Vacancy title:
Staff Psychologist (SUD)

[Type: FULL_TIME, Industry: Public Administration, and Government, Category: Healthcare, Civil & Government, Social Services & Nonprofit]

Jobs at:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Deadline of this Job:
Wednesday, April 1 2026

Duty Station:
Nairobi | Nairobi

Summary
Date Posted: Wednesday, March 25 2026, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

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JOB DETAILS:

Summary

Psychological services are an integral part of the overall VHA health care program and are provided as part of health care service delivery. Psychological services provide help to veterans and their families in resolving the psychosocial - emotional - and cognitive problems associated with the stresses of illness.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States

Education: Must have one of the following: 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 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

OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature

AND Internships

(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

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

Loss of Credential

A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation - which may result in termination of employment

At the discretion of the appointing official - an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE - YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING GRADE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION

GS-13 Grade Requirements: Experience: At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level

AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities

In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

1 Knowledge of - and ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations

2 Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health

3 Knowledge of clinical research literature

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

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary - but may require walking - bending - standing - and /or carrying of light items such as files and manuals

The work does not require any special physical effort or ability.

Duties

The Psychologist will be an independently licensed provider with knowledge of the treatment of addiction and related co-morbid mental health conditions and associated reactions as part of the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Team

The incumbent utilizes a variety of empirically supported treatment to alleviate or reduce cycles of physiological - behavioral - and cognitive addiction

The incumbent has full professional responsibility for determining patients' needs for psychological evaluations - specialized evaluation procedures - diagnostic procedures - individual - group - and specialized proficiencies and techniques

Incumbent personally performs or refers - when appropriate - candidates to individual and group psychotherapy

Having determined the need for psychological intervention - incumbent provides the indicated therapeutic - diagnostic or evaluative intervention - unless such an intervention requires specialized professional expertise for which the incumbent is not privileged to practice in this Medical Center

In such instances - the incumbent will refer such candidates to another psychologist or therapist who is so privileged

The incumbent integrates his/her efforts with those of other professional and administrative personnel who may comprise a multidisciplinary treatment team - maintaining the goal to reciprocally enhance the applied skill of every participating member toward the best available treatment planning for each veteran

The incumbent is also required to exercise judgment in the selection or adaptation of standard and accepted psychological theories - techniques and practices in treating patients or developing new techniques and programs for the treatment of specialized problems or clinical populations

Incumbent must have the ability to work with a multidisciplinary team consisting of other mental health professionals and physicians - social workers - nursing personnel and others are necessary

The incumbent should have a working knowledge of the medications used with individuals with mental illness as well as those typically used in medical settings that might affect cognitive or mental abilities

Psychological Assessment

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 24

Level of Education: postgraduate degree

Job application procedure

Basic Requirements:

Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States

Education: Must have one of the following: 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 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

OR Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution - with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature

AND Internships

(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

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

Loss of Credential

A psychologist who fails to maintain the required licensure must be removed from the occupation - which may result in termination of employment

At the discretion of the appointing official - an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if qualified and if a placement opportunity exists

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE - YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING GRADE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION

GS-13 Grade Requirements: Experience: At least two years of experience as a professional psychologist - with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 grade level

AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities

In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

1 Knowledge of - and ability to apply - professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations

2 Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health

3 Knowledge of clinical research literature

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

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary - but may require walking - bending - standing - and /or carrying of light items such as files and manuals

The work does not require any special physical effort or ability.

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