Clinical Psychologist (Mental Health Unit Psychologist)

Summary

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

Duties

• Serves as the Mental Health Unit Psychologist for the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Devens, Massachusetts and is under the supervision of the Chief, Psychology Services. Provides services for inpatient/outpatient medical, surgical, psychiatric, and chemically dependent patients. The population includes a wide range of psychological disorders including Schizophrenic Disorder, Paranoid Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder, Affective disorders, Dissociative disorders, and major Personality Disorders such as Borderline, Antisocial, and Narcissistic Disturbance. Responsible for assessing the mental health, educational, vocational, and rehabilitation needs of a wide variety of severely ill psychiatric inpatients. 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.

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. In addition to the basic requirements, you must have: Education: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position. Experience: 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 be in or related to the position to be filled. Some examples of the qualifying experience are: Experience in assessing the mental health, education, vocational and rehabilitation needs of a wide variety of severely ill psychiatric inpatients. Experience in meeting quality assurance standards as set by the Psychology Services. Experience in providing written and oral documentation of assessment and treatment in accordance with general clinical practice and the standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Experience in providing consultation and technical assistance to nursing and correctional staff engaged in counseling programs. 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.**

Requirements

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): 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: Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and 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. Selective Service Requirement

Education

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.

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: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. 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. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. 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. 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. 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. USAJOBS Help Center - How to Add a Resume to Your Profile All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time on09/18/2026. If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants How do I Apply for this Position if I am a Current Public Health Service Commissioned Officer? If you are a current Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Officer, you may apply using one of the two options below depending on whether you are applying as a PHS officer or seeking to enter the competitive service. Option 1: Apply as a Current Public Health Service Commissioned Officer (Not Entering Competitive Service) 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(s), if required. Resume or curriculum vitae must contain all information listed in the Qualifications Section. Submit supporting documents (transcripts, certification, registration, license, if applicable). Your completed application packet must be submitted directly to the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m. EST on 09/18/2026 of the vacancy announcement. Packet must be E-mailed to [email protected]. 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 online. Option 2: Apply as a Public Health Service Commissioned Officer Seeking to Enter the Competitive Service If you wish to apply under competitive examining procedures, please follow the instructions provided at the beginning of this section.