Clinical Psychologist (Staff Psychologist)

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

Duties

Participates in the administration, scoring, and interpretation of a wide variety of personality evaluation methods and is responsible for the preparation of comprehensive psychological reports for various purposes.
Assists in interdisciplinary classification of inmates by identifying behavioral, emotional, organic, drug/alcohol, or personality problems and the subsequent development of appropriate programs on an individual basis.
Completes reports for institutional staff on inmates who may manifest sudden bizarre behavior or thoughts, insomnia, psychosomatic complaints, suicidal preoccupations, depression, somnambulism, anxiety, situational crisis, or long-term disciplinary and segregation cases, etc.
Conducts individual treatment and crisis intervention sessions on an as-needed or emergency basis.
Responsible for providing assessment and referral services for staff referred to psychology services by their supervisors or for staff personally requesting assistance with problems of alcohol use, drug use, or emotional problems which are affecting job performance.
Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staffs correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Salary

• $89,508 - $116,362/year

Conditions of Employment

Career Transition Programs (CTAP): 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:

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.

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.

Qualifications

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

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.

NOTE: If you are within nine (9) months of completing all the requirements for your PH.D in Clinical or Counseling psychology, you MUST electronically upload a copy of your unofficial transcript documenting current enrollment in a PHD program AND upload an official letter from the Registrar office or Dean validating current enrollment in Clinical or Counseling and your program projected completion date (MM,DD,YYYY). If selected, you MUST provide a letter from the university validating the completion date (MM,DD,YYYY) of all degree requirements to the local Human Resource prior to entering on duty. If your official letter from the Registrar office or Dean verified completion of all degree requirements with the sole exception being completion of your internship, an official letter from your Internship Program Coordinator, prior to entry on duty, is acceptable.

AND

In addition to the basic requirements, applicants must have:

Education:
There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position at this level.

OR

Experience:
You must have 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 must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.

Some examples of qualifying experience are:
Experience in making professional decisions concerning diagnosis and treatment of inmates under their care.
Experience in assisting in interdisciplinary classification of inmates by identifying behavioral, emotional, organic, drug/alcohol, or personality problems and the subsequent development of appropriate programs on an individual basis.
Experience in completing reports for the courts on study and observation cases.
Experience in providing assessment and referral services for staff referred to psychology services by their supervisors or for staff personally requesting assistance with problems of alcohol use, drug use, or emotional problems which are affecting job performance.

AND

Quality Ranking Factor:
Satisfactory completion of all the requirements for the doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) from an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited educational institution, directly related to full professional work in clinical psychology.

NOTE: The above quality ranking factor is preferred. Therefore, applicants who possess the quality ranking factor can be ranked above those who do not, but no candidates can be rated ineligible solely for failure to possess a quality ranking factor.
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 institutions, applicants applying for this series can be considered at any age. The representative rate for this position is $98,459 per annum ($47.18 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. 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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) 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.
  • 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.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

1. Click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on 08/31/2026.


If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants