Physician (MD/DO) - Assistant Chief of Psychiatry & Mental Health

About the role

The Assistant Chief of Psychiatry within the Psychiatry and Mental Health Service is responsible for assisting with clinical and administrative functions of the Psychiatry and Mental Health Service.

The incumbent is responsible for participation in and oversight of appropriate performance improvement and system redesign activities, as well as for advancing the principles of appropriate management/standards of care applicable to our Veteran patients in the inpatient and outpatient settings.

What you will do

• Assistant Chief of Psychiatry & Mental Health The Assistant Chief reports directly to the Chief of the Psychiatry and Mental Health Service.
• Assistant Chief: (50% Administrative Time) Attends to administrative assignments per the Service Chief, as the Assistant/Deputy Service Chief, primarily including or related to the duties below.
• Assistant Chief physician works collaboratively with the Service Chief and performs a variety of administrative duties for sections management and the development, administration, coordination and implementation of departmental policies and procedures.
• Serves as the Psychiatry/Psychiatrist Discipline Lead for the Service (or "Lead Psychiatrist").
• Ensures clinical privileges and scope of practice for all psychiatric/physician providers meet VHA and all relevant statutory and licensure requirements; Provides discipline input into competencies and FPPE/OPPE (focused and ongoing profession practice evaluations) for these physicians, as well as the advanced practice nurses, and physician assistants, in compliance with State, and Federal / VHA requirements/directives.
• May also serve as primary supervisor for staff and sections as assigned by the Service Chief.
• Attend all relevant VA institutional committee meetings as assigned by the Chief of Psychiatry.
• Works with Psychiatry & Mental Health Service section leads (supervisors, unit managers, medical directors/section chiefs) to regularly assess Psychiatry Service Performance metrics and address identified deficiencies via gap analysis and creation of corrective action plans.
• Manages all the Psychiatry and Mental Health Service Physician, NP, PA, and Psychologist credentialing and works with the Credentialing Service to keep all required OPPE/FPPE up-to-date for any credentialed providers.
• Meets regularly with VA Utilization Management staff to understand and review relevant Psychiatry & Mental Health Service Inpatient bed utilization performance measures, and develop gap analyses and performance improvement plans where indicated.
• Additionally, the Assistant Chief assumes full responsibility for all Service Chief duties during their absence.
• Psychiatrist / Physician (50% - Clinical Time) Responsible for the oversight of all aspects of psychiatric care delivered to patients under his/her care, in the area of their primary assignment at the R.L.
• Provide or assist residents and/or nurse practitioners in the process of evaluation and treatment of the patient under his/her care in the area of their primary assignment.
• Evaluate patients at the area of their primary assignment to assess changes in the physical and mental status during their care.
• Perform inpatient psychiatric evaluations and treatment for the patients admitted to the area of their primary assignment if applicable.
• Participate in Treatment Team meetings, and patient care discussions, to guide appropriate psychiatric care in the area of their primary assignment.
• 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 to 4:30pm.
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.
• Contact Margaret Bordner, *** , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.
• VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Requirements

• 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 evaluation.
• 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.

Education

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.

How you will be evaluated

Your application, resume, C.V., and/or other supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: You must include qualifying specialized experience employment periods in mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy format on your resume and indicate Full-Time or Part-Time (if Part-time, must include # of hours worked per week).

AND, if you have held a Government position, that position's grade level MUST be listed on your resume; Failure to include all requirements in your resume will result in disqualification. Please refer to USAJOBS Help Center - What should I include in my federal resume? for additional information on resume requirements.

NOTE: A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire.

You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.).

If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation.

Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference.

For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Documents you must provide

• To apply for this position, you must submit a C.V. and/or resume.
• Other documents may be requested later in the process if needed.
• Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link *** to download the standard Clinical Resume Document.
• This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.
• Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.
• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal Employee.

What to expect next

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. We will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued, and applicants will be notified of their status by email.

Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications.

Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center. NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service.

HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities.

HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities.

HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

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.

Whole Health StatementVA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest.

As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community.

This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.