Psychologist Program Manager (Designated Learning Officer) - EDRP

Description:

Primary Purpose of the Position: The Psychology Program Manager serves as Designated Learning Officer (DLO). The DLO is a senior facility education manager who occupies a key management position at the VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS). The DLO serves as a senior educator within the VANTHCS liaison to VACO Institute for Learning, Education, and Development (ILEAD).

The Organizational Location of the Position: Education and Learning Resources Service, VA North Texas Health Care System

Requirements:

Basic Requirements :

Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may 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 Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS), or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) at the time the program was completed. OR

• (2) Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully complete a re-specialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the 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 the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed OR
• (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. AND

Internships

• (a) 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; OR
• (d) 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.

Licensure. 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.

English Language Proficiency. Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.

Grade Determinations :
Psychology Program Manager, GS-14

Experience. At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level.

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

• 1. Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines.
• 2. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools.
• 3. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view.
• 4. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives.
• 5. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations.
• 6. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards.
• 7. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.

Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Psychologist program managers have broad program management responsibilities for a specific program or programs that are designed to deliver specialized, complex, highly professional services that are important program components of the facility and that significantly impact the health care provided to Veterans. Programs include but are not limited to addiction, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mental health intensive case management (MHICM), mental health compensation and pension examination (C&P) programs, Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Centers, inpatient mental health, residential rehabilitation, domiciliary, palliative care, neuropsychology, and internship and postdoctoral fellowship training programs; management of an off- campus site; psychology program oversight and coordination throughout the facility and its affiliated clinics as a psychology executive, typically at lower complexity facilities. Decisions made by the Program Manager affect staff and other resources associated with the programs managed and are made while exercising wide latitude and independent judgment. The type of program managed and scope of responsibility are critical aspects of the assignment at this level. Responsibilities include operation and management of key clinical, training, research, or administrative programs to include full responsibility for managing the day to day activities of those programs. Responsibility may include supervision of staff but is not required. Psychologist Program Managers are responsible for strategic planning to ensure the provision of high quality services to meet the needs of the Veterans being served and planning, and developing and implementing short- and long-term goals and objectives consistent with the program's strategic plan. They have oversight of administrative and programmatic resources and deploy those resources in support of the program needs. They develop and implement programs, policies, and procedures to meet program goals, VHA policy and external accreditation requirements, and monitor outcomes using data-driven quality assurance processes, and implement strategies for improvement based on data analysis.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience with planning, implementation, supervision, and management of staff development training to enhance educationally disadvantaged, vocationally underdeveloped employees
• Experience with program assessment, Lean Six Sigma practices, statistical analysis or other approaches for evaluating program effectiveness and correcting program deficiencies when they occur.
• Experience with consulting practices, providing management with valuable information regarding training, career development, vocational and personnel issues in order to achieve and maintain a reputation as an employer of choice.
• Experience with public promotion and marketing of staff focused educational events at the facility level.
• Experience with administrative supervision of staff members or a team

Reference: VA Handbook 5005/103 Part II Appendix G18 dated February 7, 2018.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the GS-14.