Clinical Psychologist GS-0180-13 - Defense Health Agency Civilian Corps, Falls Church, VA

This position is located at Moody  AFB Behavior Health Valdosta, GA

This is an employed civilian Clinical Psychologist position that affords job security, a competitive base salary, bonuses, moving expenses, full malpractice coverage,  up to 26 days paid vacation, 11 days paid Federal Holidays, a sick leave benefit, CME opportunities, and a first-class health and retirement benefit package. 

As a Clinical Psychologist you will:

Screens and interviews patients, and performs biological, psychological, and social evaluations. Uses expert knowledge of general and specific concepts, principles, procedures, and practices relating to psychological counseling to identify psychosocial stressors and barriers. Accomplishes clinical intake interviews with patients, to include family history, biopsychosocial history, developmental history, and presenting problems together with any relevant secondary information. Conducts comprehensive psycho-diagnosis evaluations to address complex (interrelated biopsychosocial) diagnostic and treatment issues. Provides an extensive range of evidence-based psychotherapy for adult beneficiaries with a wide variety of complex psychiatric problems. Applies multiple therapeutic techniques including individual, group, couples, family, supportive, crisis intervention, and behavioral therapies or other recognized treatment strategies based upon accepted theories, principles, and practices of psychology including brief problem-focused psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and client-centered therapy. Performs appropriate individual, adult, group, and couples therapies and/or makes recommendations in writing to referring sources for management of the patients or placement in the appropriate treatment setting. Provides individual and/or group counseling to the most difficult therapy cases, representing a wide array of psychopathology, including personality disorders, substance abuse disorders, pain disorders, and specific military environment related issues such as dealing with deployment and combat situations. Implements programs to prevent, detect, and aggressively treat mental health problems including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, suicide, and anxiety disorders. Assesses individuals to explore the development of behavior patterns, mechanisms, and symptoms. Determines the facts concerning patients' problems and the underlying causes to assess the needs of the individual and/or family. Provides and evaluates the effectiveness of a wide range of therapeutic measures. Uses and interprets various psychological assessment measures. Integrates findings and formulates clinical information to establish a mental health diagnosis using guidelines such as the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

(DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association. Performs risk assessments and determines degree of danger posed by patients. Remains current on latest treatment methods and techniques. Formulates and implements effective treatment plans and programs; and annotates adjustments to treatment plans, as required, over the course of therapy. Maintains appropriate documentation of patient care in accordance with current unit, Air Force, state, and federal regulations. Promotes and preserves a psychotherapeutic atmosphere with the professional treatment teams. Responsible for knowledge of, and practice according to, state and professional licensing and ethical practice guidelines. Carries professional responsibility for findings, interpretations, decisions, recommendations, reports, and services.

Exercises full professional responsibility in psychological consultation, education, and training to military commanders/senior leaders, other mental health professionals, and medical staff. Serves as the behavioral health consultant to commanders and first sergeants. Works with multidisciplinary team and provides mutual consultative support to other mental health providers. Applies all aspects of agencies' policies, program objectives, and established practices to provide mutual consultative support to installation senior leadership, group and unit commanders as well as other unit personnel within areas of expertise and experience. Serves as the mental health technical consultant. Provides training to mental health treatment team and professional medical staff. Plans, organizes, and directs psychological strategies and programs geared toward selection and training candidates for special duties and other programs as directed by law or policy. Programs involve both suitability and screening evaluations for potential candidates prior to training as well as continuous evaluation of trainees during the training program. Consults with commanders regarding at-risk patients on complex cases in terms of diagnosis, fitness for duty and treatment. Prepares and delivers briefings and presentations on mental health-related issues. Serves as consultant to community resources and other on and off installation resources and recognized as the authority on mental health care for the Medical Health Clinic. Continues professional development and maintains awareness of cutting edge modalities and techniques of care in behavioral health through such activities as continuing education, attendance at conferences, participation in professional organizations or societies, and independent study.

Conducts intake evaluation and psycho-diagnostic assessments. Conducts intake evaluations including Commander-directed mental health evaluations. Screens and interviews patients. Performs psychological testing to clarify complex patient diagnoses and personality disorders and traits for evaluations and therapeutic interventions. Conducts neuropsychological screenings, using professional knowledge of specific concepts, principals, procedures, and practices related to psychological disorders, evaluations and testing. Conducts comprehensive diagnostic evaluations to address complex diagnostic and treatment issues and prepares written evaluation reports with clinical impressions and recommendations. Synthesizes complex assessment data from multiple sources and presents it in a coherent, accurate, and relevant decision brief to key leaders. Integrates findings and clinical information to formulate and establish a diagnosis IAW criteria set down in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM). Assesses and provides crisis intervention for individuals and families undergoing unusual medically related stresses. Develops treatment plans for operational tempo burn out and pre-deployment and post-deployment issues. Carries professional responsibility for findings, interpretations, decisions, recommendations, reports, and services. Rotates with other providers to see acute/walk-in patients and after clinic hours, providing precise consultation for emergent urgent mental health, substance abuse and family maltreatment cases.

Serves as the Clinical Subject Matter Expert (SME) for mental health care in the Mental Health Clinic.

Responsible for recognizing the need for further development or modification of accepted policies and procedures. Recognizes the professional and administrative implications involved in policy changes, and makes proposals and recommendations to reduce the psychological impact to patients. Documents observations and assessments of risk for use in development of mitigation strategies. Continuously collects and analyzes data to improve assessment methodologies. Develops and improves overall assessment methodologies, both for psychologists and other evaluators, advising on any technical problems that may exist while recommending and developing new solutions. Develops and/or contributes to scientific modelling for mental health embedded care evidence-based data collection and improvement strategies. Prepares written evaluation reports with clinical impressions and recommendations. Ensures all clinical mental health treatment records meet accreditation standards as defined by the host MTF or appropriate AF Operational Quality oversight.

US Citizenship required

One year experience as a Clinical Psychologist

Doctoral Degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) directly related to full professional work in clinical psychology.

A current, active, valid, and unrestricted clinical license to practice Psychology independently from a U.S. State, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth, territory, or jurisdiction is required.

Candidates will have completed an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited doctoral graduate program and an APA accredited predoctoral internship.