1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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 profession’s Boards

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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?