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Operational Psychologist Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

The Operations Coordinator supports oversight of the day-to-day activities of the program, ensuring ... Bachelor Degree in Psychology, Social Work, orotherHealth Related Field preferred. * Specific ...

Psych NP

Westmoreland, TN · On-site

$108K - $138K/yr

The Psych NP shall, under appropriate direction and supervision by the Psychiatric Consultant ... Operations Officer of HOPE) * Must hold an active certificate issued by the Tennessee State Board ...

Psych NP

Westmoreland, TN · On-site

$108K - $138K/yr

The Psych NP shall, under appropriate direction and supervision by the Psychiatric Consultant ... Operations Officer of HOPE) * Must hold an active certificate issued by the Tennessee State Board ...

New

Psych NP

Westmoreland, TN · On-site

$108K - $138K/yr

The Psych NP shall, under appropriate direction and supervision by the Psychiatric Consultant ... Operations Officer of HOPE) * Must hold an active certificate issued by the Tennessee State Board ...

Showing results 21-40

Operational Psychologist information

See Tennessee salary details

$10K

$84.2K

$361.7K

How much do operational psychologist jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for operational psychologist in Tennessee is $84,239.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $60,400.00 and $106,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an operational psychologist do?

An Operational Psychologist applies psychological principles to support military, law enforcement, and intelligence operations. They assist with personnel selection, training, performance optimization, and stress management in high-risk environments. They may also provide expertise in areas such as resilience training, interrogation support, and threat assessment. Their work helps enhance decision-making, mission effectiveness, and overall psychological well-being of personnel in operational settings.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an operational psychologist, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Operational Psychologist, you need an advanced degree in psychology, licensure to practice, and a strong understanding of psychological assessment and intervention techniques in high-stress environments. Familiarity with assessment tools, data analysis software, and adherence to ethical standards specific to operational or military psychology is often required. Strong interpersonal skills, cultural awareness, and the ability to communicate effectively under pressure make candidates stand out. These qualifications enable Operational Psychologists to support mission readiness and mental resilience within demanding organizational settings.

What types of teams or professionals does an operational psychologist typically work with?

Operational Psychologists often collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams, including military personnel, law enforcement officers, medical staff, and leadership. They provide psychological consultation, support resilience training, and assist with selection processes or critical incident responses. These professionals frequently work in both field and office environments, adapting to diverse operational needs. Effective teamwork and communication are essential, as the role requires integrating psychological expertise within fast-paced, mission-focused organizations.

How do you become an operational psychologist?

To become an operational psychologist, you typically need a doctoral degree in psychology, such as a Ph.D. or Psy.D., along with specialized training in applied or military psychology. Licensing or certification is usually required, and gaining experience through internships or military service can be beneficial for working in operational or high-stress environments.

How much do operational psychologists make?

Operational psychologists typically earn between $70,000 and $120,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and the specific agency or organization. They often work in high-stress environments requiring specialized training and security clearances.

What are popular job titles related to Operational Psychologist jobs in Tennessee?

For Operational Psychologist jobs in Tennessee, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What cities in Tennessee are hiring for Operational Psychologist jobs?

Cities in Tennessee with the most Operational Psychologist job openings:

Infographic showing various Operational Psychologist job openings in Tennessee as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 93% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $84,239 per year, or $40.5 per hour.

Psychologist Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI)

Veterans Health Administration

Millington, TN • On-site, Remote

$147K - $192K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 10 days ago


Key responsibilities

  • Provide mental health assessment and treatment services to Veterans referred by PACT, including diagnosing mental disorders and managing complex cases.

  • Support same-day access to mental health services, including crisis intervention, in person, by telephone, and via telehealth.

  • Develop, implement, and document patient care plans, crisis interventions, and suicide risk assessments in CPRS, and communicate with PACT teams and other care providers.


Veterans Health Administration rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 1,008 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

