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Summary The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Responsibilities At the full performance level, the Psychologist will be assigned to the Psychology Service which is part of the Mental Health Interdisciplinary Care Community (ICC) of the Syracuse VA Medical Center. The psychologist will be assigned 50% of the time in support of the Palliative Care Service (inpatient and outpatient), 25% within the Community Living Center (CLC), and 25% in SCI/Rehab. He or she has specialized knowledge and expertise in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of general mental health disorders/conditions. As a part of the CLC, the psychologist facilitates a culture within the CLC to develop a home-like and person-centered environment. The psychologist applies knowledge of successful aging, medical complications in older adults and psychotherapeutic techniques in the assessment and treatment of patients with the goal of assisting patients to partner with the interdisciplinary team in working to diminish, eliminate, or better cope with issues of aging, as well as stabilization of common psychological conditions. As a part of the Palliative Care team, the psychologist will be required to have training or experience in the areas of basic cognitive assessment and behavioral and cognitive behavioral therapy with understanding of the interaction of health conditions and psychosocial factors and their impact on adjustment in the context of palliative care and end-of-life. Major duties of the position include but are not limited to: Perform evaluations for patient conditions that include depression, anxiety, substance abuse and general emotional and cognitive functioning Provide a full range of therapeutic interventions with a strong emphasis on evidence-based models of care in the management of mental illness and behavioral management Provide suicide screening and crisis management services to patients using evidence based tools and VA approved templates Conduct assessment appropriate to individual patient with attention to on the implications of test results for a veteran's every day, real-world function and successful treatment/management of health problems with an emphasis on behavioral health factors associated with their illness and aspects of aging Provide group, individual, and family psychotherapy and counseling to veterans and family members Provide psychoeducation to patients and family members to support healthcare adherence and around the aging process, palliative care process/treatment, and spinal cord injury and rehabilitation Collaborate with Interdisciplinary clinical teams and participate in regular meetings Provide direct services in a range of settings including the inpatient acute care units, hospice designated beds, outpatient clinics, as well as outpatient mental health clinic locations. Care may be provided in face to face settings, as well as using telephone and virtual care technology Provide empirically validated treatments (such as Cognitive-Behavioral therapy for Chronic Pain) and relaxation strategies and, as indicated, complementary and alternative Medicine approaches (such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction), as well as motivational enhancement interventions, environmental interventions, psycho-educational interventions, and crisis interventions Serves as a member of the Psychology Internship Training Committee Works with Interdisciplinary Team Members to develop programming, including treatment protocols and care process in the area of telehealth pain management applications Implement program design and assists in clinical management of program staff Timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME) 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) CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification) Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm (or as determined by the needs of the service) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 38136F EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: May be authorized for highly qualified candidate Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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 (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). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the