Vacancy title:
OCA-FY26 Clinical Psychologist - BHIP

[Type: FULL_TIME, Industry: Public Administration, and Government, Category: Healthcare, Civil & Government, Doctors & Other Health Professionals]

Jobs at:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Deadline of this Job:
Sunday, April 19 2026

Duty Station:
Nairobi | Nairobi

Summary
Date Posted: Friday, April 10 2026, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

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JOB DETAILS:

Summary

This is an open continuous announcement. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. The announcement may be closed at any time after the initial open period once all vacancies have been filled.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements

United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy

English Language Proficiency

Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j

Education

(1) Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) - the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) - or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) at the time the program was completed

The specialty area of the degree must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed

For the purpose of meeting this requirement - the term "specialty area" refers to the specific specialty areas recognized by the accrediting body and not to specific job duties that might require special skills

Currently - APA accredits doctoral programs in the specialty areas of clinical psychology - counseling psychology - school psychology - or combinations of two or more of those areas

PCSAS accredits doctoral programs in psychological clinical science

CPA accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology - counseling psychology - clinical neuropsychology - and school psychology

There are no job assignments in VHA that require the skills of a school psychologist

therefore - an applicant with a degree in the specialty area of school psychology is not eligible for appointment

Strictly for the purpose of determining eligibility for appointment as a psychologist in VHA - there is no distinction between the specialty areas (with the exception of school psychology)

OR (2) Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and - in addition - successfully complete a re- specialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the re- specialization program) meeting both of the following conditions: (a) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program

and (b) the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed

NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program - which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship

[Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards.] OR (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.] AND (4) Internships

Licensure

Hold a full - current - and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State - Territory - or Commonwealth of the United States - or the District of Columbia

(1) Exception

Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment as a "graduate psychologist" at the GS-11 or GS-12 grade under the authority of 38 U.S.C.

7405 [(c)(2)(B)] for a period not to exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that such a psychologist provide care only under the supervision of a psychologist who is licensed

Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment

(a) Have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program that was accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed and that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed

OR (b) New VHA psychology internship programs that are in the process of applying for APA accreditation are acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement - provided that such programs were sanctioned by the VHA Central Office Program Director for Psychology and the VHA Office of Academic Affiliations at the time that the individual was an intern

OR (c) VHA facilities that offered full-time - one-year pre-doctoral internships prior to PL 96- 151 (pre- 1979) are considered to be acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement

OR (d) Applicants who completed an internship that was not accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed may be considered eligible for hire only if they are currently board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty area that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed

(NOTE: Once board certified - the employee is required to maintain board certification.) OR (e) Applicants who have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature may fulfill this internship requirement by having the equivalent of a one-year supervised internship experience in a site specifically acceptable to the candidate's doctoral program

If the internship experience is not noted on the applicant's official transcript - the applicant must provide a statement from the doctoral program verifying that the equivalent of a one-year supervised internship experience was completed in a site acceptable to the doctoral program

NOTE: Psychologists who meet the requirements of this revision and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the requirements of this qualification standard.] May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)

Grade Determinations:

Staff Psychologist - GS-11 (Entry Level)

(a) Experience

None beyond the basic requirements

Staff Psychologist - GS-12 (Developmental Level)

(a) Experience

At least one year of experience as a professional psychologist equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11)

Psychologists who are not licensed must practice under the supervision of a licensed psychologist but with less intense supervision than at the GS-11 grade level

Staff Psychologist - GS-13 (Full Performance - Level)

(a) Experience

At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-13

Physical Requirements:

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Duties

VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program

You must meet specific

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 24

Level of Education: postgraduate degree

Job application procedure

This is an open continuous announcement. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available.  https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck The announcement may be closed at any time after the initial open period once all vacancies have been filled.

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