68th of 898 rated healthcare providers


Job description

Summary
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
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VA Careers - Psychologist: https://youtube.com/embed/77qHlLw9Xck
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Duties include but are not limited to:
  • The PCMHI provider provides PCMHI services to Veterans who are referred by PACT as potential candidates for mental health/behavioral health services. The PCMHI provider provides a full range of mental health services (assessment/treatment) as indicated for primary care environment and diagnoses mental disorders, particularly for complex or unusually difficult patients including those with medical conditions that have mental health components ( e.g., diabetes, thyroid disorders, digestive system disorders, chronic pain, other chronic illnesses as well as substance use disorders).
  • Support same-day access to mental health services, including crisis intervention, for Veterans as deemed necessary by the service, in person and by telephone and telehealth.
  • Makes the clinical decision to enroll Veterans in BHL telephone services for conditions warranting additional attention ( e.g., depression monitoring, watchful waiting) and any of a number of dispositions within PC-MHI (e.g., brief therapy, referral management).
  • Provides education appropriate to patients with mental and behavioral health concerns, their family members, and significant others.
  • Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions (EBP) appropriate to patients, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy ( e.g., Motivational Interviewing (Ml) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), etc.) as indicated.
  • Provides consultation to PACT staff, other care providers within The VA Medical Center at Memphis, CBOCs, VISN 9 BHL and PCMHI, and to community providers, concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients.
  • Develops, implements, and documents all patient care including treatment plans, crisis intervention and suicide risk assessment in CPRS to assure ongoing communication with PACT Teams and VISN 9 BHL. The PACT Psychologist communicates with PACT teams via face-to-face meetings and telephone communications as well as VISN 9 BHL. The relationship between the PCMHI provider and the associated BHL services, the medical P ACTs, and the Veteran are the foundation of successful PC-MHI treatment.
  • May provide clinical supervision and instruction to trainees on rotation in PCMHI.
  • Assists the PACT and other PCMHI providers in the design, development, and implementation of clinical programs for Primary Care Clinics.
  • Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the PACT Teams established by the Chief of Primary Care and/or Ambulatory Care Director.
  • Assists the PCMHI and PACT in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program.
  • Facilitates liaisons with other care programs ( e.g., Homeless Program, Veterans Justice Outreach, specialty mental health, etc) in the VA Medical Center at Memphis in order to effectively coordinate services for PACT patients.
  • Additional duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN9HREDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases when setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 50131-F
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
  • All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
  • Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
Basic Requirements:
  • United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
  • Licensure. Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia.
  • English Language Proficiency. Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
  • Education:
    • Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS), or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) at the time the program was completed. The specialty area of the degree must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. For the purpose of meeting this requirement, the term "specialty area" refers to the specific specialty areas recognized by the accrediting body and not to specific job duties that might require special skills. Currently, APA accredits doctoral programs in the specialty areas of clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, or combinations of two or more of those areas. PCSAS accredits doctoral programs in psychological clinical science. CPA accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and school psychology. There are no job assignments in VHA that require the skills of a school psychologist; therefore, an applicant with a degree in the specialty area of school psychology is not eligible for appointment. Strictly for the purpose of determining eligibility for appointment as a psychologist in VHA, there is no distinction between the specialty areas (with the exception of school psychology). OR,
    • Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully complete a re- specialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the re- specialization program) meeting both of the following conditions:
      • (a) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and,
      • (b) the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.

NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program, which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship. OR
  • Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.
  • Internships:
    • Have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program that was accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed and that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. OR,
    • New VHA psychology internship programs that are in the process of applying for APA accreditation are acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement, provided that such programs were sanctioned by the VHA Central Office Program Director for Psychology and the VHA Office of Academic Affiliations at the time that the individual was an intern; OR,
    • VHA facilities that offered full-time, one-year pre-doctoral internships prior to PL 96- 151 (pre- 1979) are considered to be acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement; OR,
    • Applicants who completed an internship that was not accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed may be considered eligible for hire only if they are currently board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty area that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.

(NOTE: Once board certified, the employee is required to maintain board certification.) OR,
  • Applicants who have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally- accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature may fulfill this internship requirement by having the equivalent of a one-year supervised internship experience in a site specifically acceptable to the candidate's doctoral program. If the internship experience is not noted on the applicant's official transcript, the applicant must provide a statement from the doctoral program verifying that the equivalent of a one year supervised internship experience was completed in a site acceptable to the doctoral program.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
Grade Determinations: Staff Psychologist, GS-13
  • Specialized experience: You must also have at least 2 additional years of experience, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-12 level, as a professional psychologist that was obtained through employment as a psychologist or through participating in a supervised post-doctoral psychology training program that demonstrates 1) active professional practice that was paid/non-paid employment and/or 2) a full, current and unrestricted license.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
    • Knowledge of, and ability to apply, professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations.
    • Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health.
    • Knowledge of clinical research literature.
  • Assignment: This is the full performance level for staff psychologists. At this level, psychologists are licensed to practice independently in the provision of psychological services, consulting with peers and supervisors as

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About Veterans Health Administration

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The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, serving millions of Veterans each year. Located in Phoenix, AZ, and many other parts of the US, the VHA operates under the Department of Veteran Affairs, as suggested by their official website va.gov. The VHA is dedicated to providing the highest level of comprehensive care to its veterans. The organization offers a broad spectrum of medical, surgical, and rehabilitative care, including mental health services, research, and pharmacy benefits.

Industry

Health care and social assistance

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Phoenix, AZ, US