DPS - IOD - Staff Psychologist II - 4464 - Austin, United States - State of Texas

Description

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Perform advanced and/or managerial (senior-level) psychological work within the agency's Victim and Employee Support Services.

Work includes providing psychological testing, screening, a comprehensive program of psychological services to agency employees and their families; program design and implementation, diagnosing, counseling, training, and crisis intervention.

Prepare reports and conduct special projects and research as directed. Work is performed under limited supervision, with considerable latitude for initiative and independent judgment.
The following Military Occupational Specialty codes are generally applicable to this position. Applicants must fully complete the summary of experience to determine if minimum qualifications are met.


ESSENTIAL DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES:
1.

Administer and interpret psychological tests and conduct psychological assessments of recruit school applicants, police communications operator applicants, promotional candidates, and for other specialized jobs such as hostage negotiation, S.W.A.T.

team, and undercover work.2.

Plan, develop, and implement training on various topics, e.g., stress management; work performance enhancement; basic psychology in law enforcement work; crisis intervention; and employee motivation to facilitate the overall wellness and resilience of the department's work force.3.

Develop training materials; provide input for best practice guidelines for employee support services; and conduct training for VESS personnel and other team members upon request.

4.

Provide professional and confidential short-term treatment in a voluntary counseling program for agency employees and their families; make referrals and maintain follow-up evaluations on employees requiring additional psychological services from outside facilities; and provide appropriate support and other group intervention services.5.

Facilitates debriefings after critical incidents.6. Act as a consultant on special projects requiring psychological expertise.7.

Consult with various levels of agency management and/or individual workgroups regarding solutions to ongoing or anticipated problems, including but not limited to personnel conflicts and problematic behavior in the workplace; Coordinate fitness for duty evaluations when appropriate and/or ordered by the Director or designee.8.

Conduct program design and develop procedures for pre-employment testing, wellness and behavioral health services for employees.9.

Participate in field visits and observe training for law enforcement officers; provide feedback to VESS leadership regarding suggestions to improve first responders mental health, psychological safety, and wellness.10.

Travel locally and within the state as needed to accomplish position objectives. Travel to more than one work location and overnight travel may be required. 11. Attends work regularly and observes approved work hours in accordance with agency leave and attendance policies. Flexibility in work hours may be required for this position. The position may be required to work additional hours or at times outside traditional office hours. 12. Perform other duties as assigned. Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to assisting in critical incident response. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.


Qualifications GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS and REQUIREMENTS:
Education – Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.
D.), Doctor of Psychology (Psy.
D.), or Doctor of Education (Ed.
D.) degree in Clinical or Counseling Psychology.

Experience – Minimum of one year of full-time work experience in providing direct psychological services, including clinical crisis intervention and/or trauma counseling and a range of educational, psychological, and behavioral interventions for the management of stress reactions.

Successfully completed an internship in clinical or counseling psychology or supervised experience (e.g., pre- or postdoctoral employment, internships, residencies or a combination) and has documented training and supervised experience in group, individual and behavioral therapies, psychological assessment, and psychological testing.

Experience conducting pre-employment psychological evaluations and/or working within a law enforcement culture is preferred.

Licensure and/or Certification – Possess and maintain licensure by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists as a Psychologist.

Must possess a valid driver license from state of residence.

If applicant has valid out of state licensure, licensure by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists as a Psychologist must be obtained within three months of start date.

Regulatory Knowledge – Working knowledge of, or the ability to rapidly assimilate information related to TXDPS, State and Federal regulations, legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures.

Thorough knowledge of the applicable laws and requirements for the practice of psychology in the state of Texas including confidentiality, record retention, and the practical applications of such rules and regulations to conducting clinical/counseling psychology.

Familiarity with Americans with Disability Act (ADA) requirements and the application of such requirements to pre-employment evaluations; familiarity with pre-employment screening of law enforcement applicants and the rules and regulations governing the selection of law enforcement officers in the State of Texas is preferred.

Clinical Knowledge- Knowledge of the principles of assessment and treatment of acute and traumatic stress reactions and disorders; brief therapy; crisis intervention; grief; victimology; and the psychological response to routine and critical incident stress.

Knowledge of the principles of choosing appropriate screening instruments, administering psychological screening instruments, interpreting test data and identifying potential behavioral deficits in an applicant's ability to perform essential job functions in conducting a pre-employment screening process.

Familiarity with the essential job functions of police officers and with psychological assessment research relevant to screening law enforcement officers is preferred.

Supervisory/Managerial/Leadership Skills – Knowledge of team dynamics, and operational practices.

Strong leadership skills with the ability to direct and motivate others, maintain a persuasive and credible presentation style at all levels of the organization, and to make sound work-related judgments and decisions.

Exemplify the agency's core mission to Protect and Serve Texas and the values of integrity, teamwork, accountability and excellence. Able to organize and implement program activities. Promote teamwork among VESS staff to accomplish program goals and objectives that support the strategic plan.

Interpersonal Skills – Must demonstrate an ability to exercise poise, tact, diplomacy and an ability to establish and maintain positive, working/professional relationships with internal/external customers.

Presentation/Communication Skills – Must be able to construct and deliver clear, concise, and professional presentations to a variety of audiences and/or individuals.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills to include complex correspondence drafting, English composition, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Ability to make quick and accurate judgment calls regarding the need to provide information to Division personnel. Communicate psychological information and professional opinions effectively in formal training situations and in business and other routine organizational interactions.

Organizational and Prioritization Skills – Must be organized, flexible, and able to effectively prioritize in a multi-demand and constantly changing environment; able to meet multiple and sometimes conflicting deadlines without sacrificing accuracy, timeliness or professionalism.

Research and Comprehension – Must demonstrate ability to quickly and efficiently access relevant information, and be able to utilize and/or present research and conclusions in a clear and concise manner.

Analytical Reasoning/Attention to Detail – Must demonstrate an ability to examine data/information, discern variations/similarities, and be able identify trends, relationships and causal factors, as well as grasp issues, draw accurate conclusions, and solve problems.

Technology – Proficiency with Microsoft Office and appropriate levels of proficiency with utilized software and systems (e.g. CAPPS, SharePoint) and be able to learn new software/systems.

Confidentiality and Protected Information – Must demonstrate an ability to responsibly handle sensitive and confidential information and situations, and adhere to applicable laws/statutes/policies related to access, maintenance and dissemination of information.

Safety – Must be able to work and promote working in a safe manner at all times, avoiding shortcuts that have potential adverse results/risks, and must be able to comply with safety standards and best practices.

Travel and/or Schedule – Availability to travel up to fifteen percent of the time, including overnight and weekends. Flexibility in work hours may be required for this position. The position may be required to work additional and/or extended hours.


PHYSICAL and/or ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS:

The physical and environmental demands described here are representative of those encountered and/or necessary for the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job; reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Environment:
Office, Outdoors, and Vehicle;

• Ambulatory skills, e.g. stand, walk, sit;
• Hand-eye coordination and arm/hand/finger dexterity;
• Ability to speak, hear, and exercise visual acuity;
• Ability to transfer weights of ten pounds anticipated for this position;

Driving requirements:
Moderate frequency (15%).