Outpatient Psychiatrist - Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP)

Summary

This is a OPEN AND CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT until September 30 - 2026 applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified applicants will be referred until the position has been filled. 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.

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 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: Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit
• Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity - keen hearing - clear distinctive speech - and manual dexterity
• This position requires mostly periods of continued walking - standing - stooping - sitting - bending - pulling - and pushing
• Transferring patients and objects may be required
• The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients/residents who are combative secondary to delirium - dementia - or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature - flexible - sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations - able to shift priorities based on stakeholder needs.

Duties

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Authorized for highly qualified applicants
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact Byron Collins - View email address on careers.biausa.org - 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: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Monday - Friday CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES: The incumbent provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care
• Performs psychiatric evaluations for patients with diversity by gender - age - and post-deployment combat status who are mentally ill and have psychosocial issues that may include homelessness - unemployment - and poor family support network - primarily in an outpatient setting on a Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) team
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions to units/programs in the Medical Center to which the psychiatrist is assigned and has clinical privileges to practice including diagnostic assessment - medication evaluation and management - suicide risk assessments - crisis intervention - and overall care of patients with psychiatric disorders - including depression - anxiety - psychosis - PTSD - substance abuse - and other psychiatric disorders in various clinical settings including the outpatient - inpatient - ED - and hospital ward settings
• 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
• Ensures that the practice of psychiatric medicine is consistent with Joint Commission - CARF - VA policies and procedures - clinical practice psychiatric guidelines - VISN standards - national statutes and regulations - medical record documentation - mandatory continuing education - and HIPPA policies
• Participates in supervision and teaching in support of the psychiatric residency program - performs on-call duties - and performs other - directly-related - duties as assigned
• CLINICAL COMPETENCE: Examinations - Uses assessment skills to promptly examine new patients thoroughly using appropriate clinical - laboratory and other pertinent data
• Provides follow-up when indicated
• Answers Mental Health consult requests when necessary
• Diagnosis - Accurately interprets and evaluates clinical data for the purpose of determining diagnosis and clinical status
• Formulates assessment and plan according to accepted protocols - treatment plans or attending physician's treatment protocols - treatment plans or recommendations
• Corrects diagnosis when necessary
• Therapeutic Ability - Initiates appropriate and timely treatment
• Recognizes changes in behavior - symptoms - signs - and other pertinent facts about the patient and modifies plan of treatment when indicated
• Prescribes medications according to outpatient formulary
• Recognizes own capabilities and limitations
• Provides direct - short-term - crisis intervention - grief work and brief psychotherapy
• Effectiveness in Emergencies - Acts quickly in recognizing emergency situations and takes timely necessary action
• Calls codes when indicated and manages CPR efforts until code team arrives
• Patient Management - Maintains confidentiality of patients and relatives through competence and interpersonal skills
• Acts as a consultant in involving patients in the treatment and management plan
• Refers patients to other services of subspecialty clinics as appropriate.

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The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.

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