Psychology Technician - Neuropsychology

Summary

The Psychology Technician position involves the performance of technical work in a program of research and direct services in neuropsychology. This position involves a practical understanding of many of the principles, methods and techniques of psychology. Psychology Technician work is performed for its immediate productive value, is typically limited in breadth, and does not provide substantial development of broader psychological skills, knowledge, and insights.

Duties

Major Duties: Independently administers and scores neuropsychological assessment instruments, including complex standardized tests of intelligence, academic achievement, attention, memory, speech language functions, visuospatial/constructional skills, motor skills, and executive functions, as well as cognitive screening tools and extended batteries designed to assess neuropsychological abilities. The instruments used include specialized, complicated neuropsychological assessment techniques, beyond introductory assessment knowledge, requiring more extensive training and skill in administration and scoring. Some of the specific, complex measures used for these purposes include WeschIer Adult Intelligence Scale, WeschIer Individual Achievement Test, Reynolds Intellectual Screening Test, Wide Range Achievement Test, Wechsler Memory Scale, California Verbal Learning Test, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Neuropsychological Assessment Battery, Judgement of Line Orientation, Wisconsin Card Sorting Testing, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System, Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, Grooved Pegboard Test. While on rare occasions duties may include only screening of behavioral, cognitive, psychological, and other symptoms, the majority of assessments will involve in-depth comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of multiple domains of cognition as described above and assessment of psychological functioning. Conducts a comprehensive battery of standardized neuropsychological tests, during in-person/face-to-face appointments. On rare occasions, brief assessments may be conducted via telehealth or comprehensive assessments may include a combination of in-room/face-to-face testing and remote/room-to-room testing within the clinic. Provides services to a subset of patients who exhibit complex diagnoses, such as patients with severe neurological disorders, including traumatic brain injuries, stroke, seizure disorders, aphasia, neurosyphilis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and severe mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders. Administers tests to patients of diverse backgrounds, with awareness of cultural and linguistic factors that may impact test validity. This may include further assessment of language preferences, administration of tests that aid the neuropsychologist in determining language proficiency, and/or administration of a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological and psychological tests in Spanish, if the applicant is fluent in Spanish. Administers and scores measures for purposes of assessment of emotional status, personality, and/or functional capability. Measures used for these purposes include complex measures such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functions, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory. Provides patients and/or significant others with a rationale for specific testing procedures. Operates equipment such as computers, tape recorders, or other specialized assessment equipment. Uses computers for purposes of data entry, scoring, and analysis for program evaluation and research purposes. Encourages the cooperation of patients during the entire assessment procedure through the use of evidence-based motivational interviewing techniques. Establishes and maintains effective rapport with all types of patients and provides an appropriate, non-threatening setting for optimal test performance by patients. Provides sensitive communication with patients with disabilities and adapts assessment approaches or procedures in a manner to meet any special problems or needs related to these disabilities. This may include using assistive devices or other adaptations to minimize the impact of vision, hearing, or other sensory limitations for optimal test performance by patients. Provides verbal and written observations of patient test behavior. Observes atypical habits, physical disabilities, emotional and personality features, and any previous injury that might have a bearing on test performance. Collect relevant demographic and psychosocial information from a patient and/or collateral informant. Document relevant demographic information in medical records and on test protocols as needed. Major Duties Continues in Qualification section below: Work Schedule: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday Telework: Ad-hoc only. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Psychology Technician - Neuropsychology/PD00712A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: A pre-placement physical examination is required. 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period 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 probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/25/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Basic Requirement: The following are basic requirements for appointment as a Psychology Technician in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met. Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in an appropriate social or biological science, which included or was supplemented by 12 semester hours in psychology. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) In addition to meeting the basic requirements one of the following minimum requirement criteria must be met to be qualified for this position. Specialized Experience: One year of technical work under the direction of a professional psychologist in a program of professional services, training or research. OR, Education: One full year of graduate study (18 semester hours) in psychology in an accredited college or university may be substituted for 1 year of experience and meets in full the requirements at the GS-7 level. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Applicants must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing, or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant for appointment. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation may also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to: the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Major Duties continued: Provides timely, organized, and legible presentations of patient data, and presents tabular or graphic displays of data when necessary. Provides timely and appropriate documentation within the electronic medical record. Assist neuropsychologists in completing behavior observation reports. Collects, tabulates, and maintains databases of psychological and neuropsychological tests. Oversees neuropsychology caseload organization and scheduling of referrals in a manner to provide timely assessment and expeditious handling of priority or crisis referrals.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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/. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. How You Will Be Evaluated

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 for this position: Psychology Information Management Interpersonal Skills Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Resume Other Information

This OPEN & CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT is scheduled to remain open until 11/25/2026; however, announcement may be closed sooner (or extended) once and until position(s) is/are filled. Eligible applications will be referred at regular intervals (or as additional vacancies occur) on an as-needed basis, until position(s) is/are filled. Applications will be reviewed bi-weekly, starting 09/03/2026 until the position is filled or closed. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. 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. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.