Physician (Psychiatry Section Chief)

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 The Mental Health Service Line provides care in several psychiatric settings: inpatient units, ambulatory programs, residential program for substance abuse, residential program for PTSD, emergency department, medical-surgical ward psychiatric consultation and geriatrics with extended programs. Psychiatrists within the Mental Health Service are able to perform and teach all of the services required in the practice of psychiatry to psychiatry residents. Educational experiences are also provided to appropriate health care personnel who seek training in mental health services (e.g. medical students, psychology and social work interns, physician assistant and nursing students, and non-psychiatric medical residents). Section Chief duties include but are not limited to the following: Provide clinical and administrative coverage for Outpatient Mental Health Be part of an on-call rotation of psychiatrists, which may include rounds on acute patients during weekends and holiday Supervise psychiatry staff Provide the general oversight of advanced clinical providers working in Mental Health Provide clinical coverage of Inpatient Units and Outpatient Units, as necessary Advice and counsel workers on work and administrative matters Participate and coordinate Medical Center clinical committees, as required Managing Psychiatry discipline - specific issues/concerns as appropriate to the authority delegated Work with the other Mental Health supervisors to ensure that appropriate disposition services and meaningful therapeutic treatments are being offered throughout the department Act in the absence of Mental Health Service Chief and serves on the management team of the Mental Health Service Line Review and approval/disapproval of leave requests Assure that subordinates are trained and fully compliant with the provisions of safety regulations Additional duties include, but are not limited to: Application of accepted protocols for assessment of the individual presenting for psychiatric care. Assessment may include gathering verbal and documented history, mental status examination and medical and laboratory evaluation Diagnostic description or formulation to guide appropriate acute and secondary treatment interventions Provision of psychiatric care according to privileges Availability for emergency psychiatric interventions during on-call hours Provide or assist residents and/or Advanced Clinical Providers in the process of evaluation and treatment of the psychiatric patient, and actively participate in corrective actions against untoward responses to psychiatric interventions Evaluate the patient to assess changes in the physical and mental status. A progress note is written in the patient's chart. Notes also include the concurrence with notes written by the resident and attending notes as appropriate Perform inpatient and outpatient psychiatry evaluations and treatment as the team leader Participate in various hospital committees, departmental and hospital in-service programs, and education programs of the department and the hospital. They are also involved in continuous quality improvement through the peer review process Initiate or participate in an ongoing research activity. Faculty appointments to affiliated medical schools are available, as teaching medical students, residents and other disciplines is essential Regularly creates and maintains an environment that ensures confidentiality of privacy for patients Promotes teamwork by cooperating with and supporting staff, visitors and customers in achieving the hospitals mission VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for highly qualified applicants Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Contact Mr. James Grimm at James.GrimmIII@va.gov, 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 Work Schedule: 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday- Friday 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 and/or at random. 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. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or other supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC AS WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. NOTE: A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.