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

Clinical Psychologist, Offutt AFB, Bellevue, NE

Offutt AFB is located in Bellvue, Nebraska.  In Nebraska, we believe that you  make your own fun like riding horseback on an honest-to-goodness ranch. Witnessing a Native American powwow. Attending a concert under Nebraska's night sky. Spending family time at a zoo or water park. Chasing pioneers, cowboys and historic sites along scenic byways. Relaxing in state parks, recreation areas and golf courses with epic views, from sparkling lakes and rivers to wide-open plains to monumental bluffs. Bellevue is a city of about 70,000 that is booming with energy & excitement, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Great Plains. 

Working for the Department of Defense comes with an abundance of benefits and perks to include competitive compensation packages, paid-time off, medical benefits, student loan repayments, and retirement package with Thrift Savings Plan to include matching employer contributions. For more information, please visit the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/

POSITION DUTIES:
The primary purpose of this position is to provide a full range of psychological services for patients residing within the Military Treatment Facility (MTF), Mental Health Clinic. Serves as the
mental health clinical psychologist, consultant, and resource to other medical and mental healthstaff and mental health programs with the goal of building resiliency, enhancing human
performance, and improving unit mission effectiveness. Provides agency leadership withprofessional consultation and advice to inform, raise awareness, and provide focused solutions
for issues affecting the psychological health of beneficiaries at the Mental Health Clinic to includemilitary members, their family members, and DoD eligible beneficiaries.
The position provides comprehensive quality mental health treatment, education, assessment,and preventive services to all eligible beneficiaries at the Mental Health Clinic with the goal of
successful mission sustainment.

MAJOR DUTIES:
1. Screens and interviews patients by performing 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.

a. Accomplishes clinical intake interviews with patients, to include family history, biopsychosocial history, developmental history, and presenting problems together with any relevant secondary
information.
b. Conducts comprehensive psycho-diagnosis evaluations to address complex (interrelated  biopsychosocial) diagnostic and treatment issues.
c. Provides an extensive range of evidence-based psychotherapy for adult beneficiaries with a wide variety of complex psychiatric problems.
d. 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.
e. Performs 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.
f. 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.
g. Implements programs to prevent, detect, and aggressively treat mental health problems including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, suicide, and anxiety disorders.
h. Assesses individuals to explore the development of behavior patterns, mechanisms, and symptoms.
i. Determines the facts concerning patients’ problems and the underlying causes to assess the needs of the individual and/or family.
j. Uses evidence-based treatments and standards of clinical practice for a full range of psychological disorders to plan and provide treatment to patients and evaluate the effectiveness
of a wide range of therapeutic measures.
k. Uses and interprets various psychological assessment measures to assess patient progress and diagnostic clarification.
l. 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.
m. Performs risk assessments to determine the degree of danger posed by patients.
n. Remains current on latest treatment methods and techniques.
o. Formulates and implements effective treatment plans and programs to treat the mental health concerns of the patient.
p. Annotates adjustments to treatment plans over the course of therapy.
q. Maintains required documentation of patient care in accordance with current unit, agency, state, and federal regulations.
r. Promotes and preserves a psychotherapeutic atmosphere with the professional treatment teams.
s. Responsible for knowledge of, and practice according to, Follow state and professional licensing and ethical practice guidelines to maintain professional license.
t. Takes professional responsibility for findings, interpretations, decisions, recommendations, reports, and services.

2. Exercises full professional responsibility in psychological consultation, education, and training to military commanders/senior leaders, other mental health professionals, and medical staff.

a. Serves as the behavioral health consultant to commanders and first sergeants.

b.. Works with multidisciplinary team and provides mutual consultative support to other mental health providers.
c. 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.
d. Serves as the mental health technical consultant to provide guidance in decision making for military commanders/senior leaders, other mental health professionals, and medical staff.
e. Provides training to mental health treatment team and professional medical staff.
f. 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.
g. Consults with commanders regarding at-risk patients on complex cases in terms of diagnosis, fitness for duty, and treatment.
h. Prepares and delivers briefings and presentations on mental health-related issues.
i. 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.
j. 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.

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

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

a. Recognizes the need for further development or modification of accepted policies and procedures.
b. Recognizes the professional and administrative implications involved in policy changes, and makes proposals and recommendations to reduce the psychological impact to patients.
c. Documents observations and assessments of risk for use in development of mitigation strategies.
d. Continuously collects and analyzes data to improve assessment methodologies.
e. Develops and improves overall assessment methodologies, both for psychologists and other evaluators, by advising on any technical problems that may exist while recommending and
developing new solutions.
f. Develops and/or contributes to scientific modelling for mental health embedded care, evidence-based data collection, and improvement strategies.
g. Prepares written evaluation reports with clinical impressions and recommendations.
h. Ensures all clinical mental health treatment records meet accreditation standards as defined by the host MTF or appropriate agency operational quality oversight.
i. Coordinates with various base agencies as the disaster mental health (DMH) team lead.
j. Conducts training, responds to real world incidents on base, and engages in base exercises to teach or help others with coping mechanisms, stress management, and indicators or warnings of
mental stress.
k. Documents activities of DMH team.

5. Exercises supervisory personnel management responsibilities to lead and direct a team of mental health specialists. 
a. Advises and provides counsel to employees regarding policies, procedures, and directives of management.
b. Selects or recommends selection of candidates for vacancies, promotions, details, and reassignment in consideration of skills, qualifications, and mission requirements.
c. Develops, modifies, and/or interprets performance standards to evaluate subordinate employee performance and provide constructive feedback for continuous employee improvement.
d. Explains performance expectations to employees and provides regular feedback on strengths and weaknesses.
e. Empowers employees to participate in and contribute to effective mission accomplishment.
f. Holds employees responsible for satisfactory completion of work assignments.
g. Appraises subordinate workers’ performance by ensuring consistency and equity in rating techniques.
h. Recommends awards and approves within-grade increases to reward employee productivity and contributions.
i. Identifies employee developmental needs and provides or arranges for training (formal and onthe- job) to maintain and improve job performance.
j. Encourages self-development to expand on clinical competence.
k. Addresses subordinate's concerns, whether perceived or real, and follows up with appropriate action to correct or eliminate tension in the workplace.
l. Hears and resolves employee complaints and refers serious unresolved complaints to higher level management to address employee concerns in a timely manner, create a safe and
supportive work environment, and aid is resolution of issues beyond the scope of responsibility.
m. Initiates action to correct performance or address employee misconduct.
n. Effects minor disciplinary measures, such as warnings and reprimands, and recommends action in more serious disciplinary matters.
o. Prepares documentation to support actions taken.
p. Approves master leave schedule by assuring adequate coverage for peak workloads and traditional holiday vacation time.
q. Discharges security responsibilities by ensuring education and compliance with security directives for employees with access to classified or sensitive material.
r. Recognizes potential situations that pose a threat to the health or safety of subordinates and takes action to correct evolving situations.
s. Periodically reviews position descriptions to ensure accuracy and the most effective utilization of personnel resources.
t. Explains classification determinations to subordinate employees.
u. Supports the agency's EEO program through allocation of personnel to participate in community outreach and recruitment programs.
v. Ensures full cooperation of employees with EEO office officials and provides a work environment free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

Performs other duties as assigned.