Physician - Psychiatry

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, 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.

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Duties

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This is an open continuous announcement. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. Applications will remain on file until September 30, 2026.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized

Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact View email address on click.appcast.io,, 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 include, but are not limited to:

- Providing short-notice and time-limited coverage across Ralph H. Johnson outpatient clinics.

- Supporting urgent access needs, including same-day psychiatric evaluations, rapid consultations, and short-term follow-up appointments.

- Providing temporary coverage for outpatient mental health prescribing providers on brief leave (e.g., 1-6 weeks), such as during onboarding periods, or during unexpected staff vacancies.

- Delivering bridging care for Veterans awaiting assignment to a permanent mental health provider.

- Offering telehealth-based surge support when clinics experience sudden increases in demand or temporary operational disruptions.

- Conducting psychiatric evaluations; developing and implementing treatment plans; and providing ongoing clinical management for conditions such as PTSD, substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and other psychiatric conditions.

- Educating Veterans on risks, benefits, and alternatives of treatment options and ensuring questions are addressed.

- Providing clinical consultation to families/caregivers, mid-level providers, and other clinical staff regarding complex mental health conditions.

- Maintaining competency in telehealth technologies and applying these tools effectively across multiple outpatient settings.

Additional Description of Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

- Providing short-notice and time-limited coverage across Ralph H. Johnson outpatient clinics.

- Supporting urgent access needs, including same-day psychiatric evaluations, rapid consultations, and short-term follow-up appointments.

- Providing temporary coverage for outpatient mental health prescribing providers on brief leave (e.g., 1-6 weeks), such as during onboarding periods, or during unexpected staff vacancies.

- Delivering bridging care for Veterans awaiting assignment to a permanent mental health provider.

- Offering telehealth-based surge support when clinics experience sudden increases in demand or temporary operational disruptions.

- Conducting psychiatric evaluations; developing and implementing treatment plans; and providing ongoing clinical management for conditions such as PTSD, substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and other psychiatric conditions.

- Educating Veterans on risks, benefits, and alternatives of treatment options and ensuring questions are addressed.

- Providing clinical consultation to families/caregivers, mid-level providers, and other clinical staff regarding complex mental health conditions.

- Maintaining competency in telehealth technologies and applying these tools effectively across multiple outpatient settings.

Preferred Experience:

• 3-5 years of post-residency experience as a licensed psychiatrist.
• Experience providing video-based tele-psychiatry services.
• Experience working in a virtual team environment.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am-4:30pm (Subject to change based on agency needs).

Requirements

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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 ( 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.

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.

Summary

The Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System is seeking a Psychiatrist (Rapid Access Psychiatrist) within the TeleMental Health Program under Mental Health Service. The Psychiatrist provides high-quality tele-mental health services across outpatient clinics and delivers flexible, short-notice clinical coverage to meet urgent access and continuity-of-care needs for Veterans.

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.

• Performs psychiatric evaluations for a diverse population, including geriatric and post deployment combat Veterans, who are mentally ill and have psychosocial issues such as homelessness, unemployment, and poor family support network.
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions including diagnostic assessment, medication evaluation and management, suicide risk assessments, crisis intervention, and overall care of patients with psychiatric disorders.
• Ensures practice of psychiatric medicine is consistent with TJC, CARF, HIPPA, VA policies and procedures, clinical practice guidelines, national statutes and regulations, medical record documentation, and mandatory continuing education.
• Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care.
• The Psychiatrist may serve as a mental health team leader with responsibilities for coordinating consults and triage of specialty clinic referrals.
• Participates effectively in team meetings and treatment planning conferences and collaborates with multidisciplinary team members that enhances coordination of comprehensive patient care.
• Orders diagnostic tests and consultations and discriminates between normal and abnormal findings and makes appropriate treatment decisions.
• May participate in supervision and teaching in support of the psychiatric residency program, performs on call duties, and performs other directly related duties as assigned.
• Areas which the psychiatrist is assigned and has clinical privileges to practice may include depression, anxiety, psychosis, PTSD, substance abuse, and other psychiatric disorders in various clinical settings (outpatient, inpatient, ED).

Additional Description of Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

- Providing short-notice and time-limited coverage across Ralph H. Johnson outpatient clinics.

- Supporting urgent access needs, including same-day psychiatric evaluations, rapid consultations, and short-term follow-up appointments.

- Providing temporary coverage for outpatient mental health prescribing providers on brief leave (e.g., 1-6 weeks), such as during onboarding periods, or during unexpected staff vacancies.

- Delivering bridging care for Veterans awaiting assignment to a permanent mental health provider.

- Offering telehealth-based surge support when clinics experience sudden increases in demand or temporary operational disruptions.

- Conducting psychiatric evaluations; developing and implementing treatment plans; and providing ongoing clinical management for conditions such as PTSD, substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and other psychiatric conditions.

- Educating Veterans on risks, benefits, and alternatives of treatment options and ensuring questions are addressed.

- Providing clinical consultation to families/caregivers, mid-level providers, and other clinical staff regarding complex mental health conditions.

- Maintaining competency in telehealth technologies and applying these tools effectively across multiple outpatient settings.

Preferred Experience:

• 3-5 years of post-residency experience as a licensed psychiatrist.
• Experience providing video-based tele-psychiatry services.

Experience working in a virtual team environment

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, sitting, talking, driving, use of the telephone, etc. Strenuous physical activity is not required although the incumbent is expected to withstand pressure and stress as part of their day-to-day activities. There is ongoing exposure to individuals having psychiatric and physical illness and disabilities. These include violent or aggressive behavior and chronic psychiatric and medical problems. Light lifting, under 15 pounds, Light carrying, under 15 pounds, Hearing (aid permitted).

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:

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or
2. 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.
3. 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.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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