Staff Psychologist Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI)

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.

West Palm Beach is looking for a Staff Psychologist who will work within Mental Health & Behavioral Science Service and duties include working with and clinically supporting the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center and Outpatient Clinics. This psychologist works within the Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) Clinic as a Co-located Collaborative Care (CCC) behavioral health consultant in Primary Care. Additional duties include but not limited to: Collaborate with PCPs and the interdisciplinary PACT to support high quality, effective, and coordinated service delivery at patient and programmatic levels. Maintain daily open access slots and encourages same-day warm handoffs within PACT. Complete most individual appointments (e.g. 75%) within 30 minutes. Use Measurement Based Care (MBC) in accordance with nationally recommended guidelines for PCMHI. Conduct initial functional assessments that are focused on the main reason(s) for referral and are less extensive than traditional mental health intake evaluations (e.g., 30 minutes vs. 60 or 90 minutes for traditional evaluation). Support Stepped-Care principles and assist with Collaborative Care Management to facilitate "on-time, on target" services to Veterans, matching the intensity of services with the level of clinical need. Refer Veterans with more severe or complex needs to the appropriate general or specialty mental health program. Provide time-limited, brief, evidence-based, individual or group interventions (e.g., approximately 1-6 sessions) for a broad range of behavioral health and health behavior concerns within the primary care setting. Utilize intermittent visits and flexible patient contact strategies to support brief but longitudinal PCMHI care as part of PACT. Ensure quality of care by successfully completing the national VA PCMHI Competency Training Program (or approved equivalent) and associated ongoing education modules. Write clear, concise notes that are optimized for collaboration within PACT based on the PCMHI CCC functional assessment and follow-up visit guidelines. Note document important elements for team collaboration (e.g., MBC, curbside consultation/team care discussion, liaison with specialty care providers) as appropriate. Notes are completed the same day or within documentation timeline required by the Medical Center or healthcare system, as appropriate. Engage in PACT huddles and meetings to cultivate collaborative team functioning and serve as a subject matter expert for behavioral health considerations. Provide education to PACT on behavioral health and health behavior issues, as well as tips to promote effective patient communication, motivational enhancement, and behavior change. Integrate self into routine workflow of Primary Care and seeks opportunities to offer expertise or direct patient care services to support team-based care. Routinely provides feedback (verbal and/or written) to PCP and other PACT members same day as referral. Collaborate with other team members in PCMHI (e.g., PCMHI Health Technicians, Collaborative Care Managers, and Providers with Prescribing Privileges) ensuring high quality, effective, Veteran-centered services at patient and programmatic levels. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Recruitment /Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for highly qualified candidates upon review and approval by management, available funding, and in accordance with agency policy. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact V8_EDRP_WPB@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. 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) 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: Ad hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement # 40006F (GS-13), 41865F (GS-12), 41864F (GS-11) Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

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 dentification 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.

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.Applicants must meet one of the following educational requirements: 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, 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: 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; OR, Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. 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/.