HYBRID TITLE 38 CONVERSION STATUS

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HYBRID TITLE 38 CONVERSION STATUS

• Antonette Zeiss, Ph.D.
• Deputy Chief Consultant
• Office of Mental Health Services
• VA Central Office
• Robert Gresen, Ph.D.
• Chair, Psychology
• National Professional Standards Board

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QUALIFICATION STANDARDS

• Psychology standards completed and approved
• Cover all GS levels from 11 to 15
• Four pathways to GS 14 or 15 status for
  Psychologists
• Program Manager
• Clinician Investigator
• Supervisory Psychologist
• Leadership Position at VISN or National Level
• All have clear, explicit definitions with message
  that grade should be determined according to
  these standards

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PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION FUNCTIONAL STATEMENTS

• Samples developed and nearing release
• For all levels
• For all pathways to GS14 and 15
• Kudos and thanks to the joint AVAPL/Division 18
  development group
• Local HR staff have been told to develop
  functional statements also. When these are
  released, they will be sent by VACO HR (Mary
  Park) to all facilities and VISNs through the
  VISN Hybrid Title 38 liaisons. Intent is that
  they will be used to guide local development of
  functional statements

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PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
BOARDS

• National Professional Standards Board to review
  all positions nominated for GS 14 and 15
• Local Professional Standards Boards will review
  GS 11 to 13
• Local can mean facility, group of facilities,
  VISN wide, regional, etc.
• That decision is made locally
• OMHS not informed about specific decisions

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PSYCHOLOGY NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS BOARD

• Chair Bob Gresen
• 9 members nominated (8 in addition to Bob)
• Terms set to create ultimate staggered 3 year
  terms
• 3 terms of 1 year, 3 of 2 years, 3 of 3 years
  (including Chair)
• Awaiting final word from VISNs re. approval
• Will come through Mary Park in VACO, along with
  information for other professions Boards

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TRAINING FOR PSYCHOLOGY NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL
STANDARDS BOARD

• National and local trainings planned
• Psychology not in the first wave of training
• Program Office being asked to develop sample
  scenarios of similar functional statements but
  with key information differentiating grade.
  These planned for use in training as gold
  standard.
• Once National Board is finalized, training will
  begin shortly thereafter

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BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR REVIEW OF STAFF POSITIONS
AND GRADE ASSIGNMENT

• Up to full performance level (GS13), reviews done
  locally and decisions made locally
• Functional Statement of staff member nominated
  for higher level by supervisor is sent to
  National Board for review
• Recommendations for GS14 and 15 made by National
  Board and sent to local facility (or VISN, if
  position in the VISN) for decision
• Theoretically, decisions can only be different
  from National Board recommendations on basis of
  procedural questions or challenges regarding the
  validity of the recommendation made by the Board

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DEVIL IN THE DETAILS

• How will this work?
• How will staff self-nominate for higher levels if
  supervisors do not do so?
• How reliable will Board recommendations be?
• How will recommendations from the National Board
  be handled?
• What appeal processes will be available and what
  costs will there be to invoking them?