Physician- Staff Psychiatrist

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation. 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. Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed. Current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. (NOTE: VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are: (1) Those approved by the accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR (2) One year of post medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the Physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences. Exceptions: Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs). PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e., not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent basis. PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged; rather, they are to have a "scope of practice" that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision. Additionally, surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs. In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Additional Requirement: The incumbent must be a board-certified or board-eligible Psychiatrist who has completed residency training at a four-year Psychiatry Training Program. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Incumbent must be able to perform the above listed duties which require general overall good health, ability to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity during community outreach including walking, carrying supplies and to safely lift to 50 lbs. Requires performing activities involving sitting, walking, and standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus)/Relocation Incentive (Relocation Assistance): Authorized Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME) 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) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification) Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Provides a full range of psychiatric services including psychiatric evaluations, diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and management of adult and geriatric patients presenting with acute and/or chronic mental, behavioral, and/or substance use disorders, particularly for complex or unusually difficult Veterans Recommend, implement, and follow up with appropriate comprehensive interventions including pharmacological, behavioral therapy, and psychotherapeutic treatment modalities as clinically indicated for Veteran's clinical diagnoses Provide medication management for patients with co-morbid medical conditions, substance use disorders, dementia, and chronic pain disorders Provide medication assisted treatment as clinically indicated for Veterans with alcohol, opioid, and other substance use disorders Provide medication management for patients requiring clozapine and long-acting injectable antipsychotic medication Provide psychiatric consultation and management to Veterans admitted to the Community Living Center (CLC)- Recommend higher levels of behavioral health care when clinically indicated Provide same day psychiatric consultation to Veterans who present with urgent or emergent behavioral health needs Collaborate with non-VA community-based providers as needed for care coordination Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of Veterans, including prompt completion of clinical reminders Functions independently as a member of the Behavioral Health and Butler VA Medical Center, with full clinical privileges. Assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessments and findings, Veteran care decisions and documentation As requested, provides consultation for all Behavioral Health clinicians regarding the clinical care of complex cases Provides outreach services to Veterans and their families as needed and/or required Facilitates liaisons with other medical programs to effectively coordinate services Adheres to operational policies and procedures in all phases of assignments focusing on providing quality care to the Veterans including telehealth appointments as appropriate Develops and maintains a high-quality Behavioral Health service while meeting all VISN and VACO Environment of Care and programmatic requirements Assists the section chief and service chief in the design, development, and implementation of clinical programs for a team of treatment providers Assists the section chief and service chief in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the program Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely medical care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures and requirements, including timeliness standards for documentation with all notes and encounters, enters proper diagnostic and procedure codes Complies with proper procedures for Veteran check-out, to ensure continuation of care Attends and participates in mandatory administrative and informational meetings, regular team meetings, Behavioral Health staff meetings, and interdisciplinary team case conferences Complies with peer review procedures Works cohesively with Behavioral Health staff to ensure all aspects of Behavioral Health Services are functioning optimally. This includes strategic planning, setting operational priorities and deployment of resources, engaging in quality improvement, performance measure outcomes, and encouraging and improving team-oriented care for Veterans Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm and one possible late day Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Education Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are: Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year graduated. NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.