Summary This Chief of Mental Health position is located in Mental Health Service Line at the VA Maine Healthcare System at Augusta, (Togus) ME, location. This position is a full-time at 40 hours per week Responsibilities NOTE: This multi-discipline recruitment is being conducted and will result in the hiring of one of the two disciplines: Physician, or Psychologist. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties may include, but are not limited to: Reviews/performs/provides duties and responsibilities of the incumbent's discipline; psychiatrist or psychologist or social worker or nurse or licensed professional mental health counselor or licensed marriage and family therapist. As the mental health service chief, Interpret and support the VISN mission, vision and values, while operating in accordance with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) policies, facility and VISN policies, and standards of federal professional and accrediting agencies external to VHA. Adhere to the Medical Staff Bylaws and Rules and Regulations as set forth by the medical staff. Provide direction and support to Mental Health staff regarding equipment technology, policies and procedures employed by the VA Maine Healthcare System (VAMHCS) and ensure that all requirements of regulatory agencies such as the Joint Commission are met Review quality control and quality improvement procedures performed by VA personnel in Mental Health Service Line (MHSL) and make recommendations for improvements, corrective actions, etc. Participate/review and document performance improvement activities, including, but not limited to, external review programs, internal peer review programs, and accreditation requirements. Serve as an active member of various Medical Center committees. Provide accurate, concise, timely documentation of care in the electronic medical record (Computerized Patient Record System -CPRS) on each patient care occurrence. Maintain a peer review process for all MHSL clinicians. Demonstrate knowledge and maintains standards in the use and reprocessing of reusable medical equipment (RME). Financially manage the MHSL. Collaborate with the Chief of Staff to develop and execute a strategic plan and annual budget for the service line. Oversee matters such as promotions, selections, on the job training, awards, EEO complaints, labor relations, disciplinary actions, training, and career development. Develop mechanisms to assure staff competency and continuing education compliance. Establish employee performance plans that align with Agency and Departmental goals and objectives and is responsible for evaluating and communicating employee performance. Develop a team that is technically competent and understands the interrelationship of the MHSL with other facility Service Lines and departments to achieve the mission of the Medical Center, VISN and VA. Work Schedule: Full-time; Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May Be Authorized Relocation Incentive: May be Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. 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) Telework:May Be Authorized; Adhoc only. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Required, selectee must file a financial disclosure report, OGE Form 450 within 30 days of onboarding and then annually. NOTIFICATIONS: This position is in the Excepted Service. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. This position is not a Bargaining Unit position. This position is covered by a special rate. Selectee may be required to work at any VA Maine Healthcare System campus, as needed. May be required to attend conference at other facilities or other VA sites on occasion. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's. Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. 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. May be subject to satisfactory completion of our credentialing process. 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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. Education. Have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the school of social work is fully accredited. A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. Grade Determinations: Senior Psychologist, GS-15 (Service Chief) Experience. At least four years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-14 level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to supervise and manage a large group of professional staff effectively. Skill in interpersonal relationships, including conflict resolution and ability to work collaboratively with supervisors from other units. Ability to accurately apply the qualification standards, assesses the potential of current and prospective employees, and promotes their professional development. Ability to develop appropriate productivity standards for professional staff, often across multiple program lines. Knowledge of the goals and objectives of the medical center and VISN and ability to communicate these to subordinates. Preferred Experience: Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-15. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-15 Physical Requirements: No special physical qualifications are required to perform the work. The work requires the ability to move around the office and facility. The work is performed in offices and meeting rooms, and is largely sedentary. Some travel is required to visit CBOCs, which necessitates the ability to drive and possession of a valid driver's license. The work can be mentally and psychologically demanding and stressful, and the ability to utilize effective coping and self-care strategies is essential. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure, and @type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This is an open continuous announcement until December 2, 2025. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. Resume Reminder: Your resume must include the following information for each job listed: 1. Job tile 2. Duties (be as detailed as possible). 3. Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2019 to June 2020) 4. Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week). During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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.
