic and evaluation services for patients Performs psychological evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations Provides a full range of psychological interventions consistent with training and expertise Provides consultation services and serves as a resource for other professional personnel May be asked to assist in the selection, training, and supervision of staff at lower grades within assigned program area, Psychology Service, or STVHCS Academic/Teaching/Research (0% - 10% of the time) Provides consultation and training in the identification and management of common mental and behavioral health disorders May serve as a clinical supervisor to psychology pre-doctoral interns, post-doctoral fellows, and doctoral-level practicum students in psychology and other disciplines Prepares and teaches seminars/workshops on topics within interest/competency areas Conducts approved psychological research alone or in collaboration with other professionals or affiliated academic institutions May apply for a faculty appointment at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas Administrative/Program Evaluation/Outcome Measurement/Research Responsibilities (0% - 10% of the time) May have limited clinical program management responsibilities Liaisons with other health care programs in STVHCS in order to effectively coordinate services Ensures compliance with all Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes). Other Significant Responsibilities (5% time) May serve on Medical Center committees or task forces specifically relating to diagnosis, assessment, and/or treatment issues associated with Mental Health programs Work Schedule: TBD (Typically: Monday - Friday, 0800-1630 CST) Recruitment/Relocation 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 vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). 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: Available on an Ad-hoc (as needed) basis, as determined by the agency policy, from within local commuting area of San Antonio, Texas 3 days/week at outpatient clinic (Northwest San Antonio VA Clinic) 2 days/week from home Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #s: 51673-F, 51672-F, 51671-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Allied Health Professional

Requirements

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. Pre-Employment/Post-Employment Physical Examination may be required, depending on the needs of the organization 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.

Qualifications and evaluation

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. PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: Experience working on Interdisciplinary Team(s) or at a large Medical Center Experience working with Veteran and diverse populations Experience/training in evidence-based Psychotherapies Completion of an APA-accredited post-doctoral Fellowship Administrative or Process Improvement experience 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. Area of Consideration/Referral Order - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order: Current, permanent VA Employees of the Facility All other VA Employees Current, permanent Federal Employees of other Agencies All other Applicants Note: Veterans' Preference is not applicable to VA employees or employees of other Federal agencies. 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.

Education

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/. Accreditation Verification Sites: American Psychological Association (APA) Accredited Programs Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) Accredited Programs Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Accredited Programs If your school was accredited by APA, PCSAS or CPA at the time of graduation; but, is no longer listed on their website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

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 09/03/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13044718. 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.

Required documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field. Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field. IMPORTANT REMINDERS: Current federal employees (VA and other federal Agencies) applying to this position are asked to submit with their application, a copy of their latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Current/past/upcoming HPT graduates must submit a copy of their latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), the FL-294 (or a WOC appointment letter) The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1): CV/Resume exceeding 2-pages (Not Required / May Provide) Other (2) Other (3) PCS Orders Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.