Summary The VA Puget Sound Healthcare System is recruiting for a Psychiatrist to perform duties as the Director of Community and Residential Care Services (CRCS) for the Mental Health Service Line at American Lake VA Hospital in Tacoma, Washington. This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. Please see the "Duties" section below for more information. Responsibilities Duties may include but are not limited to: Program Management Responsibilities (30 %) Provides broad program management responsibilities of a clinical care team, including leadership in the development, implementation, evaluation, and oversight of a complex program responsible for comprehensive clinical care of Veterans. Leads a number of multidisciplinary teams, which include psychologists, physicians, social workers, nurses, and other health professionals and trainees. The manager of this program oversees over 60 FTEE. Responsible for the development, implementation, and oversight of operational policies and procedures for the programs, with the approval of the affiliated Service Line leader. Conducts ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects that monitor the effectiveness of clinical operations within their respective program(s). Allocate resources within the Community and Residential Care Service at VAPSHCS, based on data-driven decision-making process with consideration given to the overall needs of the organization and Service Line (e.g., productivity, bed occupancy, clinic utilization, staffing needs, barriers to access, etc.). Organizes and leads leadership team meetings in order to facilitate case disposition, care management, effective delivery of clinical interventions, and the adherence to administrative demands. Supervisory Responsibilities (20 %) The physician has direct or indirect (through subordinate supervision) administrative and professional supervision of subordinates. Functions as the first line supervising authority (i.e., rater) for (5) Program Managers and (5) front-line staff members. For these individuals, the incumbent provides administrative, as well as clinical, supervision and/or consultation as appropriate. Provides administrative oversight and clinical consultation to over 50 other interdisciplinary team members for whom the incumbent is not the designated first line rating authority. Provides clinical supervision to trainees as appropriate. Clinical Responsibilities (45%) Provides comprehensive psychiatric assessment and diagnostic services for Veterans with a broad range of psychopathology receiving care within the Community and Residential Care Services, including services for patients with complex psychopathology requiring advanced diagnostic and intervention skills. Demonstrates expertise in using and contemporary interview and assessment methods for mental disorders and/or behavioral health conditions. Provides education to patients and family members regarding mental disorders and best practices approaches to treatment. Provides comprehensive assessment of Veterans at imminent risk of harm to self and/or others (including grave disability) and facilitates admission for acute psychiatric hospitalization Education and Training (5%) Provides clinical supervision and instruction for medical trainees assigned to the primary work setting VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Authorized; may be offered to a highly qualified candidate. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Authorized: This position is eligible for EDRP, a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of your start date. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov 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: Full-time, 8:00am - 4:30pm Requirements 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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). 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. Additional Requirement: Current board certification in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Preferred Experience: Leadership experience and experience in evidence based treatments for mental health Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Functional Requirements: Ability to sit for long periods of time, ability to work closely with others, ability to work alone 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: Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or 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. 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.
