Physician (Psychiatrist)

Overview

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.

Major Duties

This position is a VISN based position located in VISN 12 Clinical Resource Hub (CRH). CRH is a repository of clinical and administrative staff. Staff within the CRH are expected to provide interprofessional services to VISN 12 facilities that are underserved or experiencing gaps in clinicians due to the inability to match provider supply with demand. Services provided by CRH staff are conducted via multiple modalities, Veteran Video Connect (VVC), Clinical Video Telehealth (CVT), and phone. Position is remote work eligible and is exempted from return to office requirements. Remote exempted positions are reviewed annually and do not imply permanent remote work status. Expertise in Woman and Reproductive Mental Health is preferred but not required. Candidates who are open to mentorship and enthusiastic about pursuing specialized training in Woman's Mental Health are strongly encouraged to apply. Duties include, but not limited to: Function as a psychiatry physician member of an interdisciplinary team consisting of therapists, clinical pharmacy specialists, case/care managers and/or addiction therapists most often as a member of the spoke site or Hub BHIP team. Assume the role of primary provider, team provider or consultant depending on the Hub care model. Conduct psychiatric evaluations, develop treatment plans, implement treatment, and provide clinical management for a variety of complex mental health conditions, including, but not limited to: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis, ADHD and other related conditions. Create treatment plans focusing on utilization of pharmacological, psychotherapeutic and technological interventions as well as appropriate referral for additional studies and/or for adjunctive psychosocial interventions. Inform patients of risks, benefits, and alternative treatments and answering all questions. Incumbent will provide consultation to Veterans' families/caregivers as well as Licensed Independent Practitioners (LIP) and other professional staff on the assessment, education, and treatment of Veterans with complex clinical problems as appropriate. Clinical Responsibilities: Perform duties as a practitioner and consultant in Psychiatry within a variety of clinical settings. Provide routine or intensive psychiatric services on an outpatient basis and/or inpatient services, partial hospitalization services, consultation/liaison and/or to disaster response locations. Responsible for performing the full range of consultation, evaluation and treatment of emergency, complex and routine cases in the field of Psychiatry for a variety of emotional, psychological, and behavioral disorders. Provide various treatment therapeutics including medication management and, individual, psychotherapies as indicated or necessary. Exercise initiative and sound judgment in establishing evaluation techniques, developing treatment and rehabilitation plans and providing appropriate therapeutic treatment services. Align and collaborate Veteran care as authorized with community providers/partners and programs. Provide education regarding connected care services including web resources and mobile applications to patients and medical staff. Attends and actively participates in mental health activities (i.e., team meetings, staff development, conferences). Prepares and presents educational lectures to a variety of disciplines as required. Provides formal education and clinical education in his/her area of expertise to medical students and psychiatric residents in training if applicable. Provides patient education about diagnoses, therapeutic options, medications and related topics when appropriate. Work Schedule:8:00 AM - 4:30 PM 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 EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, for questions/assistance VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Qualifications

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 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 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), 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. 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 or fee-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. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Preferred Experience: Board-eligibility or board certification by the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology. Experience in Woman and Reproductive Mental Health preferred. Expertise in Reproductive MH strongly preferred but not required. Openness to mentorship and commitment to specialized training in Reproductive Mental Health. Strong interest in professional growth and continuous learning. Excellent communication and collaboration skills. Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment. Familiarity with telehealth platforms and virtual care delivery. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: This work is mostly sedentary and requires some standing, bending and carrying light items. The incumbent must have the ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods of time to interact with the patients and other services.

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, or Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate 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.

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 dentification 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.