Clinical Psychologist/Chief Psychologist

About the role

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

What you will do

• Serves as Chief of the Psychology Services department at a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) federal correctional facility.
• Major duties and responsibilities include administration and program development, psychological assessment and evaluation, training and supervision, research/program evaluation, as well as facilitating a wide variety of professional, self-help and personal growth programs.
• The Chief Psychologist supervises two or more specialized treatment psychology programs, each directed by a GS-13 program coordinator psychologist.
• Specialized treatment programs include such program areas as drug abuse treatment, forensics, sex offender treatment, APA psychology internship program, transitional services program, etc. Maintains an ongoing awareness of organizational development, modern correctional practices and various management concepts as it relates to the psychology department.
• Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution.
• The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Requirements

• This program applies to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service.
• To receive selection priority for this position, you must: Meet CTAP eligibility criteria; Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility: A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter), Most recent performance appraisal, and Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.
• See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information.
• EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.
• More information can be found here: U.S Department of Justice - Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Key Requirements: U.S. Citizenship is Required.
• See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement.

Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable).

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.

Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies: GS13: Decision Making GS13: Managing Human Resources GS13: Psychology GS13: Therapy and Counseling GS14: Decision Making GS14: Managing Human Resources GS14: Psychology GS14: Therapy and Counseling The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies.

You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered.

You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

You will be evaluated based on your assessment score and the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation. Applicants who receive a score of 85 or higher will be reviewed first, and reviews will continue until 10 qualified applicants have been identified. Applicants who receive a score of 75 or below will not be reviewed.

Your resume and supporting documents will be compared against your responses to the online assessment to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed in this announcement. If the information in your application materials does not support your assessment responses, your score may be adjusted and/or you may be removed from consideration.

If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application: Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile; Your responses to the eligibility questions; Your responses to the online assessment; Your supporting documentation, if required. Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements for consideration.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Due Weight for Performance and Awards: Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

Please submit: a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation; and a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available.

Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

Documents you must provide

• Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration.
• If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts.
• Resume (limited to 2 pages) must include your name, contact information, and relevant experience (cover letter optional).
• Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF-52, MOU, etc.).
• If providing a memorandum, it must follow the format below AND clearly cite the duties performed.
• To receive credit for experience, your resume and/or any satisfactory evidence must include: Start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND Number of hours worked per week.
• SF-50: Current or former Federal employees NOT employed by the Bureau of Prisons MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, and salary.
• If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof.
• If you are applying for a higher grade, and your experience was gained at a Federal agency other than the Bureau of Prisons, you MUST provide the SF-50 Form which verifies the length of time you have been in your highest grade and supports your claim for time-in-grade.
• SF-50: If you are a current/former federal government employee, you must provide an unredacted copy of your latest SF-50.
• Proof of CTAP eligibility, Click Here, if applicable.
• College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable).
• NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.
• A copy of your latest yearly performance appraisal/evaluation.
• Professional Certification/License For more help, visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
• We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.

What to expect next

We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the application process has been completed. Normally, Selecting Officials will make a selection within 90-days. When deemed necessary, the selection process may be extended up to 180-days from the date the certificate(s), (Exception, Best Qualified Lists) is/are generated to make a selection.

Additional information

Although 5 U.S.C. 3307 established a maximum entry age for original appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institutions, applicants applying for this series can be considered at any age. An approved age waiver prior to entry on duty is required.

Age waivers are not required for: Applicants with prior federal law enforcement coverage. Qualified Preference Eligible Veterans. The representative rate for this position is $138,356 per annum ($66.29 per hour) Special Conditions of Employment Section: Initial appointment to a supervisory/managerial position requires a one-year probationary period.

The incumbent is subject to geographic relocation to meet the needs of the agency. Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks.

All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm. Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required.

The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed.

NOTE: A RETENTION INCENTIVE UP TO 25% MAY BE OFFERED TO SELECTEE(S) WHO MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR RETENTION INCENTIVE.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.

Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis.

If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision.

You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (***)