Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a Physician Assistant at the Amarillo VA Health Care System to oversee the administration and management of the VA Medical Center's Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC). The purpose of the PRRC Program Manager is to provide independent clinical administration of the PRRC teams at the main facility and affiliated Community Based Outpatient Clinics and share supervision of interdisciplinary staff who work in the program.

Duties

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Duties include but not limited to:

• Assigns work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments, and the capabilities of employees
• Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, sets and adjusts short-term priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work
• Performs the administrative and personnel management functions relative to staff supervised
• plans and schedules ongoing production-oriented work on quarterly and annual basis, or direct assignments of similar duration
• Coordinates services offered to Veterans and their families enrolled in the program. Services include assessment, medication management, crisis intervention, educational, individual, family, and group treatment, case management and specialized psychological testing.
• Interviews candidates for positions in the unit; recommends appointment, promotion, or reassignments to such positions
• Formulates, interprets, and implements policies and procedures pertaining to quality mental health care in a mental health program to assure compliance with internal and external performance standards
• Directs and guides various mental health disciplines within the mental health program to assure efficiency, including the scheduling of activities, the redesign of workloads, daily monitoring of the operations of the program, and feedback to other managers about staff performance within the context of program evaluation and measuring outcome of services provided
• Oversees the development of technical data, estimates, statistics, suggestions, and other information useful to higher level managers in determining goals and objectives, and other management strategies
• Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care. Provides direct patient contact including psychological assessment and treatment planning, individual psychotherapy/assessment sessions, family/caregiver stress therapy sessions.
• Provides psychological assessments and individual and group psychotherapy for patients in the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center.
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions including: individual and family psychotherapy, caregiver stress support and evidence-based treatments for chronic severe mental illness.

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

Telework: AD-HOC telework available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Contract Buy Out Program: This position may be eligible for the Physician / Provider Contract Buy Out Program (CBOP), which authorizes VHA to buy out service contracts (Locum agreements, loan repayments, sign-on bonus contracts, Physician-owned practices) in exchange for employment at certain rural or highly rural facilities for a period of obligated service (minimum 4 years). For additional information and eligibility requirements, contact the VHA Contract Buy Out Program Manager at [redacted].

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.
• 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 identification 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).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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.

Physician Assistant Basic Requirements

• Master's degree in any discipline or a bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~
• Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) (or are you in the process to taking the exam) ~AND~
• Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia.

Grade Determinations: Physician Assistant-IV (PA-IV)

i. Experience. PA clinical leaders/administrative leaders require five years of experience which included leadership assignments that involved formulating program objectives and priorities, implementing plans and practices, and interpreting regulatory and organizational guidance to develop and implement policies and/or procedures.

ii. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-IV:

a. Ability to assess information and make recommendations that may significantly affect the content, interpretation, or development of programs concerning critical matters or key issues within the health care system.

b. Ability to schedule and supervise staff, students, or ancillary personnel, to include conducting performance evaluations.

c. Skill in planning, organizing, directing, and controlling an integrated program.

d. Skill in design, management of budget, and cost benefit analysis to ensure optimal stewardship of resources.

e. Ability to analyze complex medical care, organizational processes and/or systems, and develop and implement solutions that improve outcomes at the program or service level.

f. Ability to develop and recommend new or revised policies or procedures to justify program goals and motivate assigned personnel.

Preferred Experience:

• At least two years of supervising employees
• At least two years experience with serious mental illness patients

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is VN-04.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. "A pre-placement examination will be required to be able to determine if the incumbent is able to safely operate a Government Vehicle".

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

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

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.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.