Summary

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.

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: Experience in an outpatient mental health setting Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Work is mostly sedentary - but may require some light lifting/carrying up to 15 pounds
• reaching above shoulder
• use of fingers
• walking/standing (up to 2 hours)
• far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other
• Hearing aid (permitted)
• Mental/cognitive and emotional stability.

Duties

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@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 The Behavioral Health Service is divided generally into sections - which include the following: Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) - Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) and Supported Employment (SE) - Consult/Liaison - Domiciliary Substance Use Disorder (DOM-SUD) program - Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) - Neuropsychology - Peer Support Services - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Team (PTSD-PCT) - Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) - and the Substance Use Disorder Clinic (SUD-C)
• Duties and responsibilities include - but are not limited to - the following: Provide mental health care including assessment - diagnoses - medication management - and referrals Assess and treat new patients and provide follow-up care when deemed appropriate Initiate appropriate and timely treatment and modify treatment when deemed appropriate Provide direct - short-term - crisis intervention - grief work - and brief psychotherapy Initiate and update treatment plans in collaboration with the patient and interdisciplinary treatment team Provide consultation services to various disciplines within the medical center and levels of training Participate in special projects pertinent to assigned Psychiatry or sub-specialty may be necessary as the projects become available with strategic or other initiatives May be assigned duty as a collaborating or supervising physician for a mid-level prescribing provider Physicians are expected to provide clinical oversight and review Most providers will need to act as surrogates for the patients of their colleagues - when one or more of their colleagues are on leave All physicians will have the opportunity to participate on the on-call schedule to provide 24/7 mental health services as needed Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Monday-Friday