Physician (Psychiatrist) Mental Health WLA

Psychiatrist Position

The Mental Health Service at VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (GLA) is seeking a full-time Psychiatrist to join the Acute Care Psychiatry division in the Mental Health Emergency Department at West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. As a member of this service, you will deliver direct patient care in the psychiatric emergency department, providing evaluations, diagnoses, treatment and crisis interventions for Veterans presenting with acute mental health and substance abuse issues. You will also serve as a psychiatric consultant to the medical emergency department to address the mental health needs of patients presenting with medical chief complaints. For Veterans requiring psychiatric hospitalization, you will have the ability to arrange voluntary and involuntary admissions to the inpatient psychiatric unit at West LA VAMC. You will also be involved in care coordination for patients in need of referral to outpatient mental health, substance abuse and housing resources. You will be supported by an interdisciplinary team consisting of social workers, nurses, a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant. You will also have opportunities to teach and/or supervise residents from the UCLA and USC psychiatry training programs. As a member of a multidisciplinary team, the psychiatrist is responsible for medication management for patients with a wide variety of mental disorders, including supportive psychotherapy when indicated, as well as facilitation of medication support groups, evaluating and providing medical clearance for patients presenting to the clinic who may need psychiatric hospitalization, and assessment and intervention for patients presenting in crisis.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. 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.

May provide direct patient care services to Veterans in the section and at other sites within GLA. Functions include but are not limited to:

• Performs psychiatric evaluations for a diverse population.
• 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.
• 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 outpatient clinical settings.
• Mental health assessments, including suicide risk assessments and diagnostic assessments for both acute and chronic mental health conditions.
• Crisis evaluation & intervention/management.
• Treatment, including psychiatric pharmacotherapy within the VA formulary guidelines and non-pharmacotherapy interventions (e.g. psychotherapies).
• Treatment planning and coordination with other disciplines.
• Administrative duties- Order and interpret diagnostic tests.
• Documentation using the VA electronic record (i.e. CPRS).
• Teach and counsel patients/families including health promotion and disease prevention.
• Referrals to specialty care services, as indicated.
• Hospital admissions for acute, mental-health decompensation.
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary treatment team.

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