Physician - Psychiatrist - Service Chief

Summary

This position oversees the Mental Health services throughout the Northern Arizona VA Health Care System (NAVAHCS). The Mental Health & Behavioral Health Sciences (MH&BS) Service Line Manager reports to the Chief of Staff. The MH&BS service line manager will supervisor the managers within the MH&BS service line. The MH&BS manager will manage human and material resources and a variety of mental health programs. This position supports the overall functioning of MH&BS.

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Duties

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The VA Northern Arizona Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Desert Pacific Network. We're an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 22 (VISN 22).

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

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for highly qualified candidates.

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): May be authorized for highly qualified candidates.

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 $2,500 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification) And up to $1,000 without board certification.

Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided

Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting

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.

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• All professional and administrative activities within the Mental Health Service Line including selection, orientation and continuing education of staff.
• Assures that all licensed independent practitioners receive education on assessing and managing pain.
• Clinically and administratively related activities of the Mental Health Service Line..
• Continuing surveillance of the professional performance of all individuals in the Mental Health Service Line who have delineated clinical privileges.
• Monitoring and evaluating the quality of care provided in the Mental Health Service Line.
• Assuring that individuals in Mental Health with clinical privileges competently provide service within the scope of privileges granted.
• Recommending to the Medical Executive Board the criteria for clinical privileges that are relevant to the care provided in the Mental Health Service Line.
• Recommending appointment and clinical privileges for each medical staff member of the Mental Health Service Line and others requesting privileges within Mental Health. When needed, Service Line Managers will consult with the appropriate specialty for re-privileging decisions.
• Reviews Provider Performance Improvement activities/data as part of the renewal of privileges/scope of practice
• The integration of the department or service into the primary functions of the hospital.
• The development and implementation of policies and procedures that guide and support the provision of care, treatment, and services.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

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 identification 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.

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.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience providing leadership and oversight for all professional and administrative operations within a Mental Health or Behavioral Health service line, including supervision of multidisciplinary clinical and administrative staff.
• Demonstrated success in managing human and material resources across a complex mental health continuum, including outpatient, specialty, and integrated care programs.
• Experience developing, implementing, and evaluating policies, procedures, and clinical care standards to ensure high-quality, safe, and efficient care delivery.
• Experience conducting ongoing surveillance and evaluation of clinical performance, including quality of care, appropriateness of treatment, adherence to standards, and performance improvement activities.
• Skill in leading quality control programs, risk management activities, infection control oversight, and compliance with facility-wide performance measures.
• Demonstrated ability to improve patient access, flow, timeliness, and satisfaction through data-driven process improvement.
• Experience in advanced clinic access management, including monitoring supply and demand, clinic utilization, backlog reduction, no-show reduction strategies, and appointment optimization.
• Expertise in consult management processes, including consult review, business rule implementation, coordination with internal/external services, and development of Care Coordination Agreements.
• Prior experience recommending and evaluating criteria for clinical privileges, and monitoring clinical competence of licensed independent practitioners.
• Proven ability to oversee professional performance reviews, including FPPE/OPPE, peer review, and performance improvement data integration.
• Experience coordinating interdepartmental and intradepartmental services to ensure integrated, Veteran-centered mental health care delivery across settings (e.g., PC, ED, acute care, community care).
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with system partners (e.g., PCMM, MCA DSS, Group Practice Management, Community Care) to optimize operations and resource utilization.
• Experience planning, developing, and leading new or expanded clinical programs, including Telehealth, evidence-based practice implementation, and enhancement of specialty/complexity of care offerings.
• Ability to analyze financial, workflow, and operational impacts of proposed policies or initiatives and provide data-supported recommendations.
• Experience supervising interdisciplinary staff, resolving personnel issues, conducting evaluations, managing performance, and overseeing continuing education.
• Demonstrated ability to provide licensure supervision (for LCSW or psychology/psychiatry trainees, depending on discipline).
• Evidence of strong communication and customer service skills, including ability to work with diverse populations and resolve complex Veteran or staff concerns in a professional manner.
• Demonstrated understanding of age-specific and culturally responsive mental health care needs across the adult and geriatric lifespan.

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

Physical Requirements: VA Handbook 5019/1, Part II, Pre-Placement Physical Examination and Evaluation.

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.
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year 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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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.