Summary 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. Responsibilities The Psychiatrist in this role serves as the Durham VA Health Care System (DVAHCS) Assistant Outpatient Division Chief (DC) for General Mental Health (GMH), a section within the Outpatient Mental Health Division of Mental and Behavioral Health Service (MBHS). The Assistant Outpatient Division Chief for the GMH section coordinates responsibilities with the Outpatient Division Chief and Associate Outpatient Division Chief, and is a member of the MBHS leadership team. The incumbent has broad program management responsibilities which include the operation and management of the General Mental Health BHIP program across the Durham VA Health Care System. The psychiatrist will also provide direct clinical care in one of the Durham VAHCS GMH BHIP teams. The incumbent is supervised by the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental & Behavioral Service Line for the Durham VA Health Care System Mental and Behavioral Health Service (MBHS), or designee. The Associate Chief of Staff for Mental & Behavioral Service Line, or designee, is the administrative Supervisor and conducts performance evaluations for this incumbent. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Major Duties and Responsibilities have significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety to include but not be limited to: Management Duties The incumbent organizes, directs, administers, and manages all aspects of the GMH outpatient section, including comprehensive planning, developing and implementing policies and procedures, determining program needs within the section, overseeing the quality and quantity of clinical activities, and establishing program initiatives and direction with the limitation of available staff and budget. Some of the core duties include: a. Direct supervision of psychiatrists within the Outpatient Mental Health Division. b. Assesses human resource needs within the GMH outpatient section and coordinates and manages recruitment and selection of staff within the section. c. Develops and implements programs, policies, and procedures to meet the needs of the GMH outpatient section, VHA policy, and national accreditation requirements (e.g., Joint Commission, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG)). d. Responsible for strategic planning for the GMH outpatient section to ensure the provision of high-quality services to meet the needs of the Veterans being served; plans, develops, and implements short- and long-term goals and objectives consistent with the strategic plan for the larger Outpatient Mental Health Division. e. Oversees the establishment of comprehensive BHIP programming across sites and monitors outcomes and process improvement measurements within the GMH outpatient section using data-driven quality assurance processes. f. Communicates targeted information and initiatives from MBHS, the medical center, and VACO to GMH outpatient section staff to ensure the section and larger Outpatient Mental Health Division is meeting guidelines and providing high quality care. Clinical Care Duties The incumbent provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment of 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 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. Participates effectively in team meetings and treatment planning conferences and collaborates with multidisciplinary team members that enhances coordination of comprehensive patient care. Other Duties Involved in performance improvement and quality assurance initiatives. Involved in the supervision and teaching of psychiatry residents and other trainees assigned to unit as appropriate. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Not authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance Telework: Ad-hoc related to agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. 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. 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. A drug test is required for the position, and The position is subject to random drug testing. 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 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. 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.
