Clinical Psychologist (Forensics Unit Psychologist)

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

Duties

The position requires a forensic examination specialist, trained by Federal law as a licensed psychologist who is cognizant of courtroom procedures and is familiar with the issues of competency and responsibility as they relate to examinations ordered under Title 18, U.S. Code, Sections 4241 and 4242.

Evaluates and/or supervises the evaluation of inmates to assess competency to stand trial and/or the offender’s responsibility for his behavior at the time of the offense. Prepares reports which detail the findings in support of the opinion rendered. This must include the ability to administer, score, and interpret a wide variety of psycho-diagnostic assessment instruments. Must also be prepared to explain or discuss these opinions as an expert witness before the court.

Assists in interdisciplinary classification of inmates by identifying behavioral, emotional, personality disorders, organic mental disorders, alcohol or drug dependencies and/or self-destructive potential and the subsequent development of suitable suggested programs for the individual inmate.

Formulates treatment program decisions, referring medical problems to the Medical Officer, and assists in decisions to transfer the inmate to more appropriate or specialized facilities.

Examines candidates for the Witness Protection Program of the Office of Enforcement Operations. Is expected to organize and conduct pre-release reviews on inmates to determine if they suffer from a mental disease or defect that would present a danger to the persons or property of others upon release.

Plans and performs both individual and group psychotherapy on a regularly scheduled basis. Consults with interdisciplinary staff teams in assessing program needs, and in developing and implementing program plans for individual inmates. Must have the ability to develop psychological treatment modalities for severely disturbed inmates.

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.

Salary

• $95,326 - $147,365/year

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is Required.
• See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

Career Transition Programs (CTAP): These programs apply 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:

• 1. Meet CTAP eligibility criteria;
• 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
• 3. 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.

NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.

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: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following:

Basic Requirements:

Satisfactory completion of all the requirements for a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) directly related to full professional work in clinical psychology is required.

NOTE: Applicants may have received this degree in either clinical or counseling psychology.

AND

In addition to the basic requirements, applicants must have:

Education:

GS-12 and GS-13: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.

Experience:

GS-12 and GS-13: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.

Some examples of the qualifying experience are:

GS-12:

• Experience which demonstrates the ability to administer, score, and interpret a wide variety of psycho-diagnostic assessment instruments, i.e., projective instruments of personality assessment, intellectual tests, screening tests for evidence of organic brain damage, and tests or inventories of interests, aptitude and achievement.
• Experience in performing individual and group psychotherapy.
• Experience assisting with formulating appropriate treatment programs and recommending accommodations or program transfers when appropriate.
• Experience in providing the full range of professional psychological services to inmates.

GS-13:

• Experience in the administration and interpretation of objective and projective assessment instruments including intellectual, personality, and neuropsychological assessment techniques.
• Experience in evaluating and/or supervising the evaluation of inmates to assess competency to stand trial and/or the offender's responsibility for his behavior at the time of the offense.
• Experience in formulating treatment program decisions, referring medical problems to the Medical Officer, and assisting in decisions to transfer inmates to a more appropriate or specialized facility.
• Experience in appraising the attitudes, personality dynamics and overall level of adjustment of inmates resulting from participation in current institutional programs and/or from the implementation of new, demonstration and innovative projects.

AND

Selective Placement Factor:

GS-12 and GS-13: Applicants applying for this position MUST also possess the following Selective Placement Factor. In the event you do not possess the Selective Factor, you will be found ineligible.

• Applicants must hold a full, current and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States (e.g. Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia.

NOTE: All applicants must electronically upload a copy of their license at the time they apply to the vacancy announcement. The documentation provided MUST show the expiration date of the license. Failure to provide this documentation will result in loss of consideration for this position.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

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. Other Information Although 5 U.S.C. 3307 established a maximum entry age for original appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution, Applicants can be considered up to age 39. If you are above the maximum entry age and have prior federal law enforcement coverage, you MUST submit an SF-50 to verify prior coverage. The representative rate for this position is $124,692 per annum ($59.75 per hour). Special Conditions of Employment Section: 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 25% RETENTION INCENTIVE WILL BE PAID TO SELECTEE(S) WHO MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR RETENTION INCENTIVES. Required Documents

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.
• Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment.
• Current federal employees NOT employed by the BOP and former federal employees MUST submit a copy of their latest yearly performance appraisal/evaluation.
• 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.

For more help, visit USAJOBS Help Center - What should I include in my resume?

We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.

How to Apply

You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov. Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions and submit all required documents.

Limit your resume to 2 pages. If the only resume(s) received is/are longer than two pages, your application is ineligible for further consideration. Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. This position may require the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described under the Required Documents section. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your application not being considered for employment.

We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. USAJOBS Help Center - How to add a resume to your profile

Required supporting documentation must be electronically uploaded or transferred from USAJOBS (uploaded).

All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. You MUST include the vacancy announcement number on your supporting documentation.

Supporting documentation for announcements with an application limitation MUST be uploaded the same day you apply, as these positions may close earlier than stated in the announcement.

Paper applications: If applying online is impossible, please contact the Consolidated Staffing Unit at the telephone number listed below, prior to the closing date of the announcement for the alternate application procedure.

If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants. 

Contact for Assistance in Applying On-Line:
DOJ, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Consolidated Staffing Unit
346 Marine Forces Drive
Grand Prairie, TX 75051
E-Mail: BOP-HRM-HRSC-ConsolidatedStaffingUnit-S@bop.gov
Phone: 972-352-4200

How do I Apply for this Position if I am a Current Public Health Service Commissioned Officer?

• Submit a complete/detailed resume or curriculum vitae.
• Limit your resume to 2 pages. If the only resume(s) received is/are longer than two pages, your application is ineligible for further consideration. 
• Address selective factor, if required.
• Resume or curriculum vitae must contain all information listed in the Qualifications Section.
• Submit supporting documents (i.e. transcripts, certification, registration, and/or license, if applicable).

Your completed application packet must be submitted to the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST), on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. You must include the last four digits of your social security number and the vacancy announcement number on your application packet. DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ON-LINE.